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?

 

 Above is a video for my preliminary task.  Since my filming of the preliminary task, I feel I have made progress and developed my understanding of editing and camerawork during the process of making the final product of my film 'The Vengeance.'  Some key areas in which I feel I have improved on include: continuity editing, flow, editing to make the meaning clear, framing composition, variety of shots and finally the use of sound.

 

  Firstly, one area which I have developed is the continuity editing.  My preliminary task involved making a short video from a Casualty episode, which included continuity and one of the ways in which I tried to portray continuity is through the use of match on action.  For example, match on action can be seen when the characters of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' enter the room.  To carry out a match on action shot, the first scene that had to be filmed was when the characters turn around the corner into the frame, the second scene was when 'Jordan' opens the door handle and the last scene was when the two characters came through the door (see screen shot above).  Once these three shots were filmed, I then had to edit the footage using Final Cut Pro to portray the continuity of the scene.  Once I had completed a rough cut of the whole preliminary task, I found that the door scene didn't fit very well as one shot showed the door opened half way and the other shot showed the door not even half open.  Therefore, I had to edit this scene a few times to make sure that it looked good in portraying the continuity of the scene.  However, even after the final edit, looking back, I still feel that the match on action scene looks too staged and over emphasised.

 

  In the final cut of my final product 'The Vengeance,' I also used match on action at the end of the scene to try to make the scene look tense and choppy.  In the screen shot on the right, you can see that I have used more shots to have one big match on action scene.  Using more shots makes the continuity even more apparent because the action looks like it is all happening in one sequence.  Also, in juxtaposition to the preliminary task, the full product looks less staged and portrays more urgency and speed in the scene which makes the overall effect more tense.  The preliminary task, on the other hand, makes the scene look slow and dragged out in comparison.  Therefore, not only have I developed my understanding of continuity through the use of match on action, I have also managed to been able to demonstrate my progress in the full product and have also learnt how to alter the continuity to create an overall effect (in this case creating an overall effect of tension by editing the scenes to make them flow at a faster pace).

 

  Another area in which I have developed since my preliminary task is that of the 'flow.'  In my preliminary task, I was able to portray a perceived 'flow' by editing the shots together so that they matched together and carried on well.  However, looking back at the preliminary task, it is clear that the 'flow' isn't quite apparent throughout the whole task.  For example, in two scenes, there is a jump cut where one shot has been filmed and then a second shot has been filmed which is supposed to carry on from the first but there are some changes either in body language from the characters or a different camera height, angle etc.  This causes a jump which ruins the continuity as it is then obvious to the audience that the two scenes have been filmed separately and then put together in the editing stage.  This can be seen in the two screen shots in the top left which shows the change in the first and second shot.  The top screen shot shows a change in camera angle and change in the body language of the two characters seen in the shot.  The bottom screen shot shows a change in all the character's body language.  Although this looks subtle when comparing the two screen shots, when it is viewed in the context of the whole episode, it spoils the flow and continuity of the task. 

 

  Furthermore, another area in the preliminary task where the 'flow' is lost can be seen in the screen shot on the right where I tried to use a reaction shot.  However, the reaction is slow and isn't edited 'tighly' enough for it to flow on from what is said.  This makes the scene look staged and drags a little.

 

  In contrast, the final product of my film flows a lot better than in my preliminary task.  One area where the flow is good has already previously been mentioned when I used match on action.  Another scene in the film where the flow is also good is the car scene when girl 1 drives past the camera and  then the camera pans around to show the killer following in the second car.  This could have been filmed in two shots but as the second shot follows straight on from the first shot, I decided to film this using a panning shot so that there were no jumps to emphasise the flow and continuity.  The scenes that follow on from this also flow well such as when the killer watches girl 1 leaving the car to go to the party and then when the killer steps out of the car to follow her.  The way these shots are edited makes them flow well because it is clear to the audience that the killer is looking for a victim.  If these scenes were jumpy, the audience could be distracted by this and their attention could be diverted from the storyline.  Therefore, as regards the flow of the filming, I have been able to demonstrate my progress from the jump shots in the preliminary task to the smooth flow and transitions in the different scenes in my full product.  Also, I have been able to use 'flow' effectively in order to make the scenes look continuous but also to help the audience to understand the storyline better.

