Evaluation question 7

Pre Production
Prelim
When planning for our prelim task, we had to make a storyboard to help us while filming and to keep our shots organised. Initially we had a storyboard that had too many shots for a short prelim task. When drawing out the storyboard we over complicated a simple scene of walking through a door with too many shots. Its was very over crowded with variety of shots. The story board was not completed on time for the production of the task. As a group we decided to redo the task as the first time wasnt as good. We went through the pre production process and produced a new story board and that was more simpler but still had a variety of shots. This help us to be more organised while filming agai  second time around. 
Main task
During the pre production of the main task we had to consider all the ideas we had come up with before drawing up a storyboard.  As a team we came up with four main ideas. The bloody mary idea seemed to go down well in pre production research. Some of the target audience said "its a unique idea, and using the myth bloody Mary is something no one has done before.  Trying to come up with the opening sequence was a obstacle, because we didnt want to give to much away. When creating the storyboard we came up with a very complicated opening initially.  As a group we thought this may confuse the audience as it would be too much information to take in. So halfway through our pre planning we changed the sequence of shots. We made it more simpler. The story board we came up with in the end had a variety of shots and all together would leave the audience in dark abouy what would happen next.
I have learnt from this experience that a storyboard is just as important as a piece of equipment, it helps the production process to be more organised and more straightforward for the cameraman and directors. We learnt from our mistakes in the main task and we re drafted the story board to avoid re filming or even failing the task.
Production
Prelim
The prelim was our first experience trying out shots where it actually mattered. When actually fimling the different shots we had to consider all types of issues such as secure flooring, space to film the shots and also the line of 180 degrees. As we di have to re shoot our entire task we wanted the second time to be better. When looking over our first set of footage, we realised the shots looked amateur and unprofessional.  The spirit level looked as if it wasn't used properly and the shots were too short to even be used. So to resolve this the second time we followed our storyboard very carefully and we used the equipment to our advantage, by this I mean using the spirit level to keep our shots level and the using the tripod to control the pans and tilts. Also when we filmed the over the shoulder shots we made sure there wasnt too much head space, or too much space around the side of the person. In the end our second go turned out to be better.
Main task
The main task was a more complicated task and we needed to consider higher rated shots, such as match action shots and cut away shots. When filming we did have some boundaries to deal with, the location was small but it was ideal for our task. The only problem was producing shots such as over the shoulder, but there wasny much spacr behind the person to work with.  There wasnt really anything we could do about this but we just had to use differeny kinds of shots. Whem getting feedback from our target audience thet told us " because this is a horror genre based opening sequence you could have used hidden shots to emphasis the fact someone was watching them". I think that the shots wr used for the opening sequence didnt really relate to our genre except for the close up shots for expressions.
I learnt that it is important to consider the genre of the sequence when planning and filming shots because they reflect the horror in the sequence. Also I learnt that as we progressed from the prelim task to the main task our range of shots improved and certain shots suite types of action.
Post production
Prelim
This was our first real task we had to edit, noy including the practice we had before hand. We used out time well, we completed the task of editing in the time given and used all the features we gad learnt abouy in the practice sessions we had.  We learnt new things by trying them out while editing. Once we completed the task we showed our prelim task the audience and gathered feedback. Many had good criticism, "some said that the pan shot didnt have enough room infront of character and too much space behind them". This could be down to the fact that we werent as experienced at this point. All we could do is note down the feedback and insue we dont make the same miatakes in our main task and avoid making them, by practising the shots, or rehearsing the shots before actually recording them.
If I had the opportunity to redo the prelim task I would do many things differently. For example I would make we produce a good, detailed storyboard for the production process to avoid re shooting and wasting time. Also while filming the shots I would take more time on each shot, and make sure as a group we are confident that we have a good take.
Main task
When editing the main task we had a clearer objective of what we wanted the end product to look like and how it should come across to the audience. Once we had completed the editing, we had a teacher check over and give us our first set if feedback. We had good and bad critisim; the positives were "good ident" " the type of music fitted genre" "music fit in with transition". The negatives were "the music played throughout the whole opening sequence and there wasnt a clear difference between normal reality and the horror scene in sence of music" "some fades werent long enough" "worms eye shot of taking of shoes was too long". Being the main editor I took this feedback away and worked with the group in how to improve it, we cut music out of the talking scenes and put it in when the actio  actually starts to build it up to the door slam and screams. After we made the changes we showed the target audience the opening sequence, once again we had mixed feedback. The good was that it fitted in with the genre and also the shots used to emphasis reaction and the blood used was a good use of codes and conventions. The negative feedback we go was the "lighting wasnt dark enough for the horror genre" "titles font didn't link in with genre" "gave too much away for a opening sequence".
If I had the chance to redo the main task I would consider all the feedback we got, and that would be to be more adventurous with our ideas and to use less dialogue in the opening sequence. Also the idea of bloody mary was unique and should use this to out advantage. I would change the storyline to make it more simpler but use a variety of shots to make it look horror/thriller and to intrigue the target audience. 

