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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
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Sunday, 10 April 2016
Evaluation - Question 1
Evaluation Question 1 from Luke Tiplady
EDIT: I plan to add 9 key moments, similar to Art of the Title, to the end of the slideshare next time I have access to my opening sequence on a school computer.
EDIT: I plan to add 9 key moments, similar to Art of the Title, to the end of the slideshare next time I have access to my opening sequence on a school computer.
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Filming - Free Full 1st Edit
This is my edit for 'Free'; however I plan on adding additional opening credits, a mixture of 'found credits' and text credits. I would also like to add some audio to the beginning to the clip, as I am not a fan of the complete silence. Furthermore, I struggled with various audio issues with the loud wind in some scenes. I decided to re-shoot a portion of my opening sequence because the initial cut was not complete and had multiple problems with audio. I felt as if this shoot was more successful, despite losing an actor.
Friday, 12 February 2016
Filming #2 - Rough Edit of 1st Scene
This is the footage I captured on my second day of filming. However, after some comments were made about potential improvements, I plan to add addtional shots as I feel as if I could cover more credits using the 'found-credits' method. Overall, I believe this seesion of filming went well and had little obstacles. I also my consider adding some form of audio to the beginning of the sequence as I feel as if it may be odd completely silent.
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Filming #2
I feel as if my second day of filming went well; in this session I filmed the first half of my opening sequence. This involved my main protagonist waking up from sleep and making his way to the drug deal. I encountered few problems this time round, proving to be a successful day. However, in light of some comments made in this section I decided to edit the cut slightly and add in more shots I had taken. This session was shot in my house as it proved to be a suitable location for my character's home. My actor had access to food and drink between shots to keep comfort at a maximum. Overall, a good day.
Sunday, 7 February 2016
Research - Locations
The first location I used for my opening sequence was my bedroom. I felt as if this was a suitable location for my character as he is a teenage male, like myself. The scence shows my character waking up and getting ready to leave for the drug deal. I thought this would be the most appropriate place to film my scene as some of the items I already own made for good props (ie. Record Player).
There were little interruptions during filming; however lighting was an inital difficulty. The light in my room created a orange tint, so instead I drew my blinds which created a good natural light. My main protagonist lives very close to me, so travelling was not an issue in this session of filming.
Following this, the character heads down my stairs and into the porch. A natural light through the transluscent door windows was created which allowed for good visibility. There is an additional shot later in the scene which shows Liam leaving the hosue through the front door seen in the picture.
Friday, 5 February 2016
Filming #1 - 1st Rough Edit
This was the footage I captured from my day of filming, which was riddled with misfortune. This is not the actual beginning of my opening sequence, however, I decided I would film the actual start on a separate day to accommodate my actor's timetable. I plan to fill the silence with non-diegetic music, Made of Stone by The Stone Roses. This music will then decrease in volume whilst the actors are speaking, but will still play. The snow in the edit makes for poor continuity and I plan to correct this when I film this weekend. In addition to this, the strong wind created much difficulty with the audio. Next time I plan to record the audio on my iPhone then match it with the clip. I also recognise some issues with audio transitions; the background noise cuts heavily, I plan to combat this issue through decreasing the audio of the various noises. The end of the clip shows one of the actors extend his arm to commence the exchange, this was the point in which my camera's battery died. I was able to capture some remaining footage on my phone, albeit to a very poor standard.
Saturday, 30 January 2016
Filming #1
Had a bit of a disastrous day with filming today. Me and 3 of my friends got the bus into Durham City Center; we found that the place I wanted to film, the abandoned palladium, had been boarded up. Luckily I had a second location in mind to film. When we arrived at the location, a car park, it began to snow during filming. The frequent stopping and starting of the snow caused odd continuity in shots. To top it all off, half way through filming the camera I was using ran out of battery and required charge. I then had to improvise and use my phone camera. I plan to go to the same location and film again next week, hopefully without any irritating obstacles.
