Q8: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?

 From my preliminary task to my final film has been a long process where i have learnt and improved a number of skills when filming and editing my film Foursquare.

Pre Production.

When filming our preliminary task we created a jelly baby animatic of the type of shots we were using. We found the animatic quite hard to create and our editing skills were not as good as they are now. We couldn't put the jelly babies in the exact spots that we wanted to so we lost accuracy and meaning of our shots. However, when creating a storyboard of our Thriller Foursquare, we used a variety of shots and our animatic was smooth and fit well together. We thought carefully about the type of shots we were using and made sure we had a wide range of shots included in our storyboard so it was clear when we would start filming. Being able to draw the shots directly meant that it would become more visual and we could draw our shots exactly how we wanted. We used sites like Art of the Title Sequence and YouTube clips of Thrillers for some influence and inspiration. The storyboard and animatic are very important in the process of filming to we made sure it was of a high quality as it is the guide lines we were following when filming our thriller.

Production.

When producing our Preliminary film it was all quite rushed and unorganised. We didn't have our story board with us and we didn't think properly about the mise en scene of our clip. Here in this clip is a screen grab of the opening of our preliminary. The titles are bright red and look unprofessional as there are three full stops after them. We used very basic editing in this shot. The camera angle is quite tilted and the mise en scene of the window is limited and wasn't effective.

We didn't fully understand how to position our camera on the tripod properly so the shot looks unprofessional and messy. However in our thriller film we learned a number number of skills that would help us creating better footage. First of all our shot is filmed in focus and we really thought about the mise en scene and purpose of this shot. This is an establishing shot and we chose to shoot it on the roof so we would have a wider range of footage and a shot that really sets the scene. During editing we were also able to add an effect on this shot, whereby the building are smudged and a little blurred which builds tension and suspense. This is also a point of view shot so we know that we are looking out of the eyes of a character, and positioning them about represents their status and authority in the film just by the opening shot.

 In this shot of Sifan, the camera is slightly out of focus. This is from our preliminary film, The Wait. There are no effects on the shot and like the other one the mise en scene is limited and it wasn't effective. We tried to set the scene however we didn't think about it properly as he is by a window and it is unclear where the character is located. Also, we didn't think about costume at all, so his casual clothes do not represent very much or say anything about the character. However, in this screen grab of from our Thriller we have used effects on Final Cut Pro to merge two images together to create suspense and build tension. We learned this editing skill and applied it to our Thriller because it makes the footage more interesting and intense. Also, our shots are very well done. We have the character looking our into the scenery from the top of the roof from two different views, which shows our variety of shots. We made sure we shot the same thing from several different angles to create variety and speed up and footage to not make it boring. Also we thought about the costume and body language of our character, He is dressed in all back to represent he is the Protagonist and main character of the film. This also represents he is dominant and not a pleasant characters because black has negative connotations. He is standing still and confident which shows he is in control of the action. There were all skills we learnt to represent on camera through the progression of our filming process. 

 This shot from our preliminary film is meant to be a two shot. the shot slightly titled and the lighting is too harsh. Also the ND Filter is on so the shot came out much too bright whereby some objects weren't visible and it doesn't look good on the big screen. Also, the characters cant be seen very well and it is shot from a high angle, signifying that they are vulnerable. when they are not. We learned how the angle of a shot can change the way a character  is meant to be represented therefore this two shot should have been from a level angle, signifying the characters are of an equal status. The four split shot of our characters is used to represent all the girls equally going on their daily routine. This was a skill we learnt, whereby we edited the footage one on top of the other and changed the size of each clip, making the effect of the action happening simultaneously. We thought about the mise en scene in great detail here, each girl is located in a different space, train station, house, restaurant and a park. We wanted to create great variety and show that there girls live very different lives. The music at this part was orchestral and suspenseful, which we edited using Soundtrack Pro, we wanted it to match the Psychological themes of our thriller. Also we thought about props in this shot, like the mascara is an essential item that represents femininity which is the effect we were trying to give off. Showing these girls simultaneously shows they are all the protagonists and victims of the main character who we shot earlier. 

  

 Teamwork!

Working closely with my group enabled us to build on our team work skills. Working together to produce an effective film is all about listening to each other, understanding each other and being able to trust each other.  We learned to organise ourselves properly, so everyday when filming we would make a list of the props we needed, keep a production schedule on us and to ensure we had our story board and that the characters (us) are dressed accordingly. We also had to make a few phone calls to secure our locations and find a decent meeting time where we would all be available to work. We also had lots of fun making our film, we had to rely on one another to make sure we were all individually prepared for filming and that we would all put in effort and time to work together. We also had to make sure we listened well inc lass to learn new skills and apply them to our thriller. Working as a team meant that we would trust each other with the equipment and put all our ideas into editing and filming Foursquare. We made sure we met up often and did things together so that everyone would have equal input and that we would all do well in the subject. I thoroughly enjoyed working with my group and I feel that putting all our ideas together and building a friendship really did help us to get along and make a good thriller opening.