BLOODY MARY- Main Task

Evaluation Question 6

When filming our preliminary task and our main task we learnt how to use the Canon XHAI camera to film both tasks and Adobe Prremiere to edit both of the tasks.
Before we started to film the preliminary task as a group we had a practise session with the camera. We learnt how to set up the camera and tripod from scratch and learnt how to use the different features the camera has. We learnt what the spirit level was, and learnt how to handle the camera with care and in a technical way. As a group we filmed different shots so we could practise how the camera works at all different angles.

For editing we used the Adobe Premiere software to edit our shots. Same with the camera, we had a chance to practise with some footage that we didnt film, we learnt how to cut and fade in and out and how to assembly edit. Also I learnt how to fade out the music when necessary. We then applied what we learnt while practising in our preliminary task and main task.

To prepare for our filming we researched different filming techniques, such as the 'The Rules of Tirds', '180 degree rule' and many others. To get a good insight into these techniques we watched various videos and practised the different techniques when taking shots. Throughout our prelim and main task we used the 180 degree rule, to ensure that viewers don't get confused and keeping the action on the same side of the screen every time. We also used action reaction shots, for example when filming the bloody mary scene in our main sequence we used the reactions of the other charcaters after the words were chanted.
As previously mention in the beginning we had previously practised using the Adobe premier software, when filming our prelim and main task we first conducted a assembly edit, to get all the shots in our of how we would want them. After doing this we were then able to cut the clip down to what we wanted and put it into the order we wanted. Once we had our sequence in order and it was playing fluently we then add effects. Fading was one of our main effects, it was very effective in our main task, we had a flash of the future in the beginning of our sequence. We had our main character on the floor covered in shattered mirror, we took many shots from different angles, so by fading in and out clips and over laping the clips we had the effect of the previous clip fading away and the next one fading in. Also considering the fact that we were making a horror/thriller we needed the music to fade in and out at tge right times and also we learnt along the way how to increase the volume at more dramatic scenes. Also horror movies have darker lighting and our clips were too bright so by selecting a invert we could change the brightness of the frames. 
Along the way I learnt more about the editing part, I got the hang of it pretty quickly and enjoyed it, I think being the main editter I had to learn all the skills and techniques. I think the only problem we had was probably the brightness of the frames, because it was too bright when we originally filmed it

Evaluation Question 2

Who are our characters?
For our opening sequence only we had 3 main characters and they were the main victims of the bloody Mary dare. The three girls were very suited to the target audience and they would appeal to the audience.

Character one (Tyra) Character one was the main victim of the bloody Mary dare, she was a young teenager who and aged 15 and this was the target age group that we picked. The sleepover was hosted by her and she comes across as an outgoing girl, towards the beginning she says ‘I’m going to a concert’ this indicates that she enjoys going out and music like most teenagers.

Character two (Ruksana) Character two was the girl who dared Tyra to do the dare; her actions throughout the movie were supposed to come across as loud and out spoken. During the opening scene she threw popcorn at Tyra, this outlines her personality and is an example of how some teenage girls act at sleepovers and their own personalities.

Character three (Monika) Character three was the girl who initially bought up the subject of bloody Mary. Also she was very quiet throughout the dialogue scene and was the most quiet out of all three.


