Question 4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Another technology I used was YouTube. The reasons for using it was for the beginning of the course for the research which I done as a part of the early stages of the work and blogging. It was used so that I could research other trailers, look at the conventions of a thriller, and also get videos for my blog about the films which I had used to focus on for creating the trailer for my coursework. YouTube allowed me to access a large variety of film trailers and see what conventions would be ideal to use for my own film. I was also able to see the conventions of the other types of genres.

This is the logo for Blogger. This is one of the many technologies which I have used along with many others. I used this as a digital way of completing and presenting my A2 coursework as I did for my AS coursework last year. I used blogger to keep a record of my research and planning, and the decisions which had been discussed and made. Blogger was also used to show people what I have done for my coursework and it allowed me to get infomation and advice towards how I can improve my work, how i can gather more research, how to plan things better than I did with my AS work and to also state what I have done by putting theb evaluation onto my blog. Having everything online and to be accessed from anywhere helped me to complete tasked outside of my lessons, it also helped me to look at other blogs to see how they have done things to see if I can use any of it with improving my work or helping them to do better with their ideas etc. Using blogger also allowed me to use differnt forms of media to present work and insert different medias such as photos, videos etc.

This is the logo for Final Cut Express, this was used to edit the clips for the trailer, this was the programme we choose to use because we knew how to use it as best as we could and it also allowed us to complete editing that needed to be done to create and produce our trailer. The features which helped included; clip positioning, cutting clips, adding transistions, adding in texts etc. In our past tasks, we had never had any issues with editing, however, while in the process of completing the A2 trailer, we had some issues with the software which we needed to sort out as soon as possible as it was a last minute problem. This meant we needed to begin everything over again as when we opened it, it told us that the footage was not able to be seen whereas the sound continued to play.


This is iMovie. This helped us to create our trailer. This was the software which we used to edit the clips after the problems we had with Final Cut Express. The software gave us access to the same editing tools as Final Cut Express had. We had no problems with iMovie meaning that we had a good experience of using iMovie for the first time. Compared to Final Cut Express, it was less complicated even though it had the same features. Working out how iMovie works at last minute was hard to do, and the problem with Final Cut Express was one of the biggest problems we have dealt with in the production of our A2 work. However eventually we managed to complete it at high standards.





This is the logo for garage band. This is where we created the sound to put into our trailer. It gave us severial different options and instruments to choose from, we looked through them all and choose the ones we prefered which went with the synopsis. Once the tract was decided and created, we added it to the trailer by exporting it from garage band and then imported it to iMovie where the editing took place, this is when we was able to fit it in where we wanted and needed it to be going.

 

This is Photoshop. This is the program we used when needing to edit our images that were taken for both the magazine and the poster in order to make them appealing enough to allow us to create a successful promotional package for a film. We was able to remove anything we didnt want in the image, change the levels within the photos so they are better to look at and make the magazine and poster more effective as it draws them into reality as they look at it as the image were changed to suite the theme and film genre. We also completed simple edits that we found to remove things such as blemishes and unwanted marks. The reason for using this is because the making of a more visible keyhole shape within the poster image. This is easy to use, although things I have learnt in another lesson helped with my knowledge of how to use Photoshop. This caused me to know what I was doing to ensure that we got the best results from the images we took to be able to include in the magazine and poster, with turned out well then if we did not use this program.

 

 

Question 3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

When the products for the coursework had been completed, we published it onto social websites which allowed use to gather feedback both positive and negitive from people who are of the target audience age range. When asking them for their feedback, we also asked for the strentghs and weeknesses of out created products which were the Poster, Magazine and Trailer so that we could edit it to improve it to their satisfaction as they are the ones we are aiming to get the attention of to watch the film. The feedback was gethered from both the target range and older people, they all enjoyied the video, however, there was points made for improvements that could be made towards them in order to make it appeal to them more effectivly.

The feedback that was received from posting the main product, the trailer, onto facebook had received an idea amount of feedback stating the strenths, weeknesses and the improvement that could be included into the trailer. While reading every comment, we had taken them all into consideration however not all changes suggested were made due to our thoughts of it not benifiting the trailer.

With the Trailer, the feedback was very detailed that explained to us what we could do to improve it, which areas did not work as well as others within the trailer etc. Due to the feedback, we was able to then improve the trailer by using some of the suggested replies. Some of the replies included making minor changes and adjustments, although, the main suggestion was that we sorted out the music used in the film, the trailer needed the rating card and also the logos of each distribution used. Neither of these small changes had been sorted during the developing stage because of editing issue that occured causing us to have to start the editing process again from the beginning causing us to then forget to include the rating card and logos which are seens shown to be used within real media texts. After gaining feedback, we managed to find some time to include them. We also desided to change the music, in the orinal version, the music had a sudden pause with a scratching noice and voice-over, due to the fact we had technical issues we choose to use a different software meaning that the sudden pause was because we did not know how we could fade the music out and back in again. Because this issue was stated by the comments, we ended up using the internet to research how to do fading of music in iMovie. When discovering how it worked, we changed the end and beginning of the music by making them fade between the silence and the voiceover that was used in the original and the more resent version of the trailer. This comment was helpful to make the required corrections in order to improve the overall trailer outcome.