Q6EVALUATION - Cinema Reactions

After watching our thriller at The Screen on the Green we asked a few people what they thought of our thriller and this is what they said. 

Q7: What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

This is a voice recording video of me describing the my use of technologies collectively. I refer to the technologies in chronological order and how I used each one separately and then as a whole to create our thriller film.

EVALUATION - Q7: What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

A talk to camera of the technologies we've used.

Q4&5: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? How will you attract/address your audience?

In the blue star, is an image of what our thriller would look like advertised on YouTube. We would advertise it on websites like YouTube and Tumblr as they are popular with our target audience. The trailer of our film could be on YouTube in recommended videos or related links to other trailer.

What our Thriller Opening would look like on Vimeo. We will advertise it here also as it is a popular video sharing site for our target audience of young males (and females.)

Here is a clip of the comments and response to our Thriller posted on Facebook.

We received many comments and likes of our video from friends and family, some feedback was negative and some people said they didn't entirely understand the plot. So we feel that the perhaps we could have told the story better some how, however we received plenty of good feedback of our range of shots, effects, pace and editing.

Here is a QuickTime Player video of the Prezi I made about the type of advertising we would use for Foursquare. It covers the different types of media institution I will use for the advertising and distribution process of our Thriller and how to reach our target audience through current products.

EVALUATION - Q6: Feedback To Our Movie

Here is some feedback of our film after watching it on the big screen at the cinema. This had greater impact on our audience and we were able to see the real quality of the shots and film opening as a whole on the big screen.

This is an interview video of a response to our movie, which took place outside class in our lesson. This is valuable feedback and the type we need to help evaluate our piece of work before showing to the public.

Q3: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Here is a screen grab of my description of my Character profile presentation.

Q2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

We were very inspired by the opening shot of Donnie Darko and used a similar style when opening our Thriller film. We felt the shot established the setting and the Mise en Scene of the characters, dressed in all black, suggests he is the antagonist and the Thriller revolves around his actions. This shot also creates mystery about the character as we don't see his face straight away.

Similarities: Both are the main antagonists and the story revolves around them. The shot from the back hides the characters identity and creates suspense and tension. Similarly to Donnie Darko, both characters are plagued by something, in our case the link the character has with the girls which causes him to send the change message.

Differences: In Donnie Darko he commits crimes as he is plagued by images of bunny rabbits. Also, he escapes an accident and survives, unlike our character who wasn't involved in any accident. In our Thriller, our character messes with his victims psychologically rather than physically. So there is little blood and graphic violence. 

We were also inspired by some shots used in Collateral. This close up of Jamie Fox is used to show his expression, emotion and reaction to another characters, which is what we were trying to convey with our shot of myself. It shows my reaction and suggests I am an protagonist in this, similarly to the shot in Collateral. Although the mise en scene in both shots are very different, that adds to the audience we were trying to reach, its shows it is not the same audience as Collateral and the film is quite fast paced and action packed as it it shot in a car. However, in a train station the scene is much slower and calmer, another way of creating suspense.

Similarities: Both characters are involved in the actions of others, they are the protagonists. Close up shots are used to show their emotions and reactions to the actions, and they are represented as the good guys.

Differences: In Collateral, the protagonist is male, and represented as an innocent passerby. However, through out the film the character changes, becomes more confident and is involved in the action and drama. Thus changing his role as a character.

Q1 - Our Media Product

Aspects of Intertextuality.

 1. Here is a shot similar to ours in the title sequence of Se7en. The shot in Se7en is closer up and blurred,however in our shot like this you become more aware of the Mise en Scene and can gain some of the surrounding and settings of the characters.

 2. This shot resembles the one in the title sequence of se7en. We felt that having our text on a black background would make it stand our more.

3. We conventionally put our title in white bold letters on a black background rather then over the action to really make the title clear and stand out. This is commonly used by other thrillers films as it effective and a clear and basic way to show the title of the film.

 4. We opened our sequence with an establishing shot to set the scene. This follows the conventional forms of media products, as an establishing shot is an obvious and easy way to set the scene, time and atmosphere by the use of an establishing shot. We felt this would enable our audience to automatically know about th setting, rather than trying to figure it out for themselves. So in this show we ensured to capture popular buildings in London.

 5. Here is two shots that slightly resemble our eachother. However, our shot is unconventional, we decided to get a birds eye view shot of the character reading to create the idea that she is being watched from all angles, thus creating tension.

 6. We used felt this shot was suitable and worked well because its different and the angles are good. This show is quite close and unusual, which follows conventional style of shots for thrillers.

