Evaluation For My Media Product

my evaluation for my media product

More PowerPoint presentations from Vidur Pabari

Technical Issue

After completing my evaluation for my media product I have now "saved as movie" which has changed the file to a .mov which would allow me to upload to YouTube and find the "embed" code to upload to my blog. After saving the file as .mov I discovered all the sounds and transitions are no longer their which has now therefore granted me a extension till Sunday 10th April Midnight.

Research On Technical Issue

After discovering an issue on my evaluation, I was now researching on programmes which may help fix my issue, I also called Apple Care to see if their was any help assist me fix my issue which was not successful an at this point I was really worried as I was not sure if I would be able to complete my evaluation to a good standard. Luckily from my research I discovered a website called "Author Share" which allowed me to upload my PowerPoint presentation to. My presentation took approximately 15 minutes to upload which then gave me an "embed" code to upload to my blog.

Problem

Another problem my group had experienced was complications between Saskia and Georgia an myself, as their were issues with Saskia always having issues with coming into school an therefore was considered not a key part to the group as their was no contribution towards any of the key factors such as:
Editing
Storyboards
Music
Etc
Due to these reasons Saskia then felt she was being left out which seemed an excuse although we had no time to waste and had to continue completing our work so we would be able to show a final copy of our opening sequence on the day we had to showcase it. Saskia has now left West Hatch and due to the little contribution made, Georgia and myself have worked extra harder in our personal time in completing all our  media practical work.

Last Blood Final Opening Sequence

Own Initial Idea Submitted To Group For Consideration

When I had returned to school after the Christmas holidays, I was told about the opening sequence we were going to create and was told which pupils I will be working with. After this point I went to sit with my group as we were all given time for a group discussion to discuss idea's on our opening sequence. Georgia and Saskia explained their initial idea which was to film our opening sequence in a forest, which was about three friends who have gone camping and have been murdered. At this point I was not hugely impressed with the idea, as I felt it would be hard to organise the appropriate lighting to make our opening sequence good, Due to these reasons I explained this to the group in which I explained my opinion which the group was happy with, as this was easier and would not require extra lighting. My own initial idea was to have a friend to be left alone in a house at night in which she was now feeling scared and was later to be kidnapped. We were all considering different camera shots we could use as well as a variety of ways in which we can make it easy for our target audience to understand our opening sequence as well as our main  aim was to get them interested in our opening sequence. 

Feedback & Improvement

On Thursday 31st March, Georgia and myself were showcasing our opening sequence which was almost a final copy was shown to our class. Before showcasing the opening sequence we had given out feedback sheets to each student which had been created by our teacher. After the opening sequence had been seen by all the pupils, there was now a chance for pupils to ask questions such as:
Why is their so many characters featuring?
Why did the opening sequence focused on the knives twice?
Reason for a little baby?
Where is the main character?
Etc
These were the questions we were asked by my other pupils in the class, in which I was able to answer them which helped their overall understanding of the opening sequence.
We were given back the feedback sheets which had been filled out by other pupils, to help us improve our opening sequence and therefore I am currently in progress of scanning these feedback sheets to my mac to upload onto my blog. Overall I felt that the feedback sheets were very useful as this enabled Georgia and myself the chance to improve our opening sequence one more time before it will be completed and handed in for the deadline on Thursday 7th April.

Preliminary Task

Creating Sound Using GarageBand

GarageBand was a new programme which I had never used although I have a Mac, We began to play around with this programme and were discovering new ways we can improve our sounds we were adding as this could be done by adding different sounds on different layers to help blend in overall which I believe was effective.

Below I have added shots of us using GarageBand.

Individual Response To The Idea

My overall response to the idea was that it would very good and effective if we can find the right effects and transitions whilst editing which would make our opening sequence much better. After watching our opening sequence after the sound was added, At one point I felt like I was unable to recognise our opening sequence and Overall I was delighted with the idea.