As a group we directed the cast as well as we could, we had lack of experience but we did our best. I think as a group we should have come up with more effective and better dialogue which would have hopefully sounded more realistic. We also could have directed the actors better by physically showing them what to do rather than verbally. In my opinion we could have made our opening sequence look more realistic, the acting wasn’t as good as we had hoped it would be. When feedbacking from the audience we were told that some of the acting from the cast wasnt very good and could been better, especially during the dialogue scene. Also they said the costumes and props used were realistic and looked like somethin young girls would were.

Evaluation Question 3

What is an Independent Film Distributor?
Is an independent film distributor is normally completed outside major film studios such as Paramount and 20th century fox, the movie produced are normally of a lower budget compared to a his that end movie. Also the technology and quality of the end product is different to something distributed by Paramount. There's also a limit on the release, so only a few theatres will show this movie for a shorterwould use od.

Difference?
The main difference is that they are completed outside of major film studios- so they wouldn't be as popular, also they are lower budget movies as they are not forecasted to make a big profit compared to other film distributors. They are recognised at film festivals to present their film before release this something major film studios don't do. Major film distributors distribute their movies internationally, where as independent film distributors only distribute their movie sometime nationally and only in limited theatres.
Vertigo
Is a UK based film and distribution company that was founded in 2002 by Allan Niblo and James Richardson. Their mission is to create and distribute commercially driven movies. They distributed the box office smash hit Street dance 3D. Also created and distributed spring breakers which James Franco starred in as a main actor. They have produced 25 films and distributed a further 35 films. Tom Hardy, Rupert Wyatt and Ben Gregor are some of the rising new talent from Vertigo Films.

Entertainment One



Entertainment One distributes films in the UK, Canada, USA, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. They are the leading independent Film Distributors around at the moment as they distribute internationally. They have distributed many movies through DVD and downloading, also home entertainment TV programmes. The main movie distributed by they is 'Twilight' and another more recent one is 'How I Live Now'.

If we were to distribute our film, I would use independent film distributors because it would be a low budget movie because it was our first film. I think it would be successful, considering the feedback we got; "unique selling point is that no one has used the myth bloody Mary in the recent horror movies and has the potential of being really successful.

Evaluation Question 5

While making our opening sequence we had to ensure that we developed codes and conventions so that our target audience were attracted to the opening sequence. When planning our opening sequence we had to consider the types of props and costumes that would attract our main target audience. For exmaple in the begining of our  sequence we had our main character the victim of bloody mary, laying on the floor dead with blood and sharp pieces of broken mirror scattered around her. When we were getting feedback from our audience they said that the blood on the hands signify the horror genre and the fact that she was a young girl can be compared to other horror movies. Most horror movies has a pro-antagonist and a antagonist, in our movie we also had both the pro-antagonist (the young vulnerable and naive girls, who did nothing to effet the antagonist) and the antagonist (Bloody Mary the villain who is after the three girls).
After showing our audience our opening sequence, we got feedback saying that the shots used in the opening sequence didn't really link in with horror/thriller genre except for the close ups which showed emotions and expression which had a impact on the audience. They suggested that hidden shots may be a good idea for this story line, to portray that the villian is stalking its victims. Maybe this was  something we should have considered, because this type of shot could really effect how viewers perceive our opening sequence.  
Editing is a important part when making the film, it will help bring the whole opening sequence together. Using background music and sound effects, it will help attract the audience. The editing software Adobe Premiere will help us control the tempo and volume of the background music, this can be really effective because it can help create suspense for the viewers but also make the action more interesting along with the sound effects. 
Also from our audience research we found that this idea was unique because it was something different and couldn't be compared to another movie on the spot, so for a few viewers they would expect something good because its so unique. The fact that its different compared to typical horror thriller movies will help attract the target audience.


A title like this may attract our target
audience 

For the poster idea, I would definitely use the colour red and black as the color scheme, mainly because red is associated with blood and bloody Mary, so it would make sense to use these colors. Black is the colour of power and used in mass can be shown as unfriendly and intimidating, Bloody Mary is a intimidating character as she is partially invisible to the audience, the only visible thing about her are her actions. Red signifies strength and draw attention to itself, a bit like the danger in this movie. This is similar to other horror/thriller posters and I would hope that this would attract them to watch our horror thriller film. 