 

  Editing to make the meaning clear is another development I have made since the preliminary task.  For the most part, the meaning of the preliminary task is quite clear as it is mostly based on dialogue and therefore the audience is able to make sense of the scene through the speech.  However, there is one scene where there is no dialogue but rather, there is just a camera shot with of a phone with a reaction shot showing the reaction of 'Jordan' to what has been shown by 'Dean' (as can be seen in the screen shot on the right).  In this shot, it is unclear as to why the character of 'Jordan' reacts to what is seen on the phone.  One way in which the meaning could have been made clearer is by adding some speech.  Alternatively, I could have used a different camera shot when showing the phone to make it clearer as to what is being shown as the lighting also makes the phone unclear.  This shows how important editing to make the meaning clear is because if this happens a lot throughout a long episode, the audience could start to lose interest if the can't make sense of what is happening.

 

  When it came to making my film 'The Vengeance,' I had to make sure that the aspect of editing to make the meaning clear was a top priority as there was only one line of dialogue throughout the whole of the opening scene.  It was essential, therefore, that I ensured that the meaning was made clear in other ways as the audience wouldn't be able to make much sense of the whole opening from just one line of dialogue.  For example, in the car scene, I had to make it clear that the killer was following girl 1 into the party to find the others.  To make this clear, I edited the different shots so that it looked like the killer was actually following her.  As can seen in the screen shot on the left, I made sure that shots such as point of view were used to show the perspective of the killer and then I edited shots of the killer stepping out of the car and the walking up the driveway.  Therefore, since completing my preliminary task, I have been able to edit my work in order for the meaning to be clear by putting different shots together to drive the storyline and plot.

 

  Framing compositon is a feature that I have been able to develop from my preliminary task to my full product.  In the preliminary task, some of the framing composition didn't look effective and even looked amateur.  An example of this can be seen in the screen shot on the right where the characters of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' come through the door and then sit at the table.  However, as can be seen in the screen shot, when 'Dean' goes to sit down, she is almost completely out of the shot and the scene just shows the door.  This is poor framing composition as it completely cuts out any action.  One way in which I could have changed this is by refilming either from a different angle so that the scene can be continuous from when the two characters enter and sit down.  Another way in which I could have changed this is by filming using a panning shot so that the camera moves with the main characters so that they are not out of sight.  Apart from this one mistake, the framing composition was quite good but wan't used for any particular effect.  For example, when the character of 'Jordan' is stood up, I could have filmed from a lower angle so that his figure takes up most of the screen to make him look authoritative.

 

  Nevertheless, when it came to making the full product, I was able to use framing composition well in order to have an effect on the audience.  For example, in the scene where the killer is in the car following girl 1, I used a tracking shot of the first car and then the second car but when filming the second car, it was from a lower angle (as can be seen in the screen shot on the right).  The overall effect of composing the frame in this way is that it makes the identity of the killer a mystery and also makes the killer look more imposing as he is usually above the camera.  Other shots where I have used this framing compostion include when the killer steps out of the car, when he walks up the driveway and when he enters the house.  All of these shots have been framed to make the character of the killer sophisticated and mysterious as the audience won't be able to see much of him.  Therefore, since my preliminary task, I have not only understood how bad framing compostion can make the scene look wrong, I have also been able to demonstrate in my full product how I can use framing composition to have an effect on the audience and alter their opinion of the main characters in the film opening.

 

  Another develpment I have made is the variety of shots I have been able to use since the preliminary task.  Throughout the preliminary task, the most prevelant shot used was a medium shot as this fitted all the characters in the frame.  Medium shots are good for establishing the scene and revealing the characters and some of their expressions but can sometimes be overused.  However, other shots were used such as the over the shoulder shot of 'Dean' looking at her phone to show the importance of the message and finally the tracking shot of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' leaving the room (as can be seen in the above screen shot).  Although there weren't many oppurtunities to use different camera shots, I was able to vary them to make the scene interesting and to reveal the important scenes.  However, I could have used some more close-ups to reveal the feelings of some of the characters and their reactions.