Evaluation Task

After completing all tasks which have been set, My final task is to evaluate my media product. After deciding different ways to evaluate my product, I have now come to the decision where I have decided to evaluate my product using Microsoft PowerPoint as this would enable me to show examples e.g. video clips from our sequence as well as images from other films e.g. Se7en. The reason for this choice was that I would still be able to add sound which would allow me to do a voiceover on each slide an also allow me to evaluate my media product.

Inspiration About The Opening

To get an inspiration on our new opening sequence we decided to look at a variety of different horror opening sequences to help us get ideas. After looking at 6-7 different opening sequences we discovered that titles were broken up e.g. shown after bits of footage, as well as discovering most of the opening sequences we were looking at were all dull which was quite obvious as this is an effect used in horror films. After viewing different horror opening sequences we believed that the film Se7en was similar to our ideas although the one thing we did do the same was the use of fonts which I believe this worked for both films "Sev7en" and our opening sequence "Last Blood" was due to the genre as well as the fact that both films were based on murders, an I personally believe the font and transitions worked excellently with the dull background which needed to be used.
Our aim was to make our target audience engrossed into our opening sequence by dragging them straight into although we wanted to make it scary as we believed that this could be accomplished by using eerie sounds. 

Editing

Once the footage was fully uploaded onto IMovie, Georgia and myself then began to play around with the programme which was completely different to Final Cut Express which were currently using on our previous idea. After playing around with different transitions we discovered that there were not as many effects etc on IMovie compared to Final Cut although due to the time we had remaining we decided to continue editing.

New Opening Sequence Discussion

Due to technical issues we had previously faced we were now at the stage where we had to think of a suitable idea, we were having a discussion in our first double media lesson in which we made a list of different things we may require when filming and different opening ideas. Shortly after the new idea was decided we then hired the camera which we needed as we had then decided to start recording footage for the new opening sequence on that evening. The filming once again was at Georgia's house although we were missing a member of our group (Saskia) who had not been in all week due to illness, we did not have time to wait due to the deadline date as this also required editing and adding sound after the footage had been recorded in which we had a short space of time. 

Today's Lesson

In today's lesson all groups were given the task to present their opening sequence to the class. This included informing to the class what their sequence was about as well as handing feedback sheets which had been created by our teacher, which I personally believe was a brilliant idea as this was an easy way for groups an teacher(s) to give feedback on improvement.

Problem

We were experiencing problems whilst editing using IMovie although my laptop was not starting due to a fault with the hard drive which led to me having the laptop rebooted which led to the work being removed from my laptop although we had one previous back up which we then uploaded onto Georgia's mac using final cut, which I believe was brilliant for us to use as there were more choice(s) of different transitions and effects which was most suitable for our opening sequence. 

Filming Day

When I had arrived at Georgia's house we were making a book which was needed in the opening sequence to represent the death of other characters which the actor (myself) had murdered. As we were designing the book we noticed the camera had no battery as this was lucky or I do not believe we may have even completed recording footage for our new opening sequence. After approximately 3-4 hours we had completed recording of the different shots we required although Georgia and myself realised we may need more footage on other shots which we would film later if needed as at that moment in time we had to upload our footage to IMovie so we can begin to edit.

New Opening Sequence Idea

After our previous  opening sequence idea, I thought it would easier to come up with a new idea and begin the filming straight after due to the time it would leave us to edit and add sound. The new opening sequence is still a horror although I personally believe that the new opening sequence is more effective and more of a horror compared to the previous idea. Overall I am very pleased with the change and willing to spend more time to make it more effective as this has now also lead to new storyboards etc to be completed.

Big Daddy Opening Sequence

Big Daddy Opening Sequence Big Daddy is an American comedy film which was produced in 1999, an directed by Dennis Dugan. The film was released on 25th June 1999 by Columbia Pictures. This film is staring Adam Sandler who is very popular and often seen in comedy films. The opening sequence of this film shows how his life is as the film begins with him receiving a phone call from his father inquiring how hes life is going as he responds (Adam Sandler) playing Sonny, “Im at work” when hes really in bed with his girlfriend, the main point of this was to make the audience laugh and get them ready for some more chuckles throughout the film. The sequence is constructed using a variety of different camera shots, but overall I personally believe that due to the humour this film delivers to its audience is one of the main reasons this film was a popular film at the time it was released.

