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Thursday, 12 May 2016
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Evaluation - Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at previous tasks, such as the preliminary, I feel as if I have improved in my knowledge of various technologies and terms. In addition to this, I feel like my ability to handle a camera and the editing process. Also, I feel like the content of my blog posts is much more descriptive and imaginative as oppose to the start of the course. Before beginning the AS Media course, I had never used an editing software such as Adobe Premiere CS6; though now I believe I have an extensive knowledge of the programme. The first assignment we were set was to shoot a range of shots to practice and showcase our ability; the shots weren't of a high standard due to my new experience,however this helped very much with the learning process. This task allowed me to become familiar with the equipment and the software that I would be using for the remainder of the course. This experience allowed me to experiment with various shots and techniques for the production of my final piece.
After this initial task we were given a multitude of tasks, such as the script project, that would further help me in my learning and expand my knowledge of techniques that could be implemented in my final piece, Free. These preliminary task that built up to the final piece were extremely helpful as each one taught a different aspect/technique that could be applied to the product; continuity, script and a storyboard task.
Things I would do differently
Looking back at previous tasks, such as the preliminary, I feel as if I have improved in my knowledge of various technologies and terms. In addition to this, I feel like my ability to handle a camera and the editing process. Also, I feel like the content of my blog posts is much more descriptive and imaginative as oppose to the start of the course. Before beginning the AS Media course, I had never used an editing software such as Adobe Premiere CS6; though now I believe I have an extensive knowledge of the programme. The first assignment we were set was to shoot a range of shots to practice and showcase our ability; the shots weren't of a high standard due to my new experience,however this helped very much with the learning process. This task allowed me to become familiar with the equipment and the software that I would be using for the remainder of the course. This experience allowed me to experiment with various shots and techniques for the production of my final piece.
After this initial task we were given a multitude of tasks, such as the script project, that would further help me in my learning and expand my knowledge of techniques that could be implemented in my final piece, Free. These preliminary task that built up to the final piece were extremely helpful as each one taught a different aspect/technique that could be applied to the product; continuity, script and a storyboard task.
Things I would do differently
- I would have liked to have organised my time better, I often found I was struggling to work around my actors' filming availability. This sometimes caused me to fall short on deadlines and struggle to edit.
- I would also like to have taken more shots of each scene so I could have a variety of shots and angles to choose from when editing. This would allow for a greater range of improvements without having to go out on-scene filming.
- In addition to this, I would have also liked to include a greater variety of shots and angles in my scenes to allow for an extended use of my camera ability. Moreover, I would have like to make my shots, especially those on tri-pods, much more steady to give it a more professional look.
- The audio also proved to be a frequent issue, so I would make it clearer by utilizing an external microphone to achieve better sound.
- Finally, I would definitely go back and improve the standard/organisation of my blog in the lead-up to my final piece.
Overall, I am very pleased without the outcome of my final piece and I learnt a lot of skills along the course which can be applied in the A2 section.
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Evaluation - Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your product?
Hardware
I used a Canon PowerShot SX510
to film my piece, and as a beginner to camerwork I found it easy to operate. The camera had a very light weight and instructions were made clear on-screen to help me film. The overall quality of the shots were very good, considering the camera's size. The quality was sharp, clear and performed well with natural lighting. The only problem I did encounter, however, was the audio; I found battling with the wind sound on some shots to be difficult. This issue was most evident in shots that took place in the car park:
In addition to this, I also used a tri-pod for a majority of the still shots. I found the tri-pod to be very useful as the length of the legs could be altered to suit most shots. I found the tri-pod to be useful when filming moving shots; I used the tri-pod to essentially replicate a stedi-cam. This proved to be very useful as just holding the camera itself resulted in shakey footage. The tri-pod was a suitable size and could be used flexibly during filming. However, a problem I did frequently encounter was the stiffness of the panning lever; this led to some shots being stuttered. This, however, didn't greatly effect the quality of the shots. Another method to combat this issue was to cut down the shots; more often than not, the stiffness was visble at the beginning or end of the shot, thus allowing it to be cut. Despite this issue, I felt as if the tri-pod was a vital piece of equipment for my final piece. It allowed me to achieve shots that would have proved difficult without it.