 

  When it came to my filming 'The Vengeance,' I was able to have more of an oppurtunity to use different camera shots.  Some of the camera shots used can be seen in the screen shot on the left and include: close up, extreme close up, medium shot, panning shot, focus pull, tracking shot and point of view shot.  All these varied shots makes the opening more intriguing to watch and more gripping and makes the scenes less boring and predictable.  I chose to use a close-ups and extreme close-ups for the bottles which had stickers which were part of the title sequence so that it was clear to the audience who had what role to play in the film.  I used a medium shot of the party as an establishing shot to show what was happening in the house and to set the scene and theme of the film opening.  I also used a medium shot from a low angle when the killer pulls out a knife to firstly make the killer appear as being dominant and forceful, making the audience look up at him, but to show the sillouette of the knife as well as it is a pivital point in the opening scene.  A panning shot was used when the killer was driving the car, following the first car to show continuity and to make the scene flow.  The focus pull was used to show the perspective of 'Ellie' and to portray her vulnerable state being drunk, allowing the audience to perhaps empathise with her.  I used a tracking shot at a low angle to show the killers feet to show to the audience that the killer is walking towards the party, following girl 1.  Finally,  I used a point of view shot from the killer when he is in the car because it allows the audience to see through his eyes and reveals that he is looking at the girl and is following her.  Therefore, since my preliminary task, I have been able to use a greater variety of camera shots in my full product to make it interesting but to also have a different effect on the audience.

 

  Finally, the last area of filming and editing that I have developed since my preliminary task is that of the use of sound.  In my preliminary task, there was only one use of non-diegetic sound used and that was the music at the start and the end of the episode.  The diegetic sound in the task was the dialogue, the sound of the door being opened and the sound of the chairs being pulled out.  Therefore, it is clear from this that I was not able to use sound (apart from dialogue) to have an effect on the audience.  This is mostly because it was an episode of Casualty and therefore would not have lot of mood music (if any at all) or stings.  However, I could have perhaps added some non-diegetic sound of a phone ringing or the noise of a busy office to add realism to the scene.  Also, another area of sound that could have been improved was that of the sound of the dialogue as some of the speech isn't very clear to hear.  To combat this problem, I could have recorded the sound using a separate microphone and then added the speech over the top of the footage in the editing process. 

 

  In contrast, when it came to filming the full product, I was able to use a wider variation of sound for different purposes.  An example of this is the use of tense mood music when the killer enters the scene in the car.  This is an alternative to a sting but still allows the audience to recognise how the mood has changed due to this mysterious presence.  Another use of sound was the non-diegetic music of 'Bangarang' which was played over the top of the party scene to make it more realistic as the song is well recognised as party music.  Non-diegetic sound was also used for the scene where 'Ellie' pours the drinks out in the kitchen scene due to some noise in the background.  This was not planned but was still effective because the sound is subtle yet can still be heard over the music.  Most of the sounds such as the car door slamming, the locking sound of the car, the bedroom door being kicked in etc. are all diegetic sounds that were recorded using a microphone added to the camera to enhance the sound.  When these sounds are intesified, it makes the scenes more tense and as a result, it is more likely to captivate the audience.  Finally, the scream was another diegetic sound that was recorded separately and then added to the footage to ensure it was a good, clear sound that would hopefully make the audience jump.  Since my preliminary task, I have been able to use both diegetic and non-diegetic sound effectively to have a desired effect on the audience.

 

  In conclusion, I have managed to develop many skills in editing and filming from my progression from the preliminary task to the full product and have also seen what influence and effect it can potentially have on the audience.  Below is my full product 'The Vengeance' which shows the progression from the first task to the last.

 

Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?



(see annotations).