First Day Of Filming

The first day of filming was very successful as we were filming around a member of the groups house (Georgia). We were filming for approximately 4 hours, in which we managed to complete the whole opening sequence, and were discovering new shots we could use whilst filming which would make our opening sequence more effective and also more attractive for the audience watching. We were filming almost every shot 2-3 times on average to help us on deciding which shot is the best for our opening sequence. Overall I believe that we worked very well as a group and that I was very happy that we had completed all our filming as now next job is now to edit the shots and add sound to make it better. 

Group Work Unable To Begin

I was unable to begin the filming due to a member of the group who was unable to take part which has now led to filming starting tonight. 

Children of Men Essay

"How effectively does the opening sequence from 'Children of Men' (2006) use the forms and conventions of film openings? What is your personal response as a member of the audience?"

Children Of Men is an American science fiction film directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The film is starred by Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Pam Ferris, Clair Hope Ashitiey, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael` Caine.

The film is set in the United Kingdom in the year 2027, as this image is given by moving billboards on buses and buildings that is not currently seen in the UK. This shows a change of technology, which could possibly be seen in the year 2027.

This film is likely to be blockbuster, as we see the universal studio in the opening sequence, which gives the audience the impression that it should be an exciting film with the likes of characters such as Michael Caine featuring. As part of the audience I was expecting Children Of Men to be an great film, as also the creators of the film would have had a huge budget to spend in order to keep the audience engrossed in the film until the very end. I also began to ask myself questions after seeing the opening sequence which also contained credits, by telling the audience at the beginning who the directors were etc. As the film began the camera movements immediately gave the audience the impression that Clive Owen was going to be a main character as he was not worried as he walked into a busy café which was full of members of the public who looked very upset due to the death of the youngest person on the earth as this information was given from the news report which was being watched inside the café and the news reporters repeating “the death of the youngest person”, an this immediately gave me as the audience the impression that the film is likely to be an film which is likely to contain a lot of action. After Clive Owen left the café with his “black coffee” the camera showed the audience an image of a boy on a building, which made me begin to ask myself questions e.g. is this the youngest boy on earth?, This was followed by the camera immediately turning around and following Clive Owen until he stopped to put his coffee down as he poured something into his drink as I believe it was alcohol which is shortly followed by a massive explosion in the café where he had just been to purchase the coffee.

There has been the use of some music that has been used to create an image for the audience; to also create an emotional image as the use of music is used when the film shows the character (which is the youngest person in the world) Diego Ricardo. I believe as part of the audience the music that was used was really suitable and appropriate for the purpose of its use and really created an emotional feeling for the character Diego Ricardo.

The pace of the film is very slow, as I believed the reason for this was due to the amount of information the film was trying to get across to the audience and there fore the use of slow pace, would make it easier for the audience to understand what is going on in the film.

A narrative function which the director Alfonso Cuaron uses is when main character Clive Owen was being introduced, as he was shown as not interested about the death of the youngest person, compared to the rest of the public in London. Clive Owens response to the death compared to the rest of the public creates enigma, making the audience ask questions such as:

·      Reasons for his behaviour? (Uninterested)

·      What is planning to do?

·      Why is the camera focusing on him?

Possible questions which the audience may ask themselves like I did myself when watching the opening sequence were listed above. I believe the audience asking themselves questions, begins to make them more interested and make them feel like another character in the film, by thinking of what’s going to happen next.

The look of London which is given is dusty and looks run down outside, with the use of animated ads on the red buses which shows this is futuristic, as the colour of the busses and police uniform connotations britishness. We are shown that the date which is 16^th November 2027, as the London roads are very busy and congested which makes it look like a third world country. London looks completely different compared to today where it is dirtier which could possibly be due to the amount of vehicles etc. London also looked dark, dull and very miserable and this image was created by the graffiti on telephone boxes etc, which is not noticed today in 2010.

