Our Product Existing Products
Lighting; In keeping within our conventions, we felt that to film during school time without the usage of artificial lighting, although not creating a 'Thriller' and scary atmosphere, we were able to relate to our target audience as filming within school time with the school students, would look out of place if set at night.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
This screenshot is of the establishing shot of our location, the school environment will appeal to those in school and who have recently left as they have memories of their time in school and can relate to the environment.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
To complete our media product, we had an Apple iMac and a range of software to use. This was my first time using an apple mac and the MAC OS X operating system, previously I had been using Windows and the range of operating systems associated.
I found using a mac to be just as simple and really picked up the use of the 'new' (to me) technology.
The school had chosen to buy Apple iMac's due to the range of software available to be able make the media product and their reliability and capability with the media equipment; this is evident as professional media institutions also use a similar setup in professional filming making. Below I have explained all of the technologies used in creating our final media product.
Storyboard Quick 5; For our research and planning we created a storyboard in which would give an idea into what our film would look like. Storyboard Quick offers feature's which means you can insert background, props, characters and interiors; this meant that we could mock up our scenes, however we decided to take some photo's from location to create our storyboard. We found this much easier than drawing out our storyboard, in which you would have had to do prior to technology and software being invented and created to make it possible to create a digital storyboard, we used the digital storyboard images (jpeg's) to create our animatic. I found this software very user-friendly and made the task of creating a storyboard much easier.
Final Draft 7; We used Final Draft 7, in order to write our products script. We decided to create our script in Final Draft 7 over Microsoft Office Word due to the specifically-designed ability to create professional scripts and screenplays. Before the invention of thus software, the scriptwriter would have to hand write the script although if there was a mistake or changes had to be made then the script would have to written all over again, where as it is now easier to change mistakes. The software was kept simple but with great features, the software really helped us in the creation of our media product.
Cannon MD101 mini-DV Camcorder; In order to shoot our footage for our media product, we had a Canon MD101 camcorder; they were very simplistic and easy to use. To be able to record, we would be using mini-DV; a physical tape cassette recording, we are using physical tape cassette compared with digital hard disk methods due to being able to keep the physical tape in the sight of problems we could recapture rather than have to re-shoot. Previous to the DV, mini-DV and Digital hard disk being invented, film company's would have to record using large film reels. So the invention of digital recording methods have drastically improved the production of media products.
Soundtrack Pro; We used soundtrack pro in order to create the audio side of the film. To create a High Quality film, we had to over dub dialog and insert music over the top of the footage. Soundtrack pro allowed us to import our film footage in the side bar and sync up the music and samples in the timeline. We used many samples, sound effects, Foley and piece's of uncopyrighted music included in Soundtrack pro. Without the availability of Soundtrack pro, we wouldn't be able to insert the music and samples. Previously, Foley artists would be employed to create sounds for inclusion within a film. Soundtrack Pro is a great piece of software with a large amount of features in which enabled us to add to our media product.
Livetype; another apple software, in which we used to create our titles and ident. Livetype is a simplistic program although hosting powerful effects and fonts. Without the use of Livetype, we would not have been able to create a professional ident and titles required to create a professional media product.
Final Cut Express; a powerful movie making package. We used Final Cut Express in which we would capture, edit and export our media product. Final Cut Express is a non-destructive editing technique in which if any problems the original footage is stored digitally. If we had of used film reels, we would have had to cut and stick the footage in which we would destroy the film. Final cut express offers a wide range of effects, transitions, titles and superimposition. I first used final cut express when creating our preliminary task; this was the first time I had used this software and admittedly, I had little knowledge about the power of the software in terms of editing the software had. I also used Final Cut Express for the creation of our animatic, in which a series of JPEG images exported from Storyboard Quick; these images were set in compilation to mimic our final media product. We also used Final Cut express for the editing of our final media product; in which a compilation of Final Cut Express, Livetype and Soundtrack Pro were used to create our final product. Without Final Cut Express our media product would have been very poor or nearing on impossible due to the changing in rough cut editing along with the inclusion of our rough cut feedback in which we also changed our film and then finally to the completion of our film.
Compressor; we used compressor, in which to compress our final film. As in order to upload to our final film to our publishing platform; YouTube the size of the QuickTime Movie needed to be a lot smaller. We used compressor to compress our film to a smaller size which would be easier to upload although we lost a very small proportion of graphic quality from the film.
YouTube; we used YouTube as a platform in which to publish our film. We were able to publish our video free-of-charge from which we could embed onto our blogs as evidence. Before uploading our video onto YouTube, I had never uploaded a video although having a YouTube account. I found YouTube very easy to use and was a great way to publish our film.
