Question 7

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

What was the purpose of the preliminary task?

The purpose of completing a preliminary task was to get some practice on the software and equipment. It was set so that I could gain confidence on the technology which I would have to use further on in the production process in order to create the opening sequence. In the preliminary task i was given some small guidelines to follow which were to include; A shot reverse shot, close up, long shot and panning movement. These assets I had to include meant I got to practice what to do for when the real filming took place. To fulfil the guidelines I chose to have a short narrative with two boys in conversation, the narrative meant I could fit it in all the asked micro elements. The preliminary task helped us practice using all the different equipment and we learnt the key things that are needed to film a longer production.


What did you learn from the preliminary task?

Through doing the preliminary task I learnt how to adjust the tripod heights and angles. I also learnt how to adjust the cameras distances and zooms. I learnt how to use final cut proX and its main features that are essential when editing a film. For example I learnt how to crop down filming clips and also I learn how to add text onto the video including how to change its edit, font, colours etc. The preliminary task was very helpful when it came to the real filming because my group and I knew the basics of what to do.

What skills did you learn from the preliminary task that helped you with your thriller film?

This all helped me by preparing me for the creation of the full product. I was ready for filming and editing. This meant that when it came to doing it, the process was quicker and easier, it also meant i was faced with less issues and problems whilst working. The task helped my group prepare ourselves and gain confidence on the technology needed to create our opening sequence. It gave a deeper understanding of what was involved in the production, showing how to use the equipment in ways to highlight different macro-meanings or portray elements in certain ways.


When it came to the real production my group and I had to changed a few things that didn't go well in the preliminary task. For example some of the shots we had to do we didn't get very good angles, but since we learnt to use the equipment we knew how to set it up and get the best out of what we had. We took more time adjusting the tripod and the ways that the camera could be held so that we could make the shots the best they could be. This the ment that less had to be redone or changed in the main production of out opening sequence.

Question 6

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

 

Question 5

How did you attract?address your audience?

Video;


To attract/address the audience, research had to take place in order for the opening sequence to be appropriate. My group and I had to do some primary and secondary research which informed us of the audiences preferences. An example of some primary research I did was vox pops and questionnaires. My group and I wrote out a questionnaire which questions we thought we needed to know in order to plan our film. Some of the questions were;

• How old are you?
• Whats you favourite sub genre? 
• Do you prefer a male or female antagonist?

The group then went and asked 40 people and filmed their answers. This research is essential to the film planning as it helped my group and I understand what the audience wanted. In the feedback we recognised that the audience mostly wanted a stereotypical conventional thriller. The information my group gained helped us decide on the key assets of producing our film. It told us what the audience wanted to see or what the film world was lacking. From this we decided on things such as the thrillers subgenre and the target audience because of what the audience would want to watch or want they want to be created. More research carried out this time secondary, this also benefitted the product, some of the research was to watch other thrillers and look into the micro elements. For example I analysed the sound elements in 'Mama'. I focused on which sound effected me most when watching and how I would like audience of my work to feel. I took some inspiration from this research. Both types of research helped when planning our production because we gained information of what the audience wanted and we found inspirations from research into microelements. The inspirations were very helpful when planning within the opening sequence it helped us understand what was conventional, stereotypical and effective in thriller films. It helped with planning because we understood how to structure the microelements and narrative to make them, compliment each other and make the product most effective.

Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Video;


Having a target audience for a film is important because the film needs to be built around the age certificate and will need to be looked at carefully, the product will have to abide by the age rules and guidelines. Having a target audience restricts films to the boundaries which allow certain ages to watch. My groups film is aged 15+this means the BBFC certificate will be a 15. My group and I chose this audience age because of the genre being a thriller, children under the age of 15 may be scared of the content or may not be allowed to view it. The gender chosen for our target audience is both men and women because the audience are then a wider range and more will watch. The narrative is also a reason for the chosen target audience as some people may find it romantic to watch a scary film with a partner or funny to watch with a friend group. My thriller film appeals to the target audience because it based around them. For example it is has been made relatable by having plots that may be included in their lives. All the work have been focused on what will effect them. For example on content  involve iconography of a knife being used as a weapon which will show the audience the danger of the character as they are able to injure or kill someone. This shot is not overly scary as it still needs to be appropriate for audience age. They will be able to understand the purpose of it but will also it will also alarm them of the victims vulnerability. My groups opening sequence will appeal to the target audience because they have been carefully chosen and the content has also been chosen to what will have a effect on them and restricted any scenes which my be to alarming. The target audience can build a relationship with the characters through micro element and the narrative. This because they portray and allow certain meanings and effects to take place which the audience can understand.

Final Group Thriller

Final cut of The Pathway  

 

Question 3

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

 

Question 2

How does you r media product represent particular social groups?

Explain the main characters in you film. Describe the representations of the characters and explain why you included them in your thriller film.

 

In my opening sequence there are two main characters. Cathryn who is the victim and the antagonist who is unnamed to make him mysterious. There are also two girls within the film who play the part of Cathryns friends at the beginning. By having two main characters which are in conflict it shows the that they need to be focused on. These two characters are the stereotypical victim and antagonist that thrillers almost always have. The audience can relate to this and even choose who they want to support. Most people are against the antagonist and therefore support the victim. Cathryn, the victim in my film, is vulnerable and therefore makes the  audience want to help her, forcing them against the antagonist. This furthermore engages then into the film. The relationship between Cathryn and her friends shows the audience their normal life and how innocent they are, also shown by their costumes which consist of pale clothing. This friendship is self explanatory and lets the audience relate to the girls as they may have had friendships like this in their life and understand it. The audience can see that the girls are close by the way they are talking to each other and their body language as they say goodbye.

Is gender represented in a stereotypical way?

The gender representation in our film is stereotypical. The antagonist is male which is conventional because they are the dominant gender in society, it is widely believed that men are stronger than women. This demonstrates that he is at an advantage over the female victim character who is Cathryn. In our product Cathryn is seen as the weaker character as she runs away in panic from our antagonist, showing her as scared  and resulting in her being the stereotypical female. In our film the victim is a young female aged 16, this is also a stereotypical convention because women are often seen as the weaker gender who are controlled by men. This representation shows Cathryn's innocence and vulnerability due to her age. We can see this in my groups work through her costume, her clothes are pale and light which connotes purity and weakness.  Both the main characters have stereotypical representations which means the audience expect to see characters like them in the narrative. The antagonist in our product is represented as strong, evil and mentally unstable this is all shown through micro elements which show his personality and image. The victim is represented as innocent, weak and vulnerable which is also shown through the use of micro elements. The image she is given makes the audience able to relate to her and build a relationship with her for the rest of the sequence and maybe the rest of the film. Having stereotypical characters appeals to the audience because they can relate and immediately understand the contrast between them. Also they can see who is dominant and who is subordinate.

Explain how the characters would appeal to you audience.

 The target audience my group and I have chosen is 15+. We believe that this is the appropriate age at which the audience can start viewing. This audience are able to relate to the characters within our opening sequence as one of the them could be around their age whether it is Cathryn or the antagonist. Also they will be able to understand the narrative and have an idea of the future of the film, their foreshadowing skills will allow them to become hooked when watching and they will want to find out the outcome.