'The Path of Shadows' title sequence
Saturday 11 March 2017
Friday 10 March 2017
Evaluation question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task and "The Package" task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at your preliminary task and 'The Package' task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Throughout the process of making the title sequence to a film, I have learnt how to use final cut, including different types of editing and inserting sound. My skills have developed since doing the first 2 filming tasks and this is very visible when you compare them. For example, to the right is the first shot in my preliminary task and it is out of focus, so you can't clearly see Becky's facial features. This is a very simple error that can easily be fixed.
When making our product we had to be especially careful that the diegetic sound matched the scene. In my preliminary task there was an instance when the sound suddenly cuts off. At the end of the first shot to the right you hear the door closing, but after the cut to the shot where the girl sits down, the sound of the door closing suddenly disappears. This can cause confusion for the audience and can also make the shot and the actions within the shot seem very unrealistic.
There were both editing and camera mistakes in our 'The Package' practical task, a major mistake we made was breaking the 180 degree rule, this made the shot below confusing as the perspective reversed. It was very important not to make this mistake in our opening, unless it is for artistic effect, as it makes the audience more aware that what they are watching isn't real.
An issue that we realised after filming was that we broke the continuity in a small part of the opening, as in one shot the protagonist leaves her bedroom without shoes on then she walks downstairs and she has shoes on, but we did not show her putting them on. Although we made this minor mistake the continuity in the other parts of the sequence is kept and we did this by ensuring the colours of the shots matched and that our actors wore the same clothes on the days of shooting.
Throughout the process of making the title sequence to a film, I have learnt how to use final cut, including different types of editing and inserting sound. My skills have developed since doing the first 2 filming tasks and this is very visible when you compare them. For example, to the right is the first shot in my preliminary task and it is out of focus, so you can't clearly see Becky's facial features. This is a very simple error that can easily be fixed.
Another way I have developed since my preliminary task is learning how to effectively get all characters in the frame. In the two shots to the left the camera is too close to the characters so their heads get slightly trimmed and it looks very unprofessional. This can be compared to the shot below that is in our opening sequence, the camera doesn't trim the heads of the protagonist and her mum.
When making our product we had to be especially careful that the diegetic sound matched the scene. In my preliminary task there was an instance when the sound suddenly cuts off. At the end of the first shot to the right you hear the door closing, but after the cut to the shot where the girl sits down, the sound of the door closing suddenly disappears. This can cause confusion for the audience and can also make the shot and the actions within the shot seem very unrealistic.
There were both editing and camera mistakes in our 'The Package' practical task, a major mistake we made was breaking the 180 degree rule, this made the shot below confusing as the perspective reversed. It was very important not to make this mistake in our opening, unless it is for artistic effect, as it makes the audience more aware that what they are watching isn't real.
A big camera error we made in our practical task was not checking the level on the tripod before we took the shot, we didn't realise we made the mistake until we saw it on a big screen, as it wasn't visible on the small camera screen. But although this made the shot very distorted and looked like the corridor was slanted it taught us the importance or making sure the tripod is level and not assuming that it is, the two shots below show the slanted shot on the left and a level shot in our opening.
The errors that I made in the preliminary task and the practical task were very beneficial to my final title sequence, as they made me more aware of what could go wrong and things to check before filming a shot. This was so that we could achieve continuity within our product so that it made sense to the audience as well as engaging them and making them want to watch the rest of the film.
Although the process of filming the title sequence was very rewarding we faced a few obstacles during filming and editing. On the first day of filming we didn't have a tripod with us so several of the shots we did that day were shaky and looked amateur. So this set us back and we were slightly rushed for time.
An issue that we realised after filming was that we broke the continuity in a small part of the opening, as in one shot the protagonist leaves her bedroom without shoes on then she walks downstairs and she has shoes on, but we did not show her putting them on. Although we made this minor mistake the continuity in the other parts of the sequence is kept and we did this by ensuring the colours of the shots matched and that our actors wore the same clothes on the days of shooting.
Another problem we came across was that we wanted to include more shots but due to time restrictions we were unable to, this meant that we also had to significantly cut down many shots. Although we did want the particular shots to be in the opening sequence we benefitted from taking them out as it would be slower and less suspenseful, so the audience would not have been as engaged and possibly wouldn't want to continue watching it. Two of the shots we had to cut out are shown below.