Blogger; I used blogger as a way to archive my media journey. I decided to use blogger over other archiving methods like a scrapbook due to bloggers features which allow you to correct old posts and also embed videos, images and sound. I had never used blogger prior to media studies but i feel it is a great free-to-use website.
In combination of all the hardware, software and webpages above, I was able to create my final media product. Without the advancement of technology, which allowed me to create our film with the above, I believe the outcome would have been less successful and enjoyable.
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?
Above, I have embedded both our Preliminary Task and our Final media product; Catechize Academy. Since the start of the course, I have learnt a lot about the research, planning, shooting, editing and distribution/promotion, in which goes into creating a film. Below, I have bullet pointed issues with our preliminary task and the improvement and progression in our final film.
Issues with our preliminary task:
Lighting; In keeping within our conventions, we felt that to film during school time without the usage of artificial lighting, although not creating a 'Thriller' and scary atmosphere, we were able to relate to our target audience as filming within school time with the school students, would look out of place if set at night.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Above, I had split screened two images; left - Our Media Product and on the Right - Hard Candy. I have chosen Hard Candy due to its teenager cast member. I feel that there is a large comparison between the two representations.
Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological thriller film focusing on the confrontation between an assumed sexual predator and a 14-year-old girl. Ellen Page, the actress playing the 14 year old female (pictured right) is portrayed as a very fragile stereotypical teenager. Compared to our media product; in which is portraying teenagers as students although some of them hiding a brainwashing secret.
Our media product; Catechize Academy is representing teenagers as students and as part of a school. Our teenage cast, were asked to wear their school uniform; maroon jumper and black trousers, this is a very typical school wear in which the audience can relate too. However, in Hard Candy, the 14 year old female is dressed very stereotypically as she is wearing a bright red hooded jacket, the media perception of teenagers has caused a very stereotypical view of that all teenagers wear hoods and cause trouble. Both teenage cast's are used to lead and develop the plot in the film's. Further stereotypical views are developed in Hard Candy, as the young female girl is seen to be using a chat room website to talk to an unknown person whom she meets in the film face to face. This stereotype also is based around the media; as all teenagers are seen to be using chat rooms and leading themselves into trouble through pedophilia. However, our perception of teenagers is very different, as we have portrayed the teenagers in our film to be smartly dressed students attending school and studying. I feel our film is portraying teenagers through our own eyes; being a teenager myself although through media assertions, I think that Hard Candy is over stereotypical in the way they portray the teenage social group.
Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological thriller film focusing on the confrontation between an assumed sexual predator and a 14-year-old girl. Ellen Page, the actress playing the 14 year old female (pictured right) is portrayed as a very fragile stereotypical teenager. Compared to our media product; in which is portraying teenagers as students although some of them hiding a brainwashing secret.
Our media product; Catechize Academy is representing teenagers as students and as part of a school. Our teenage cast, were asked to wear their school uniform; maroon jumper and black trousers, this is a very typical school wear in which the audience can relate too. However, in Hard Candy, the 14 year old female is dressed very stereotypically as she is wearing a bright red hooded jacket, the media perception of teenagers has caused a very stereotypical view of that all teenagers wear hoods and cause trouble. Both teenage cast's are used to lead and develop the plot in the film's. Further stereotypical views are developed in Hard Candy, as the young female girl is seen to be using a chat room website to talk to an unknown person whom she meets in the film face to face. This stereotype also is based around the media; as all teenagers are seen to be using chat rooms and leading themselves into trouble through pedophilia. However, our perception of teenagers is very different, as we have portrayed the teenagers in our film to be smartly dressed students attending school and studying. I feel our film is portraying teenagers through our own eyes; being a teenager myself although through media assertions, I think that Hard Candy is over stereotypical in the way they portray the teenage social group.
Above, I had split screened two images; left - Our Media Product and on the Right - High School High.
Our media product; Catechize Academy is representing the social group; teachers within our film. I am going to compare our film with High School High although based around an New Zealand school and produced in 1996. Above, I have split screened an image of a male teacher at the New Zealand school. The social group is represented very similar in both films; the teacher, pictured right, is wearing a very similar dress although the age difference between the two films is very evident as our media product is a very modernised representation with a young and modern haircut and an all matching black suit with a white shirt and modern tie compared with the black suit bottoms, material jacket, white shirt and striped tie. The representations are very similar across both films even though the age and geographical distance between the two. I feel that our representation of teachers is very clear and understandable.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A Production company is the company who makes the physical production of a film. The production company may be responsible for raising funding or may have a link with a larger company whom funds the film. Our film, Catechize Academy has been made by us; ATLAS Media Productions - a production company. If we were to distribute our film, we would need to create a link with a distribution company whom is responsible for releasing films to the public.