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Research - Script 'Free'
Free
[Shot opens with tracking of main protagonist, Liam, from his foot to head in bed. Liam wakes up and reads a text off Malki, his drug dealer, asking him where he's at as they were supposed to meet for an exchange. Liam then puts The Stone Roses, Made of Stone on his record player whilst he quickly gets ready]
[Action Match of Liam placing the needle on the vinyl]
Liam: Ah, shit I'm late!
[Camera quickly follows Liam downstairs and then into the kitchen where the opening credits are seen. Similar to Napoleon Dynamite, various objects such as phones, flour (cocaine) will spell out the names of crew. Cut to over-the-shoulder high angle shot looking down onto Liam's phone as he scrolls through his texts revealing more names of crew. Liam then exits the house, action match on the door handle and other side of the door]
[Still shots of various alleys/scenery of Durham City, one showing Liam approaching the meet-up location]
[Over-the-shoulder shot behind Malki and Boost as Liam approaches]
[Made of Stone remains in the background, now non-diegetic]
Malki: Where've you been, dick'ead?
Boost: We've been here ages, it's freezing man.
Liam: Alright, alright, I were in bed. Have you got the stuff then?
Malki: 'Course I do. You got the money?
Liam: Wey, whaddya take is for?
Boost: Just give us the money we 'ant got time for this man.
[Made of Stone continues, accompanied by non-diegetic narration]
[Various shots capturing the rest of the drug deal. Action match on the drugs. Long Shot used around a nearby corner]
Liam: I never used to live this sort'uv life. Y'know drugs 'nd that. I used to stick in at school like me mam told 'es to. I were good in every class, even German, and we know how shit that is. But then I got the taste for it. All me mates did it I thought there were no harm in me doing it 'anarl. But then a got addicted. No money left. No education. I were lost. But I found peace in me gear. Just to sit at home and stick some tunes on, y'know. But me addiction... I know it's getting out 'uv hand. But. I. Feel. So. Free.
[Non-diegetic music fades]
[Shot fades to black]
Malki: He's give us fake fuckin' notes! Get 'im Boost.]
[Non-Diegetic gunshot]
[Shot opens with tracking of main protagonist, Liam, from his foot to head in bed. Liam wakes up and reads a text off Malki, his drug dealer, asking him where he's at as they were supposed to meet for an exchange. Liam then puts The Stone Roses, Made of Stone on his record player whilst he quickly gets ready]
[Action Match of Liam placing the needle on the vinyl]
Liam: Ah, shit I'm late!
[Camera quickly follows Liam downstairs and then into the kitchen where the opening credits are seen. Similar to Napoleon Dynamite, various objects such as phones, flour (cocaine) will spell out the names of crew. Cut to over-the-shoulder high angle shot looking down onto Liam's phone as he scrolls through his texts revealing more names of crew. Liam then exits the house, action match on the door handle and other side of the door]
[Still shots of various alleys/scenery of Durham City, one showing Liam approaching the meet-up location]
[Over-the-shoulder shot behind Malki and Boost as Liam approaches]
[Made of Stone remains in the background, now non-diegetic]
Malki: Where've you been, dick'ead?
Boost: We've been here ages, it's freezing man.
Liam: Alright, alright, I were in bed. Have you got the stuff then?
Malki: 'Course I do. You got the money?
Liam: Wey, whaddya take is for?
Boost: Just give us the money we 'ant got time for this man.
[Made of Stone continues, accompanied by non-diegetic narration]
[Various shots capturing the rest of the drug deal. Action match on the drugs. Long Shot used around a nearby corner]
Liam: I never used to live this sort'uv life. Y'know drugs 'nd that. I used to stick in at school like me mam told 'es to. I were good in every class, even German, and we know how shit that is. But then I got the taste for it. All me mates did it I thought there were no harm in me doing it 'anarl. But then a got addicted. No money left. No education. I were lost. But I found peace in me gear. Just to sit at home and stick some tunes on, y'know. But me addiction... I know it's getting out 'uv hand. But. I. Feel. So. Free.
[Non-diegetic music fades]
[Shot fades to black]
Malki: He's give us fake fuckin' notes! Get 'im Boost.]