The movies that would interest my target audience would be movies involved with thrill, which has a element of horror. Movies they may have watched in the last year would be Insidious 2, The Conjuring and Mama. They are movies which can be realated to the movie that we are making, they have a supernatural element to it, and hopefully ours would be different compared to the typical horror movies. I would expect most of the target audience to have a good understanding of what a good horror movie is and would have hopefully watched a varied amount of thrillers, to know what thrillers are and so our movie lives up to there expectation.
The themes that our movie will cover will consist of mystery, suspense, blood, supernatural, not knowing the next step. To create mystery and suspense I would use the tempo and volume of the music as it will help create the atmosphere, also close ups of characters will show there reaction and emotion which help set the scene and keep the audience in the dark about whats going to happen next.

Paranormal activities is a film that is closely compared to our film, only because also in there movie there villian is also invisible and causes harm to a innocent family, in our case its a group of friends. Paranormal Activities is a highly looked movie and there have meen many movies made, they also use the black and red colour scheme and it looks horror style and suits the sub genre.

Evaluation Question 4

Target Audience Profile

Age Group: 15 and older

Gender:  Female/male

Interests: Out going, spending time with friends and still in some sort of education or working

Ethnicity: All types of ethnicities


The above picture includes the ideal target audience, young teenage females who would ideally host a sleepover, and for the more the female gender mainly because most of the character are female but this may also appeal to males because its a gruesome and suspenseful which is female based, which may attract the male population. Also we were looking at the audience who are around the age of 15 and above to 18, this is a small target audience. 15 would have to be the minimum age because if we made the whole film we may have to put a age restriction on the film. 

When researching other similar horror/thrillers we found that their target audience was much wider, most of the thrillers we researched had a target audience of both male and female and the age ranged from 18 to 25, the younger adults. We are similar in gender specification but our age ranges are lower which may mean this isn't as horrific as the higher aged movies. 
Our movie is about three girls who have a sleepover that doesn't go to plan and turns into a nightmare, when researching our target audience we wanted to make sure that this movie would interest them. I would say that most of the girls whom come to watch our thriller will be interested in similar interests such as out going, and who would normally have sleepovers so they can relate to the movie, but also males who would be interested in watching a gruesome horror. 
We want our target audience to be able to understand the opening sequence we make, they should have good knowledge about horror/thrillers, we would have expected them to have watched similar movie to ours, such as paranormal activities and the conjuring so they can compare the quality of ours to others for more reliable feedback.
The movie that we are making isn't targeted at any specific socio economic group, this movie isnt associated with any status levels, so it wont affect anyone on that way. Its based on three girls from working class backgrounds.
I would expect our audience to be into watching horror movies so they can metally compare how good or bad our movie is. 

Evaluation Question 1

In our media production of making our short opening sequence we had to fit in different codes and conventions from the theme horror/thriller. The codes and conventions for this theme were blood, darkness, thrill, some sort of grusome murder.

So in this first screen shot you can see that some sort of incident has taken place and we know that the main character has been abadoned so this indicates to the audience that the victim was innocent.

In this part of our opening sequence we used broken mirror pieces to signify the presence of bloody mary as that dare is taken place infront of a mirror. The sharp edges of the mirror van be a form of danger and fear.

Throughout our filming we had to find ways to develop the codes and conventions into our opening sequence, one way was to use blood an it signified the theme horror and the myth bloody Mary, you can see in the screenshot that there was blood and a piece of mirror on the victims hand. Both of these props together created suspense as it seemed to look like murder.

Most sleepovers are for young teenage girls, which have fun, in this screen one of the girls chucks pop corn at the other this shows that before the whole bloody Mary incident they were three normal girls having a sleepover.

In most thrillers inoccent people are targeted by the villains. In our opening sequence we had to ensure that people knew that they were three inoccent girls targeted by bloody Mary to create the horror film atmosphere.

The different types of shots we used also helped us develop the codes and conventions of a thriller. A close of her mouth is focusing only on what she's saying and ignoring her surroundings to make the viewers intrigued.

This is the scene were most of the action took place, the lighting of this shot was dark and got darker. It went pitch black, this will help create fear and emotions for the character as they cant see what's happening in the dark.

The end scene is a flash forward to show what has happened. It creates suspense because the ending scene has darker lighting and leaves the audience in the dark about what has happened to tge the other two inoccent character's.