Question 7

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

There are many points in which I feel I have learnt and progressed with since the construction of my preliminary task...

CAMERA


During the construction of my final media product, I was able to produce a shooting schedule for each shot within the extract, allowing myself time to prepare for each shot before actually performing them. Also, during the production stages, I learnt how to produce higher quality shots in terms of the variation of camera techniques used. Examples of these include; Focus pulls, slow zooms, tracking shots...etc.

EDITING

I learnt new ways to edit my film using Final Cut Pro - Apple software. Whilst using this software, I was also able to construct slow paced editing through Final Cut Pro to add to the suspense, whilst also creating the rhythm and pace of the film. I also applied various credits throughout the film opening to add that professional impression.

BONDING WITH ACTORS

During the production of this film, I felt I had progressed in terms of confidence around the actors. I was able to speak and discuss numerous points with them, including improvements, negatives/ positives and even new ideas. This I believe created a more positive and comfortable atmosphere on set whilst filming took place.

CONTINUITY CHECKS

During the filming and final editing, many continuity checks were carried out carefully and efficiently. This allowed me to double check any errors or imperfections that my have occurred within the final draft of my media product. On the whole, this reflected a more professional attitude towards the construction of the film.

SOUND

In terms of the sound, I was able to construct a score for my media product using Apple software Garageband - consisting of bass, drums and cinematic sounds alone. This on the whole helped generate a dark and suspensive atmosphere to my final movie, reflecting the films genre - Thriller.

MISE-EN-SCENE

During the production of my media product, I was able to apply various props that the characters would be working with - cigarettes, knife, newspaper...etc. I was also able to assign the correct style of clothing correspondent to the set target audience and style of character. For example, the protagonist is reflecting a "reformer", someone who enjoys being alone and lives independently (clothes - smart shirt, jeans and boots).  The antagonist is a serial killer, set to kill the protagonist. To show this, that characters clothing had to be dark (black) to reflect his evil (clothes - smart shirt, jeans and boots). The set used was also a lot larger than the one I used for the preliminary, consisting of various out-door shots also.

Question 6

What have you learnt about new technologies from the process of constructing your media product?

During the process of my media product, I was able to learn and experiment with many different types of new technologies...


CAMERA

In terms of camera movements and shots, a close friend named Harry Gilmore provided me with his EOX Rebel XS video camera to improve the variation of shots I was able to use on my media product. The EOX allowed me to experiment with different variations of "focus pulling", pulling the focus from one area of the shot to another within the same shot. This was used throughout many shots of my movie, adding depth to the quality of the shots, and creating a more professional outcome.

The camera also provided me with a zoom lens. This was used throughout the first shot of my film, used as a slow zoom to set the scene and add suspense.

Because of the high focussed lens, I was able to perform extreme close-ups on the characters and props. This was shown as  the main protagonist lit his cigarette and took a drag. The high focus lens allowed me to film extremely close to the cigarette end, producing an extremely high quality outcome.


Whilst using the camera, I found myself continuously placing the stand in numerous places to get the correct angle for the shot. This was a good learning experience as I had never used a stand for my preliminary task.


EDITING

In terms of editing, once I had completed my film, I the needed to begin editing. To do this, I used apple mac software "Final Cut Pro". By using this, I was able to drop in the individual shots from the camera, trim them down and place them into sequence. This was a new and exciting way for me to edit my movie and put it together into a complete sequence.

SOUND


In terms of sound, I fully composes my movie score using Apple software "Garageband". By using this software, I was able to combine specific melodies and tones to produce the soundtrack which I felt suited best for my media product. The score had to consist of a dark and suspensive sound, therefore I used the combination of bass, drums and cinematic sounds to produce my final soundtrack.

Question 5

How did you attract/ address your audience?

There are many ways in which I tried to address my audience throughout my media product. During the first stages of my film development, I knew that I wanted to characterise my protagonist around someone who felt comfortable being alone. This was done so that the audience were able to connect with the character more easily, allowing them to connect with the character both emotionally and physically. Further on throughout the development stages, I came across a book, named "There are seven kinds of people in the world". This book described in detail the seven types of people, providing me with a strong overall outline of what types of people I could be targeting with my film. After reading in detail, the one type of person that appealed to me was "The Reformer".

The Reformer -These are people who value their own independent judgement. Reformers are the most anti - materialistic of the seven groups, and are often perceived as intellectual. They are socially aware and pride themselves on tolerance. Reformers seek out the authentic and the harmonious, and are often at the leading edge of society. Their core in life is "enlightenment".