The magazinefeedback was the main thing which we gather information on, the main focus was the comment stating that there was not enoiugh stories to make a more convincing cover page. In order to make this correct, we included more stories onto the cover on both sides of the page. While doing this process, we needed to insure that there was not too many stories as it would over do what we needed to do to improve the cover. These new changed benifit our magazine cover because it allows it to be seen as a more typical and real cover to promote the film. When refering to the feedback, we changed our poster tagline as it was stating that the original one was unnessecery due to the idea that this girl was a target for the planned kidnap whereas refering to the film via the tagline suggested that it could of been anyone there at that time. This caused the change to something fitting the story more effectively as it went well with the storyline. While looking throught the feedback and taking it all into consideration, it was found useful and ideal to helping to make the work more relevant than previously as all the changes made refered to the ancillary products better causing a greater link to them and also all being seen as a professional making.

In conclusion to the feedback, it was very useful and helpful towards improving our work for the target audience as it is their opions are what count more than others as they are the people who we are aiming at and would be watching it. So due to their feedback, we have managed to improve our work for them. Their reviews on all of the products allowed us to know what the strenths were of our work and the weaknesses which were in need of improving. Once all of the improvements had been completed, we knew that it would be liked by people because the only improvements made were based on the feedback gathered. As soon as the feedback had been gathered and the corrections sorted, I began to feel more confident in all of the products which we had made and realised that it would be a success if it had been a real film with all 3 products making it a successful advertisement promoting the film that would be realised.

Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

For our A2 coursework, we was set the task of having to create and produce a promotional package which needed to include 3 different kinds of media:
                                                                     1. a trailer
                                                                     2. a poster
                                                                     3. a magazine cover
These three products are to promote a film which we will create a synopsis for. The main task is the trailer with the poster and cover being the ancillary tasks which are there to help promote the film, tests our skills in different media and also to go with the trailer to accomy it in promoting the film. The type of audience which we have chosen is a mass audience of people aged 16-25, we have decided this kind of audence because we believed that the storyline was more appropriate for a mass audience of that age range. Aiming it at a mass audience, it allows our film to be promoted more and better than a niche audience as this would attract more of an audience so that once it got released it would gain more of a profit due to a higher gaining income.

1. The Trailer:
                  The elements within the trailer which were successful included the different variety of shots which were taken and used. The reason for this being the success of the trailer is because the different shots each cause a different effect and cause the scenes they are used in to be shown in a more effective and productive way, which helps to get the audience to become drawn into the film more andget them to want to watch it as soon as possible. Another successful element of this included, the music. The reason for the music being a success is because at the beginning of the coursework, I had no idea how to do anything on garage band whereas during this year I have learnt how to use garage band to be able to create suitable and effective music which was then added onto the trailer.

 

 

2. The Poster
                  For this, the successful element was the images we took and used. These are the successful parts because for the image of our main character, she is looking away, which is based upon real media and also the fact that the setting is of where the main focus of the trailer is due to it is where the kidnapping took place. The other image was successful because of the way which it has been taken to go along with the films synopsis, we done this by using a keyhole frame cut out from a thick peice of wood with the camera side in black allowing it to blend with the image. We then got a light to place in the background so that the girl on the chair has a glow to her drawing attention to the poster especially to the girl. This links to the trailer because of the way which it shows she is trapped and helpless as in the trailer it shows that she has been kidnapped and has no phone to help her get hold of anyone who could help her escape or get someone to find a way of getting her back and justice is brought to the kidnapper due to this crime however it also shows she has no idea who is looking for her or if she is being looked for at all. This combination allows the audience to become concerned and worried about her and her welfare due to the unknown secrets within the film itself.

3. The Magazine
                  The successful part of this was the both the image and the layout. The image became a success because of the way in which it did not have any of the colours of the girl combine and blend into any of the other parts of the magazine, apart from the title although this was solved by placing a black boarder around the grey coloured writing above the film title. The layour was also a success because I had used photoshop to get the girl and 'Total Film' to go well by removing any white from where the backgrand was no all removed to be able to enable us to create an image with writing around it because if there was a white framed background, then the cover would have the sub-titles covered up causing it harder to see and also allows them to be as close as possible to make everything look as professional as possible. The layout was a success because of the way it relates to the cover for 'Jenifer's body' which has the white backgroung and the banner at the bottom had been focused on the cover of hunger games. The fact which none of the titles clached and the colour theme had been stuck with causing it to be notived bettter. This links to both bof the other product because of that way which you are able to see the person who gets kidnapped, however here she is as her character meaning that you can see she is in dark clothing causes people to pay attention to all of the products due to the audience wondering if she is either good or bad and just helping the kidnapper with what they did, when to do it although from what is seen in the trailer, there is nothing which could suggest this meaning that it could have been a possible plot twist which is not a unusual in a thriller film but is however unusual to occur hense why this was not part of the story ending yet still gets the audience thinking and asking questions as they are unaware of the films synopsis.