I have completed research (below) into small british independent film distributors and also the large distribution companies. As our media product, Catechize Academy is a Independent British Film, it would be distributed by a small distribution company like Shorts International would be the perfect distributor for our film due to having contacts in the film industry based in London, United Kingdom and accept film submissions over the internet. The company states that it has over 3000 short movies on catalog. So they would be able to distribute our short film. Another way in which we could distribute our film is through Film Festivals, an example is the Edinburgh International Film Festival; however this is mainly for larger scale feature films due to the large public attendance at the event. A large distribution company would be Universal; however Universal is also a large budget production and distribution company with a lot of links with large cinema groups, distributing on DVD and TV on demand. The smaller distribution company's have not established these links so are unable to provide the huge cash return upon distribution of a film hence the very small or no budgets given to make the film.Universal distribute high scale films like Fast and Furious and Harry Potter. Universal would be unsuitable to distribute our film due to our zero budget and no star actors and actresses.
New ways to distribute films is through the ever growing apple iTunes and apple store.
Small Institutions;
Omni Films - Showdown at Devils Butte (Short)
Working Title - Love Actually (Feature)
Large Institutions;
Sony Pictures - James Bond (Feature)
Momentum Pictures - The Crazies (Feature)
Paramount - Saving Private Ryan (Feature)
Warner Brothers Pictures - The Dark Knight (Feature)
New ways to distribute films is through the ever growing apple iTunes and apple store.
Omni Films - Showdown at Devils Butte (Short)
Working Title - Love Actually (Feature)
Large Institutions;
Sony Pictures - James Bond (Feature)
Momentum Pictures - The Crazies (Feature)
Paramount - Saving Private Ryan (Feature)
Warner Brothers Pictures - The Dark Knight (Feature)
Below I have embedded a prezi in which I have explained how a film is distributed, my example is Working Title and Universal.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
We found these comments very positive and we feel that we chose our target audience very well as it matched with what the audience comments; as they felt they could relate to the film. We aren't however limiting our audience to be this small group, we feel that our film could also be related too by teachers. Below is a print screen of YouTube in which from the views they have worked our audience as 13-17 - although our film is a recommended classification age of 15, we can not however block who views the video when uploaded onto YouTube.
Above is a picture in which we believe are our target audience for our media product.We are aiming our target audience to be between ages 15 - 21 years of age. Due to the amount of screen time upon the female teacher within our media product leads us to target our audience to be more towards the male gender. Although, we still are aiming to suit the female gender with the use of male characters. We are aiming our media product towards the middle to lower class citizens; as the location for our film is in a government and council funded secondary school, if we were aiming for the higher class citizens then we would have set our film within a high class grammar or private school. We felt that we could relate to a wide range of audience if we set our media product within a standard secondary school.
We asked our target audience to name some of their favorite films.
- Batman
- Butterfly Effect
- Hannibal
- Sin City
- Fast and Furious
- Inception
- Lord Of The Rings
- 'I Found it interesting'
- 'I would like to see what happens later on in the film'
- 'It was very good'
- Being a student at school myself it was really easy to understand and i loved the mystery of what is going to happen after the two minutes.
We found these comments very positive and we feel that we chose our target audience very well as it matched with what the audience comments; as they felt they could relate to the film. We aren't however limiting our audience to be this small group, we feel that our film could also be related too by teachers. Below is a print screen of YouTube in which from the views they have worked our audience as 13-17 - although our film is a recommended classification age of 15, we can not however block who views the video when uploaded onto YouTube.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
This screenshot is of the establishing shot of our location, the school environment will appeal to those in school and who have recently left as they have memories of their time in school and can relate to the environment.This screenshot is of our main Actress, Miss Smith, we think her attractive appearance will appeal to the mainly male members of our target audience and attract them to see our film.
This screenshot is of our main actor, Mr Jones, we think his attractive appearance will appeal to the mainly female members of our target audience and attract them to see our film. This character may also appeal to teachers as they can relate to his line of work, we have not targeted this audience directly but this may encourage them to see our film.
This screenshot is of our titles, we feel they are mysterious and therefore would appeal to our target audience, the TV effect would also appeal to our target audience as many of our target audience enjoy watching television.
This screenshot is of the classroom we used during our film, our target audience, people who are in school or have recently left, would be able to relate to the surroundings and would connect to he film better.