This is a shot from my final piece in which I utilized a pan shot. I cut the first couple of seconds from this shit to combat the stiffness of the pan lever.
In this shot I used the tri-pod to replicate a stedi-cam. This proved useful as it kept the camera steady whilst I was following the character.
Software
For software, I used Adobe Premier Pro CS6 to
edit my piece. I found the editing software easy to use as I had previously used it for other projects, such as the preliminary task. I improved my ability to edit through the use of this software and learnt many things. Effects such as transitions and audio manipulation were very useful. However, despite the large amount of effects there were available, I used very few. I did this because I wanted to keep the mise-en-scene, lighting and setting as ordinary/realistic as possible. I used very few sound effects throughout my clip as I didn't see them as necessary additions for my piece. I did, however, used a song in the background of my final piece. The song added was 'Made of Stone' by The Stone Roses; I chose this song because it linked closely to the time period I took inspiration from and I felt as if it fit well with the main protagonist.
A shot that was particularly proud of was the the long-duration shot of the character walking into the kitchen and find 'Miramax' spelt out in flour, to simulate the appearance of cocaine. I liked the idea behind using the 'found credits' next week as it appears organic and natural.
Another shot I liked was when the protagonist was walking down the stairs and light was behind his head. I like the idea of the light behind symbolising that he is pure, perhaps innocent, but he is making his descent down the stairs suggesting his decline into drug abuse.
What would I do differently?
I think I would use a greater variety of shots in my final piece, as I think I could have used more. I also wish I had been better with my actor management because I would sometimes found that I was working different times in around them, which proved to be complicated. One actor had to drop out of the final piece, however I improvised and had my other actor use some of his lines.
Limitations
My biggest limitation was shooting when my actors were available. Both actors were quite busy with football and various other extra-curricular activities when I was available to shoot; however this problem was overcome. The entirety of the outdoor shots were filmed on two seperate days, one successful and the other, not so much. I would have liked to include a scene in which the drug dealer uses a pistol to shoot the protagonist. However, this couldn't be shot because I struggled to get a hold of a prop weapon. In the end I didn't include this scene in the conclusion of my piece.
Hardware
I used a Canon PowerShot SX510
to film my piece, and as a beginner to camerwork I found it easy to operate. The camera had a very light weight and instructions were made clear on-screen to help me film. The overall quality of the shots were very good, considering the camera's size. The quality was sharp, clear and performed well with natural lighting. The only problem I did encounter, however, was the audio; I found battling with the wind sound on some shots to be difficult. This issue was most evident in shots that took place in the car park:
In addition to this, I also used a tri-pod for a majority of the still shots. I found the tri-pod to be very useful as the length of the legs could be altered to suit most shots. I found the tri-pod to be useful when filming moving shots; I used the tri-pod to essentially replicate a stedi-cam. This proved to be very useful as just holding the camera itself resulted in shakey footage. The tri-pod was a suitable size and could be used flexibly during filming. However, a problem I did frequently encounter was the stiffness of the panning lever; this led to some shots being stuttered. This, however, didn't greatly effect the quality of the shots. Another method to combat this issue was to cut down the shots; more often than not, the stiffness was visble at the beginning or end of the shot, thus allowing it to be cut. Despite this issue, I felt as if the tri-pod was a vital piece of equipment for my final piece. It allowed me to achieve shots that would have proved difficult without it.
This is a shot from my final piece in which I utilized a pan shot. I cut the first couple of seconds from this shit to combat the stiffness of the pan lever.
In this shot I used the tri-pod to replicate a stedi-cam. This proved useful as it kept the camera steady whilst I was following the character.