While making the package, we came accross some challeneging difficulties before finishing each of the products. The difficulty with the poster was that we found it hard to create a keyhole, the keyhole worked however the issue was that the black of the keyhole was hard to see due to the black and darkness of the image itself, we attemted to improve it by adjusting the level of lighting yet still did not work. We eventually discussed that the only way to solve this was to have a coloured outline along the edge of the keyhole, the colour we thought was suitable was the colour grey as it goes with the colour theme of the poster and stands out from the black. The grey colour links to the magazine, it is also a good convention of thrillers which was found out during research. When creating the outline, we needed to ensure that it was not too thick nor too thin as if it was too bold it would draw attention to the outline rather than all of the different features of the poster so to limit this happening we made it to be drawing as much attention as the rest of the poster. Once this was done to the ideal size and colour, we added it in allowing us to solve the first difficulty we came to. Another issue which we came accross was of the magazine, the difficulty here was the other images we had used on the original magazine cover, this was a difficulty as we was unable to used images from the internet however this was solved by being allowed to use the images from the other work created by other groups who where our fellow class mates. The final difficulty that caused the biggest issue was with the editing software which we was using to edit the trailer. We began by using Final Cut Express to edit the trailer by firstly putting all of the filming clips together before ordering and sorting them out, however, due to the technical issues with the footage showing as  'media offline' we was unable to change this showing up so to over come this we ended up agreeing on changing the software that we was using so that we could get the trailer completed without any further problems. This was when we changed from Final Cut Express to using iMovie instead allowing us to still be able to edit the footage in the same way as we began to previously without need to be concerned about any more technical faults happening as they had in Final Cut Express. iMovie gave us the opertunity to cut and adjust the options of each indiviual clip which we had placed where we wanted them and then cut them down at the exact times we wanted and needed them cut at to make it be the best we could make it be. This software change was a good choice for us as if we did not change it then we would of been unable to finish the trailer in time for the deadline. iMovie gave us no restrictions and allowed us to use the same editing tools as we would of in Final Cut Express.

Each of our products worked well together and linked as we wanted them to as a promotional package which made it be more effective when drawing and getting the attention of the target audience. I believe that working together to create the package would be good if it was to be created into a full lentgh film and then released for the target audience to watch.

Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

One of the shots which we had used in the trailer included used in the trailer was the long shot of someone running on a roof. We had done this at a low angle because it made the figure look dominant and cause the audience to feel intimidated. In order to get it steady and safe from the running figure, we placed the camera onto the roof. The intimidation the audience feel increases as the figure is running closer towards the camera lens, this is the kind of tension we was hoping for when the trailer is watched as it causes more interest into the film. This allows one of the conventions of a thriller be met due to the antagonist being hidden from everyone causing mystery and wonder on who it is and what is going on. We used the clips before the pace of the shots had increased because it allowed the tention to be build before the kidnap takes place. The use of the clip causes an instant atttraction towards wanting to see the film that the trailer is of. Another clip which has the same effect was a close up of someone running around on tree stumps which were hidden and small, the reason it was used in the same way as the previous shot was because of the way it also helped with the tention buld up. These two shots I have mentioned both hid the characters face meaning they would only find out who it is by watching the film and also what he is doing as they have only currently been shown in small amounts such as just their feet.  

 

The image of the phone shows that the friend 'Jane' is trying to call her kidnapped friend 'Beth', as shown in the shot on the right, due to being concerned for her wellbeing which leads to her looking for her later on. The close up was used to show the audience that during the kidnap, the phone was dropped and left meaning that Beth had no way of contacting or finding any help, making the audience have worry and concern for her making the tension be high and wondering gain more and more gradually as it continues on from the kidnapping. The low angle shot shows that she is an average person trying to find answers as she is level with the audience casuing them to feel a part of the film and experience the emotions behind the girl that has been kidnapped. This worked well for a thriller convention as there is sometimes something that is found before the person is either looked for or found.

