Evaluation

Evaluation Questions


1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?

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

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

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

7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?



Question 2 is answered on another blog post.


Question 4.
Our main audience target would be teenage girls 15 - 20. This is because we believe our film opening title would really make them feel involved and would definatly give them a fright. Our media product has been designed to be aimed at teenage girls by the use of dialogue and costume. We used costume of our time period and the usual trendy clothing which would appeal to them also.



Question 6.
During the production we learnt about more technologies. We used the tripod first as through our first time filming we had very undsteady hands. The camera was easy for our group to understand as we had used Kims own camera that we used.  

  The next thing to tackle was The Mac!!!! The program we used was Final Cut Express which we were taught to use by Mr Henton and Mr Craddock . Kim and I found this very tricky to get the hang of  as as the program is nothing like we have used before. With some footage that our teacher provided we had a practice on the software and found it a bit easier when editing our preliminary task. When editing our main task we developed new skills and have become more familiarized than before. So it was easier on this to make the editing flow better.

Question 7.

Our preliminary task is at a much lower standard than our main task. Producing our preliminary task has helped Kim and I progress it help us get the hang of the equipment and different angles and shots that worked in different situatuions. We learnt about the programs on the macs that we needed to use in our main task, we meant we was more able to produce a better product at the end. Another thing we learnt more about was the cameras too. Our preliminary task is edited badly as we knew less about the different effects you could have to make the cuts flow better; this is because we gained more knowledge throughout the rest of the year.

In our preliminary task we used a tripod for half of the filiming which in turn made some of the shots useable and some footage very unsteady. Thefore making the footage very jumpy and did not flow aswell as we wanted it too.

how does my media represent particular social groups?

Question 2!!!

Kim and I decided to use ourselves in my title opening because both of us have a real interest in scary films, we are also Alevel drama students and thought that we are a typical sterotype of teenage girls therefore making it easier for the target audience to relate to us. The way we are dressed make us look totally innocent, young and from a working class background. These characteristics result in our characters looking vunrable and unable to defend for themselves.

"Sarah" played my Kim is the more dominate character, she likes to have a laugh and wind "Louise" up who is played by myself. Both girls are independant and have an interest in scary films they also have brown hair which has connotations of warmth comfort and nature this was done intentially to add to the characters vunrablity. They are both attend Kettering Buccluch Academy and are aged 16-17.

They are in relitively casual clothing however are quite smart in the way they dress ie. not in tracksuits when they relax. Louise is the more causious of the too, shes not very brave and doesnt like to take control over a situation. Shes better as a follower than a leader this represents the social side of being in a girl group stereotypically there is always one girl who takes charge sets trends and has her 'followers' behind.

Kim and I have been doing some research into film classification. To see the guidelines and make sure our opening titles are within the strict 15 year old age limit that we have been given.  

  Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

Suitable for 12 years and over

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

Suitable only for 15 years or over

No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Suitable only for adults

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.

  To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.

The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ videos may not be supplied by mail order.

Editing

Today kim and I sat down and did about 2 hours' worth of editing to the footage shot for our media product.


Firstly we downloaded all of our footage to iMovie. We looked at the different sections of footage and chose the clips we liked the most. Once they were saved to iMovie, we exported them to QuickTime before importing the clips into Final Cut.


Once we had the clips imported to Final Cut, we placed different clips in different places and tried a few different approaches, before deciding on the order that we liked. 


Then it was time to add in sound effects, transitions and titles. We opened up some Opening Titles that we had designed on Live Type to place into Final Cut. However, our teacher took a look at the titles and advised us to change them, so we re-designed them on Final Cut and they looked a lot better. It also meant that we could move the titles around the screen, instead of just having them smack bang in the centre of the frame. Titles in, we loaded sound clips that we had previously saved from www.freesound.com and worked with those, too, in different places, different sequences, different volumes, until we agreed on a preference. When the sound was finished and all non-diagetic sound was added, we focused on the transitions between shots. We added in a few cross-fades, but as our opening is fairly jumpy and disjointed, there weren't many transitions that we needed to add, or we would ruin the effect that we were aiming for.


Once our editing was finished, a couple of girls came into the room, so we asked them to watch our film opening and tell us what they thought of the final product. They both agreed that it was good, and said that if the film was released as a full film, they would both want to watch it.


We decided we liked the final product, so we saved our work and exported it again to QuickTime, and voila, we had our finished film opening, Project : Shadow.


We then burned the finished product onto a DVD, along with our Preliminary Task, and added in a spooky soundtrack to our titles.

Second time filiming

This time I felt as though the filming went better and we got all of the clips that we wanted. We also added some creepy scences with the Stalker (Kims mum Sally) . All we have to do now is upload our clips onto the I-Mac. Let the editing begin!!! This time we remembered our tripod! we managed to get lucky and had great lighting and this was the only day of the week which it did not rain.

Let the filming begin

Today Kim and I shot our first clips for our film opening, Project : Shadow.

We went to our location equipped with my video camera and of course, ourselves, and began recording lots of different shots which we think we could cut and change, to make our film opening just as we have envisioned it.

We are planning to meet up again soon in the next few weeks to continue recording some more of our clips, and also to take some vital pictures that we will be placing in our opening.

When we filmed today, it was very dark by the time we got to the location, and the camera did not focus very well at all. The shots we originally wanted to get were not possible due to the dark, and even our hand lights, phone lights and torches couldn't light the location up enough for it to be seen. This is why we need to meet again when it is slightly lighter so that we can get these shots.


On our next filming session I will take some pictures and post them to my blog as evidence of working.

Costume

Costume for our film opening is going to be very basic, as we are playing girls of our own age we want to try and represent them in a normal way. This is so our target audience relate to us more.