Overall creating this two minute title sequence was a challenging but valuable process and I started with a simple understanding of using cameras and editing but during the process developed many skills and now have a much more advanced understanding.
Evaluation question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Evaluation question 5 - How did you attract/ address your audience?
How did you attract/ address your audience?
The prezi below shows the ways we attracted our target audience in the title sequence, through the choice of characters, the location and the themes.
We created a Twitter and Facebook page that we posted status' on to attract our audience and make them aware of the film. This one major way we would advertise our product as social media is used worldwide by our target audience.
The prezi below shows the ways we attracted our target audience in the title sequence, through the choice of characters, the location and the themes.
We created a Twitter and Facebook page that we posted status' on to attract our audience and make them aware of the film. This one major way we would advertise our product as social media is used worldwide by our target audience.
Evaluation question 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?
Who would be the audience for your media product?
We made a questionnaire to find the target audience for our media product. All people who participated in the questionnaire were between the ages 15-25 as they are the ages our product is aimed at.
This is the questionnaire we gave the audience.
The photo below shows people doing the questionnaire.
Some of the most important questions and the results are shown below and were essential in deciding what kind of audience we were going to aim our film at.
What is your gender?
- Comedy 9
- Crime 9
-Yes 12
We made a questionnaire to find the target audience for our media product. All people who participated in the questionnaire were between the ages 15-25 as they are the ages our product is aimed at.
This is the questionnaire we gave the audience.
Some of the most important questions and the results are shown below and were essential in deciding what kind of audience we were going to aim our film at.
What is your gender?
- Male 6
- Female 8
- Other 1
This question showed us whether all genders would enjoy our opening sequence and so whether we should target a certain gender. But the results indicated that any gender would enjoy our product.
What is your preferred film genre?
In this question they were allowed to tick as many of the genres as they wished, this was because some people may not be able to decide between 2 genres.
This question showed us whether all genders would enjoy our opening sequence and so whether we should target a certain gender. But the results indicated that any gender would enjoy our product.
What is your preferred film genre?
In this question they were allowed to tick as many of the genres as they wished, this was because some people may not be able to decide between 2 genres.
- Action 9
- Comedy 9
- Thriller 9
- Crime 8
- Science Fiction 6
- Fantasy 3
- Horror 2
- Romance 2
- Animation 2
The results for this question assured us that for the age group of 15-25 they would like our film as the thriller genre was one of the most preferred genres.
What is your preferred sub-genre of thriller?
Again they were allowed to tick as many as they wished.
The results for this question assured us that for the age group of 15-25 they would like our film as the thriller genre was one of the most preferred genres.
Again they were allowed to tick as many as they wished.
- Psychological 9
- Crime 9
- Action 6
- Horror 4
- Supernatural 3
The main sub-genre of our film is psychological-thriller, with aspects of crime and horror and the responses suggest that psychological thrillers are also one of the preferred genres.
Did our ident (acrylic productions) look professional?
The main sub-genre of our film is psychological-thriller, with aspects of crime and horror and the responses suggest that psychological thrillers are also one of the preferred genres.
Did our ident (acrylic productions) look professional?
-Yes 12
- No 3
It was very important to know whether the audience thought our ident looked professional as it represents the company that 'made' our film and is at the start, so we want it to give a good image to the audience.
Would you want to watch the rest of the film?
It was very important to know whether the audience thought our ident looked professional as it represents the company that 'made' our film and is at the start, so we want it to give a good image to the audience.
Would you want to watch the rest of the film?
- Yes 12
- No 3
This question was extremely significant to find out whether the title sequence created enough suspense to engage the audience and make them want to carry on watching the film to find out what will happen next. As this should be the main aim in an opening sequence.
The results for these two questions above were the same and are presented on the same pie chart.
From the responses we received in the questionnaire, we annotated this silhouette of a person, it represents the characteristics of our target audience member, including which TV shows and films they would watch.
This question was extremely significant to find out whether the title sequence created enough suspense to engage the audience and make them want to carry on watching the film to find out what will happen next. As this should be the main aim in an opening sequence.
The results for these two questions above were the same and are presented on the same pie chart.
From the responses we received in the questionnaire, we annotated this silhouette of a person, it represents the characteristics of our target audience member, including which TV shows and films they would watch.