The aim of these two shots was to cause the audience to think that she was either trying to run from someone or that she has found something and is trying to find her way to her friend. In the left image, the camera is a long shot and mid-shot as it is to show that Jane is still amonst the woods showing she is somewhere unsafe at this moment because she is still where her friend was when she got kidnapped. The idea that she looks both ways causes the audience to ask questions such as 'What is she looking for?' or 'What is going on? Has she seen something?' and other kinds of question causing them to wonder and be jubious as to what is currently occuring within the film meaning they would go and watch it in the cinema to get the answers for them questions, or would they?! The shot to the right shows she is running off down a pathway on the edge of the woods, this again would cause questions as they dont know why she is running and why she is still in the woods and hadnt left the woods yet, this also could get them thinking that it is a big woods and she could be in danger as the sun is now setting and the kidnapper may be anywhere within the woods if they have not yet left with Beth.

Below is the appearance of the title, this appears after the audence has seen Jane run down the path with the sun shining at her. The reason for putting the title after that clip is because of the sun shining linking with the transition we have used to show what the film is called so that the audence know and can watch it when it is realised. Its font is made clear and readable to ensure that all kinds of views are able to read what the film is called due to it not being read out to them with a voice-over as there is no talking apart from around the kidnapping scene.

Magazine Covers

Magazine Covers:

  To do the research into magazine covers, I began to look into the 2 main film magazine companies, Total Film and Empire. I researched them both by being able to compare how they both create an intriguing and appealing layout to get people to be drawn to buying the magazine and also to watch the film to understand how the background relates to the film they are focused on. The composition of LeonardoDicaprio as the main character of Inception is central with him being in front of the title of the film. The colour of the film title is the same colour as the magazine cover. The colour theme consists of a max of 4 colours, on Total Film the colour theme is red, silver, white and black whereas Empire only has 3 colours which are red, black and white. This shows that the colours that relate to the film better as they both have red, white and black in common with each other. The layout of the subheading is simple on Total Film although there is a font to make it relate well. The layout with Empire is different to the usual layout of magazines as this one has it leaning downwards into the city which is being used as the background as it is a high long shot which has been used. Both magazines have the character looking away from the camera to make it look more interesting as it leaves people looking at it wondering what it going on and what he is looking at. This will help with the magazine for our coursework as it will help think about the kind of picture which will be used and the best layout we can use to make it go well and be appealing to the target audience. However this will be considered once other covers by Total Film have been researched as that it the magazine we are going with for our magazine cover as they keep things simple and turns out effective and appealing to anyone who it may appeal to. 

Locations

While in the plnning process of the triler, we discussed loctions and came up with hving 3 different locations to film in. We ensured the actors could access it easily and that the conditions were suitble and relate to both the research and the genre. The three loctions were:

1. Foxburrow Woods.

This is a large wooded area where we can use as much spce as we want to for the clips that would take plce within the woods. Before we filmed we ensured it was safe and tht it was not muddy and slippery when we film to make sure that everyone will be safe. This location is a large wooded area which will allow us plenty of space to filming in different locations within the woods. Before filming at this location we will need to make sure that it is safe. Due to wet weather conditions, we will need to make sure that the location is not to muddy and slippery to film in. preferably we will choose to film on dry days to make filming safer all together.

2. Streets based around Tyler Drive.

This is where we will be showing shots of the characters walking as it is towards and near the woods where the majority of our filming will be done. Different shot will be taken when filming this to minimise how much of the surroundings we capture as it is unnecessary to include the surroundings and  to make sure that cars do not get in the way of the shots taken.

3.   House/Cafe

We have chosen this location as it will show the characters in their normal day-to-day life before the kidnapping had occured. The are no specific places for this as it can be done anywhere as long as they are both in different places as they will be arranging to be meeting up. 

Our Poster Idea

This is the original poster idea which would have the two main characters at the top of the poster looking away from the camera to show they are worried and in a rush to look for the missing girl. The girl that gets kidnapped (Nikki who plays Brooke) is at the bottom of the poster as a silhouette under a spotlight like lighting through a keyhole as in the story synopsis the girls looking for ‘Brooke’ one of them look through the keyhole to see if she is in there but they see a different girl instead which isn't ‘Brooke’. The title in the middle is based on the poster from Taken as it makes the title stand out and makes the separation from the two different images. The colours scheme of dark blue, white and black was chosen for this as the majority of posters we have looked at have approx. 3 different colours which they have used in most of their different posters.

Due to issues with casting, we are having to change the top of the poster because we are only able to use 1 character which finds her as the previous people who agreed to participate in doing the role had backed out of it an hour before we had set to do the filming causing there to be issues with our set production schedule. However we have now got a permanent cast as we have the new replacement, the kidnapper and ‘Brooke’. Although the title of the film is also having to be changed as we researched the name to ensure that it wasn’t used already which doing the research we found out that it is a film which has already been released. We have a lot to reconsider however we are still able to keep the plan we have for the poster, just including changes and working around any issues which have already or could happen again.