There are many films that I feel have also targeted this type of person in terms of their main protagonists character type. Examples shown below;

In both "Drive" and "Shame", I feel both characters have been characterised around a "Reformer" in that they both tell the protagonists story, allowing the audience to bond with the characters at a higher level. This is what I have tried to achieve in my media product, telling the story in the protagonists perspective for a large majority of the extract. By doing this, I feel that the audience are en-captured into finding out more about the protagonist as the movie goes on, generating a stronger connection emotionally between both the audience and the protagonist. 

Question 4

Who would be the audience of your media product?

Thriller movies on the whole can attract a wide variation of audiences. The target audience for a movie is broken down into three individual sections - Age, Gender and Class. For example, in terms of gender (male - female ratio), The strangers attracted a 69%(male) to 39%(female) ratio. The film attracted 65% of 15 - 24 year olds, 26% of 25 - 34 year olds 5% of 35 - 44 year olds and 4% of 45+ years. In terms of Class, the film attracted 20% of class AB, 34% of class C1, 22% of class C2 and 24% of class DE.

From this, I feel that my media product would attract a similar male to female ratio (69%-39%) as both my movie (Alone) and The Strangers share a similar plot in that the protaginist is in danger and the antagonist has no visible identity. In terms of the attraction of specific classes, I am unable to give an accurate percentage as my media product has not been released to cinemas, however again I feel that the classes displayed for "The Strangers" would not differ too highly to mine as again they both display the same conventions and codes of a psychological thriller - low key lighting, soundtrack...etc. Perviously in my blog, I set the minimum age of being able to view my media product as 15 years old - set in relation to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rules and criteria. However,  I am unable to provide an accurate percentage in terms of the attraction of specific ages for my movie however I am confident that it will be extremely similar to The Strangers results for age attraction as again they are both extremely similar movies in terms of their genre.

Question 3

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

There are many media institutions in today's society that would be suitable to distribute my media product. These may include; Lionsgate Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures...and many more. For example, Lionsgate Entertainment have been involved hugely in the development and production of numerous horror and thriller movies that have been released over the past decade. Examples may include; The Saw Trilogy, Affliction, The Cabin In The Woods and American Psycho. Lionsgate are a Noth American entertainment company, which as of this year (2012), has become the most commercially successful independent film and television distribution companies.

Since 2008, Lionsgate Entertainment have acquired Summit Entertainment (producers of the Twilight saga), for $412.5 million. From this, it is clear that Lionsgate invest in a very specific genre of films - dark, supernatural...etc, making them an ideal institution to work with for my media product. Also, even through they are an Independent distribution/ production company, they still hold the ability to product high quality and successful films through their large sum of resources, technology and money. For example, on March 23rd 2012, Lionsgate's most recent film "The Hungar Games" grossed $68.3 million at the Friday US box office. It was the best opening day for a non-sequel and the fifth highest of all time. The film also grossed $152 million on its first weekend, making it Lionsgates highest grossing film after just three days. This shows that Lionsgate level of production is increasing over time in terms of its film making.

On the whole, I feel that Lionsgate would be a suitable institution to work with because of their high level of experience in the filming insustry for both Thriller/ Horror movies. Also, because of their connections between other filming industries; such as Summit Entertainment, they are open to higher levels of resources and technology that many other Independant companies are not, making them a stronger and more experienced company to work with. This would also make it easier to distribute the movie in terms of its advertising through both viral marketing - Facebook, Youtube, Myspace...etc, and guerilla marketing - Billboards, cardboard cutouts...etc, before its release to the ancillary markets.

Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

There are many ways in which my media product represents particular social groups. Throughout the extract, the main protagonist is displayed as a young male, between the ages 25 - 35. Because he is shown to own his own house, this suggests he is in full time work, representing someone from a middle-class/ higher class background. The way in which he is presented throughout the extract also helps show this. He is shown to be wearing a modern style/ fashion of clothing - smart shirt, black jeans and boots. This again represents someone of a middle/higher classed background. This could also be shown through his hair style -  combed back in a neat/ smart fashion; resembling a higher class image. In the first shot of the extract, you (the viewers) are able to observe numerous items that are displayed in the house, one of which is a flat-screen television. This suggests that the protagonist is wealthy, an important factor of the higher class. This is again shown in the outdoor scenes when the protagonist leaves the house. As he approaches the gates, several cars are displayed either side of him, again suggesting that he is reasonably wealthy.
The antagonist on the other hand does not hold a specific identity throughout the extract, making it extremely hard to categorize him within a specific class. This could be something that is revealed further through the movie, however I am unable to associate a class from the extract below as his identity is hidden.