Software
For software, I used Adobe Premier Pro CS6 to
edit my piece. I found the editing software easy to use as I had previously used it for other projects, such as the preliminary task. I improved my ability to edit through the use of this software and learnt many things. Effects such as transitions and audio manipulation were very useful. However, despite the large amount of effects there were available, I used very few. I did this because I wanted to keep the mise-en-scene, lighting and setting as ordinary/realistic as possible. I used very few sound effects throughout my clip as I didn't see them as necessary additions for my piece. I did, however, used a song in the background of my final piece. The song added was 'Made of Stone' by The Stone Roses; I chose this song because it linked closely to the time period I took inspiration from and I felt as if it fit well with the main protagonist.
A shot that was particularly proud of was the the long-duration shot of the character walking into the kitchen and find 'Miramax' spelt out in flour, to simulate the appearance of cocaine. I liked the idea behind using the 'found credits' next week as it appears organic and natural.
What would I do differently?
I think I would use a greater variety of shots in my final piece, as I think I could have used more. I also wish I had been better with my actor management because I would sometimes found that I was working different times in around them, which proved to be complicated. One actor had to drop out of the final piece, however I improvised and had my other actor use some of his lines.
Limitations
My biggest limitation was shooting when my actors were available. Both actors were quite busy with football and various other extra-curricular activities when I was available to shoot; however this problem was overcome. The entirety of the outdoor shots were filmed on two seperate days, one successful and the other, not so much. I would have liked to include a scene in which the drug dealer uses a pistol to shoot the protagonist. However, this couldn't be shot because I struggled to get a hold of a prop weapon. In the end I didn't include this scene in the conclusion of my piece.
Monday, 25 April 2016
Friday, 22 April 2016
Evaluation - Question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
When making my opening sequence, I always kept the target audience in mind. For ‘Free’ the intended target audience was teenagers, specifically those of ages 15-19. Allowing for a suitable window in the box office to make money as 15+ is a common certificate. This also allows me to use specific representations for the audience to relate to. Though by making the film a 15 age rating, it thus narrows the audience, but only slightly. The themes of violence and crime will, however, widens the target audience. With ‘Miramax’ distributing the film, it allows the film to reach a greater amount of audiences. The films below were distributed by Miramax:
The reason I chose 15 for my age certificate was because of the imitable themes and behaviours. I found during my research, that 15 was a common certificate in the crime genre. Some, however, were given an 18 rating due to the more frequent use of strong language and violent themes. Though, an issue with creating a 15 film is that it isolates the other half of the audience; the younger generation. Thus potentially damaging the admission sales. However, my target audience is between the ages of 15-19. I feel as if my film will typically be watched by males, as they are often more inclined to watch movies of this genre, whilst females would rather watch romance or comedies.
When making my opening sequence, I always kept the target audience in mind. For ‘Free’ the intended target audience was teenagers, specifically those of ages 15-19. Allowing for a suitable window in the box office to make money as 15+ is a common certificate. This also allows me to use specific representations for the audience to relate to. Though by making the film a 15 age rating, it thus narrows the audience, but only slightly. The themes of violence and crime will, however, widens the target audience. With ‘Miramax’ distributing the film, it allows the film to reach a greater amount of audiences. The films below were distributed by Miramax:
The reason I chose 15 for my age certificate was because of the imitable themes and behaviours. I found during my research, that 15 was a common certificate in the crime genre. Some, however, were given an 18 rating due to the more frequent use of strong language and violent themes. Though, an issue with creating a 15 film is that it isolates the other half of the audience; the younger generation. Thus potentially damaging the admission sales. However, my target audience is between the ages of 15-19. I feel as if my film will typically be watched by males, as they are often more inclined to watch movies of this genre, whilst females would rather watch romance or comedies.
My target audience profile would consist of a 17 year old male, who has interests in the following genres; crime, thriller and coming-of-age.
Monday, 18 April 2016
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