Evaluation question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Evaluation question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Friday 3 March 2017
Soundtrack
This is our non-diegetic sound for our opening sequence, that was created by using Garage Band. It includes ominous piano chords that builds into crescendo at the end, which builds suspense and tension. The gentle melodies represent memories or symbols from the protagonist's past, with a haunting tone.
Monday 6 February 2017
Wednesday 1 February 2017
Cast selection
We carefully selected our characters so that the young girl and the teenage girl looked very similar, this is so that the audience understands that it is a flashback and that it is the same person, making them wear the same coat makes it more obvious. So, although those two are not related they look like they are in the film and the teenage girl and the mother are related, so also look similar.
Certification
The certification for our film will be a 15 as it will contain threat (the dark figure that seems to be haunting the child) and possibly violence later. There won't be any discrimination or reference to drugs and it is unlikely that there will be any strong language. It is unable to be a 12 or 12A as the horror sequences will be frequent.
Tuesday 31 January 2017
ROUGH CUT
This is the first cut of our opening sequence and we got feedback from a few people. The main comments were:
- Some shots are shaky so need to be reshot.
- We need to carry on working on the diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
- Some shots need to be cut down or taken out to reduce the time of the opening sequence as it is too long at the moment.
Monday 30 January 2017
Filming process 4
Reshooting previous shots that were shaky or shots that we needed to add in.
- Sunday 29th January 2017
The first time we filmed the shot below it was very shaky, so this one had to be reshot. We had to make sure it looked the same in the different days we shot, so we went at a time of day that would have very similar lighting to before.
These are the final shots of the girl seeing the unusual toy in the tunnel.
Friday 27 January 2017
Filming process 3
Filming in the tunnel
- Saturday 7th/22nd January 2017
The tunnel shots were very atmospheric as they created dark shadows inside and this is more obvious in the close up shot of the little girl.
The tunnel shots were very atmospheric as they created dark shadows inside and this is more obvious in the close up shot of the little girl.
Filming process 2
Filming in the park
- Saturday 7th/ Sunday 22nd January 2017
This is the shot of the girl entering the playground in a trance after hearing the laughter. The low level light creates a moody/creepy feeling.
These are some shots of the flashback, the lighting is brighter as the day was sunnier giving a happier feeling.
During the flashback the 'figure' places their hand on the young girls shoulder as if they are pushing her, but their identity is hidden, so leads the audience feeling tense.
- Saturday 7th/ Sunday 22nd January 2017
This is the shot of the girl entering the playground in a trance after hearing the laughter. The low level light creates a moody/creepy feeling.
These are some shots of the flashback, the lighting is brighter as the day was sunnier giving a happier feeling.
During the flashback the 'figure' places their hand on the young girls shoulder as if they are pushing her, but their identity is hidden, so leads the audience feeling tense.
Thursday 26 January 2017
Filming process 1
Filming in the house
- Saturday 7th January 2017
This is our first shot of the teenage girl opening her eyes and waking up.
This shot was challenging as we had to make sure that the camera can not be seen in the mirror.
The room was rearranged so that the ballerina painting was seen in the reflection of the mirror, giving a slightly creepy, trapped feeling. Also paintbrushes and pencils were placed in the room in order to highlight her artistic side and this foreshadows to the drawing that she drew as a child and receives in the post.
- Saturday 7th January 2017
This is our first shot of the teenage girl opening her eyes and waking up.
This shot was taken inside of the wardrobe, we wanted to get the effect of the hangers being in high focus in the foreground but the girl in low focus in the background. It also indicates that she is getting dressed but without having to show every single shot.
The room was rearranged so that the ballerina painting was seen in the reflection of the mirror, giving a slightly creepy, trapped feeling. Also paintbrushes and pencils were placed in the room in order to highlight her artistic side and this foreshadows to the drawing that she drew as a child and receives in the post.
Thursday 19 January 2017
Wednesday 18 January 2017
Storyboard
This is the storyboard for our opening sequence, it shows the three main scenes, the scene in the house of the girl waking up and opening the letter, then her walking to the park and finding the swing (flashback occurs) and finally the scene of the bridge (another flashback).
It shows each shot we want and the type of shot, for example close up of the letter and the drawing of the girl. We need to add sound to the storyboard so it is clear when the dialogue occurs and also the music.
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