 7. We used a variety of shots, so this close up shot of the book resembles the one used in Se7en.

8.  We merged images to link scenes together, in this screen grab it represents that the characters are linked. This is an unconventional tecnique that we felt would work well with our film, it challenges the forms of real media products, however we felt it was relevant in creating an idea of what our Thriller was about in the opening.

   9.  Here is another shot of a merged image, however this one is in the same scene. We felt it was suitable and clever way to express the characters point of view show by merging it with his face. We felt this was a conventional shot and is used in other thriller films. It creates suspense and tenson, as wella s appealing to the audience with the great effect.  

Q6 Audience Feedback.

Here is a Wordle of some of the feedback we received after our class watched our Thriller Opening.

This were the main terms people used to describe our work, including positive feedback and constructive criticism.

FINAL CUT

Here is our final piece of work, the opening to our Thriller - Foursquare.

Editing

Here is a short clip of us doing some editing. We used all the skills we learnt from the beginning of the course to help produce our work. It wasnt easy using Livetype but we finally got the hang of it and was able to make some good changes.

Editing using SoundTrackPro

Here are a few shots of the actual editing process. We are doing some further editing of Sifans scene using Final Cut Pro here. We decided we wanted to merge some images together to create bigger impact and make the opening more catchy and grab the audiences interest with our good effects.

Here are a few clips of us editing using Soundtrack Pro. I personally found soundtrack quite difficult to use. and after sampling down some of the tracks we decided to use Adrenalin Electronica Medium. This track was quite rock and we wanted to open with it to show Sifans dominance and lead role in the thriller. However, after some contemplation we realised that the rocky, edgy soundtrack didn't suit the clips of the other characters we had.

So we wanted to change the music several times throughout but then we realised that would be quite messy and not as effective. So we searched online to find a suitable soundtrack to convey the meaning of our thriller and to create tension without being out of place and not suiting the characters.

So finally, we used a track from YouTube called Royal Free Music Collection.

The track is slightly calmer but still suspenseful, which suits the opening of our Thriller as it is not action packed and bloody, it is too peaceful in the attempt to suggest its a psychological Thriller.

Editing: Using Soundtrack and Final Cut Pro

Here is a screen grab of us editing on Final Cut Pro. Here we are merging two images together to create the effect that the two scenarios are related.

Here is a screen grab of us adding sound to our thriller opening using Live type Sound. We are using eerie, dismal music to create a sinister effect and to add suspense.

Here we are editing the sound out of Kaleighs scene. We are editing this scene to add sinister soundtrack to the fade in of Sifan. This will link the two scenes and suggest that something is wrong. 

Another screen grab of us editing the music to tie into the idea that Sifan is the one who is sending the text. The music will effectively show that without obviously shooting Sifan with the phone, that he is some how linked to these girls and it is him who sends the text. We felt we needed to edit this in so that our footage isn't too long and it helps build tension. We did not want to give too much away by using the footage of Sifan sending the text, as we want our audience to be able to guess this for themselves. These editing clues will allow our audience to use their mind and not be passive and just accept everything they have been shown. Our audience are going to be young, intellectual people who enjoy thrillers and mystery.

Editing Process Thoughts.

We are currently in the process of editing of our Thriller Film Foursquare. In the first week we have been dominantly using Final Cut Pro, the rough cut of our film shows some of the glitches we are facing. At first we thought our footage would be too long and boring, so we have stuck to our idea of split screening and it has sped up our footage.

We intend to add many effects too, we're going to fade images into another and hopefully our split screen will come out clear and accurate. We are finding it a little difficult to match up the footage to make sure it's not too fast paced and that the shots don't move too quickly. So in our Rough Cut we can see shots that need slowing down to make sense. We have decided to change the split screening a little and only split the screen to make certain parts of the film stand out. Such as at the start when all the girls arrive at their destinations, we want this to be shown simultaneously to emphasise that they are all linked to our main character shown at the beginning. Also, we have shown the message being received simultaneously and the reactions of the girls to create a bigger effect and make it more interesting.

Now that all our footage is on the timeline, I am looking forward to adding sounds and titles and touching up our editing to finalise our film!

Character Research

We looked through many different actor and actresses and realised that we are not going for big Hollywood stars to be in our movies. Our films are from small, British production companies so we have looked into British actors to star in our thriller.

We were mainly looking at stars who feature in small British films and soap operas as we thought they are more suitable, less expensive and more likely and realistically to star in our work. So here are some images of the sort of characters we were looking at.

Tiana Benjamen is a young, British actress best known for her role as Chelsea in Eastenders.




  We gained inspiration for our characters names by merging some of Hollywood's greatest stars. So we can up with names like Eva Fox and Brandon Freeman




It would have been great to have Hollywood actors star in our film. but as a low budget British Production Company we think it would be very difficult to obtain such stars. However, I believe our Thriller may have done well in America, as it revolves around young people, it isn't as common as other Thrillers and it explores the mass of technology which may be appealing to a wider target audience.