This screenshot is of a running/action scene in our film, the action will appeal to our target audience as these films that they have highlighted as being enjoyable and they include a lot of action shots.
- Batman
- Butterfly Effect
- Hannibal
- Sin City
- Fast and Furious
- Inception
- Lord Of The Rings
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I found using a mac to be just as simple and really picked up the use of the 'new' (to me) technology.
The school had chosen to buy Apple iMac's due to the range of software available to be able make the media product and their reliability and capability with the media equipment; this is evident as professional media institutions also use a similar setup in professional filming making. Below I have explained all of the technologies used in creating our final media product.
Storyboard Quick 5; For our research and planning we created a storyboard in which would give an idea into what our film would look like. Storyboard Quick offers feature's which means you can insert background, props, characters and interiors; this meant that we could mock up our scenes, however we decided to take some photo's from location to create our storyboard. We found this much easier than drawing out our storyboard, in which you would have had to do prior to technology and software being invented and created to make it possible to create a digital storyboard, we used the digital storyboard images (jpeg's) to create our animatic. I found this software very user-friendly and made the task of creating a storyboard much easier.
Cannon MD101 mini-DV Camcorder; In order to shoot our footage for our media product, we had a Canon MD101 camcorder; they were very simplistic and easy to use. To be able to record, we would be using mini-DV; a physical tape cassette recording, we are using physical tape cassette compared with digital hard disk methods due to being able to keep the physical tape in the sight of problems we could recapture rather than have to re-shoot. Previous to the DV, mini-DV and Digital hard disk being invented, film company's would have to record using large film reels. So the invention of digital recording methods have drastically improved the production of media products.
Compressor; we used compressor, in which to compress our final film. As in order to upload to our final film to our publishing platform; YouTube the size of the QuickTime Movie needed to be a lot smaller. We used compressor to compress our film to a smaller size which would be easier to upload although we lost a very small proportion of graphic quality from the film.
Blogger; I used blogger as a way to archive my media journey. I decided to use blogger over other archiving methods like a scrapbook due to bloggers features which allow you to correct old posts and also embed videos, images and sound. I had never used blogger prior to media studies but i feel it is a great free-to-use website.
In combination of all the hardware, software and webpages above, I was able to create my final media product. Without the advancement of technology, which allowed me to create our film with the above, I believe the outcome would have been less successful and enjoyable.
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?
Above, I have embedded both our Preliminary Task and our Final media product; Catechize Academy. Since the start of the course, I have learnt a lot about the research, planning, shooting, editing and distribution/promotion, in which goes into creating a film. Below, I have bullet pointed issues with our preliminary task and the improvement and progression in our final film.
Issues with our preliminary task:
- Continuity issues - Car moves position (0:33 - 0:45)
- Sound cut-offs - Door closing (0:56 - 0:58)
- Sound transitions - Intro Music (0:28 - 0:30)
- Jump-Cuts - (1:00 - 1:01) - We have found a jump cut, in which two different piece's of footage have been put together or where the camera position has been moved, this is poor camera work and editing.
- Poor titles - (0:40 - 0:45) - Looking back on our preliminary task, we felt that with the software available to create professional looking titles, our 'The Yellow Car' titles were very poor and were not to the greatest standard.
'Catechize Academy', Examples of improvement:
- Good continuity - Walking (0:30 - 0:35) - Door Opening (1:00 - 1:08) - CCTV (1:38 - 1.42)
- No sound cut-offs
- Good Sound Transitions - Sound Bridge (1:35 - 1:45)(0:25 - 0:30) - Fade In (0:50 - 0:54) - Fade Out (2:26 to finish)
- No Jump Cuts
- Effective titles - (0:25 - 0:30)
Skills we have improved on:
- Usage of media documents; scripts, storyboards and shooting schedule's these enabled us to be more organised into what we were filming on the specific day. The use of professional script software meant that we could correctly write our script and distribute copies to our actors. When planning for our Preliminary Task, we didn't use any of media documents (mentioned above) hence I feel this lead us to a poorer film idea and lower quality preliminary task film.
- Wider variety of shots - close ups, more shot reverse shots, high/low angle shots, long shots, medium shots.
- As in our preliminary task it was the first time understanding the shot types and camera work, we developed these skills during our planning stages. Before we went out to film, we already had an idea of what shot types we were going to use as we decided these when we created our storyboard.
- In our final media product, our developed skills from the preliminary task enabled us to complete an effective tracking of our female characters feet.
- Better knowledge and usage of Final Cut Express and film creating software available on the iMac, as previously in our preliminary task we were not using the full potential to the software, however when completing our editing for our final media product, we used a wider range of effects and more professional title's.