[Non-Diegetic gunshot]
Friday, 8 January 2016
Research - Prop List
Props
- Liam's Costume
Harrington Jacket
White T-Shirt
Jeans
- Fraser's Costume
Smart Shirt
Jeans
Trainers
- Luke's Costume
Zipped Up Coat
Tracksuit Bottoms
Trainers
- Record Player & Vinyl
- Small Bag Containing Oregano (to mimic appearance of marijuana)
- Small Bag Containing Flour (to mimic appearance of Cocaine)
- 2 iPhones
- House Keys
- £20 Note
- Liam's Costume
Harrington Jacket
White T-Shirt
Jeans
- Fraser's Costume
Smart Shirt
Jeans
Trainers
- Luke's Costume
Zipped Up Coat
Tracksuit Bottoms
Trainers
- Record Player & Vinyl
- Small Bag Containing Oregano (to mimic appearance of marijuana)
- Small Bag Containing Flour (to mimic appearance of Cocaine)
- 2 iPhones
- House Keys
- £20 Note
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Research - Representation, Audience and Institution
Audience
My title sequence has one main protagonist: a 17 year old male. His role will be teen leading a life of crime and drug abuse. My key demographic will be males in the age range of 15-25. I have chosen this becuase I believe the age of the protagonist, and the entirity of the cast, will mostly appeal to this demographic. I feel as if this audience will be able to sympathize with the protagonist and relate to him. Through my research I have discovered that this is generally the audience age range in 'Coming-of-age British crime flicks'. My protagonist will be represented as a rebellious youth going down a path of crime, as this is seen often in british crime films such as, 'This is England'.
I believe my film would primarily appeal to a British audience as they would be most able to relate to the story/setting. In addittion to this, the terminology/dialect used would appeal mostly to a niche audience because of their understanding of the dialogue, I think this would create a sense of social solidarity with the audience. I feel as if my opening sequence would be accessible to all ethnicities, but primarily White caucasian.
Institution
After doing research on websites such as IMDB and Wikipedia, I have decided my film will be produced by Film4 Productions, who have produced many youth-oriented films such as 'Trainspotting', 'Attack on the Block', 'The Inbetweeners Movie' and 'Gangstar No.1' and are well-known for producing UK-based films. I would like my film to be distributed by Miramax as they are closely linked to many crime films such as, 'Pulp Fiction', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Gangstars of New York' and 'Trainspotting'. I feel as if these film institutions fit well with the opening sequence I want to create.
Age Certificate
My film would have a 15 certificate as this fits the demographic I'd be aiming for. It would contain drugs and strong language, not suitable for anybody younger.
My title sequence has one main protagonist: a 17 year old male. His role will be teen leading a life of crime and drug abuse. My key demographic will be males in the age range of 15-25. I have chosen this becuase I believe the age of the protagonist, and the entirity of the cast, will mostly appeal to this demographic. I feel as if this audience will be able to sympathize with the protagonist and relate to him. Through my research I have discovered that this is generally the audience age range in 'Coming-of-age British crime flicks'. My protagonist will be represented as a rebellious youth going down a path of crime, as this is seen often in british crime films such as, 'This is England'.
I believe my film would primarily appeal to a British audience as they would be most able to relate to the story/setting. In addittion to this, the terminology/dialect used would appeal mostly to a niche audience because of their understanding of the dialogue, I think this would create a sense of social solidarity with the audience. I feel as if my opening sequence would be accessible to all ethnicities, but primarily White caucasian.
Institution
After doing research on websites such as IMDB and Wikipedia, I have decided my film will be produced by Film4 Productions, who have produced many youth-oriented films such as 'Trainspotting', 'Attack on the Block', 'The Inbetweeners Movie' and 'Gangstar No.1' and are well-known for producing UK-based films. I would like my film to be distributed by Miramax as they are closely linked to many crime films such as, 'Pulp Fiction', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Gangstars of New York' and 'Trainspotting'. I feel as if these film institutions fit well with the opening sequence I want to create.
Age Certificate
My film would have a 15 certificate as this fits the demographic I'd be aiming for. It would contain drugs and strong language, not suitable for anybody younger.
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