Movement of the camera was well used as it continuously followed Clive Owen as the use of the camera movement shows the audience he is a main character and helps us as the audience to understand what the film is trying to show us and also in this case I believe the use of the camera movement in this film was very good and helped me understand more about the characters view towards things and created enigma.

Overall as part of the audience I was very interested in the film from the moment the opening sequence begun, as it kept me interested from the questions I was asking myself, as I know I would have to continue watching the film to discover the answers to my questions. The beginning of the sequence which was very emotional due to the death of Diego Ricardo, made me want to also continue watching this film as I wanted to know whether the was some happy scenes in this film and to also see identify any new changed other than animated billboards etc by the year 2027. My image from the start was that the film could ONLY get better and the more I began to get interested in this film and intend to see the whole film soon.

 

Pillow Talk vs. Fringe Essay

How is Pillow Talk and Fringe different?

In this essay I will be comparing the difference between two extracts “Pillow Talk” and “Fringe”. I will look at the different ways, which both the extracts have been edited and compare the differences. Both extracts have used different techniques to make the film(s) more effective to its audience. Pillow Talk is an old fashioned film, in which the editing that has been used is very quick between scenes and also very basic. On the other hand Fringe is more of a modern film which is not as traditional as Pillow Talk and also have used better technology when recording the film as well as editing the extract which can easily be noticed when watching both films, as I also overall believe that both films have used different techniques as this has changed from time and I also believe that both the films were effective to its audience at the different times of release.

Pillow Talk is a comedy based on romance that was released in 1969 and was directed by Michael Gordon. The film is based on two characters as the film shows the relationship between the two, as at the beginning of the extract there is the build up, which is ended by both characters falling in love. Films are usually shorter than television programs such as Fringe, which also enables them to spend more time editing between episodes. This film is old fashioned and simple shots used as the film shows both characters as the camera is still whilst recording compared to Fringe that has camera movement which is more effective and also shows that it is modern compared to old-fashioned Pillow Talk.

Fringe is a television program that is shown to its audience as episodes that would be shown on a regular basis, e.g. daily, weekly etc. Television programs are longer then films which is also enables directors of Fringe J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, more time to organize different effects which can be used in different episodes to make their program more effective/interesting for their audience.  Fringe has used camera movement compared to Pillow Talk which has been recorded with no movement which is less effective nowadays with more and new technology which allows you to edit clips more effectively to make them look much better. Pillow Talk was unable to use the kind of technology like Fringe due to the time they were produced which overall shows the difference between the two extracts.

The pace within the two extracts vary during the scenes as I believe in Pillow Talk is much slower compared to Fringe which is a much quicker extract as it moves from scene to scene. Pillow Talk takes approximately twelve seconds between scenes unlike Fringe that takes approximately four seconds. I believe that the reason the pace is slower in the romantic film Pillow Talk is due to the camera focusing on the two characters as the purpose for this is to show the audience the love between the two characters from a dull relationship that becomes a stronger relationship between the characters by the end of the film. On the other hand Fringe is a television program which is more detailed and therefore this is the reason why the pace is quicker compared to Pillow Talk.

 I believe the audience’s responses were different from both extracts. Firstly I believe that at the time which Pillow Talk was released the audience was used to basic editing as at the this time (1950’s) the editing could not be as effective for the audience of Pillow Talk, unlike the audience for Fringe who were expecting quick scenes and the use of different camera angles and movements used to make the television program more effective for its audience.

Overall I believe that the use of editing and the different styles, which are now being used, compared to the 1950’s has now changed audiences expectations towards films and television programs as there is also more money spent to keep up to date with the latest technology to make sure that the editing can be made more effective as well as being able to keep a good pace between scenes which also keeps the audience engrossed whilst watching a film or television program, but believe that Pillow Talk and Fringe is due to the times when they were presented an also the different extracts e.g. film, television program.