  Since I have put the final cut of the vengeance on You Tube, I have received feedback from people who fit into the marketability of the film (aged 15-24).  Overall, it seems that most people did enjoy the opening scene and picked out parts that they liked in particular.  The feedback from the audience (as can be seen below) is from a range of males and females which shows that if this film was to really be produced, it would attract both genders.  Although there were some negative points that could have been improved on, there are a lot of positive points that have been brought out such Crystal Hale saying "the fast pace editing is very effective and creates tension" and also 142arsenal said "I liked the sound effects" and "great video."  Therefore, there are a lot of positives that can be drawn out from these comments.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your Media Product?


Above is a Prezi to show the features and characteristics of my marketability including their age, gender, interests etc. and also a target audience profile to specify a typical person who fits into the marketability category.

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of Media Institution Might Distribute your Media Product and Why?

Evaluation Question 2

How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?

  In the opening sequence of my film, The Vengeance, there are different character types that represent particular social groups in different ways.

Girls at a party

Sharp, snappy dialogue is used to portray a distressed character

In the split screen above, you can see the character on the left, Ellie from my film The Vengeance, and on the right, there is a scene of girls at a party in Project X.  In my film, I tried to portray Ellie as being a character who is seductive and someone who just wants to party.  I tried to show this through the use of costume as she is wearing a short skirt and a small top.  This is a costume that most teenage girls would be able to relate to as it is a way that teenage girls are likely to dress.  In the screen shot on the right, you can see that the girls at the party (Project X) are also dressed in a similar manner with short skirts and shorts which is also seductive.  This shows that I have tried to conform to the conventions of the way girls dress at a typical party scene according to other films.  For example, in the Inbetweeners Movie, there are also girls who are dressed provocatively.  However, another way in which I tried to present the character of Ellie was that of being snappy, frustrated and anxious.  The character Ellie would be feeling this way as she witnessed a brutal murder and the murderer caught a glimpse of her as she ran away from the scene. Therefore, in the party, where she is trying to take her mind off the killer, she stills acts sluggishly, not really enjoying the party and at one point, starting to loose her temper.  For example, when she is trying to look for her phone, she shouts quite firmly "For f**k sake, where's my phone."  This would reveal to the audience that something is not quite right and would question why she is acting like this.  Therefore, in this scene, the dialogue subverts the character profile of a passive female but rather, as a strong, independent female.

Character profile of the Killer

  In the split screen above, you can see the character on the left, the killer from my film, and on the right, there is a scene of the gangsters taken from the film Goodfellas. In my film, I tried to portray the killer as being a mysterious, complex, scary character who has a lot of power.  I tried to convey this character profile through the use of costume and sound.  For example, in the screen shot on the left, you can see that the killer is wearing a long, dark grey coat.  In other scenes throughout the opening, the audience can see the killer is wearing brown boots and dark jeans.  Throughout filming, I tried to frame the shots so that each time, the audience would see another glimpse of the killer to portray a mysterious character. For example, some shots are framed so that you can't see the killer's face which makes him mysterious and creates tension.  Also, I framed some shots, such as when the killer steps out of the car, to show his shoes so that, once again, there is a mystery about the character because you can't see all of the character.  In the screen shot above on the right, the gangsters from Goodfellas, they are wearing suits and shirts which distinguishes them as gangsters and killers rather than the normal citizens.  This is  important in a film opening as it allows the audience to understand the character types and helps them to build up a judgement of them.  The costume for the killer in my film conforms mostly to the conventions of a typical killer due to the dark clothing and the knife he possesses.  His character identity is a mystery to the audience as there is very few scenes that show him and what he looks like because he is always moving in the shots or if not, he seen through blurred vision.  This makes the villainous character a more sophisticated and complex character rather than just a thug or Hit-man that just goes out to kill.  As the killer is a male character as well, it almost conforms to the stereotype of male dominance and also male control.  This is because the killer is clear and methodical throughout the opening sequence whereas the girls at the party put themselves in a more vulnerable position.

 In conclusion, my film 'The Vengeance' represents different social groups in different ways by both conforming and subverting some of the conventions of character types through the use of costume, props and camera work.

Evaluation Question 1

In What ways does your Media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real Media products?

  One of the ways I have used conventions of real film openings is by the way I have used an Ident.  Idents are used by film companies in opening scenes as it is a way for them to brand a film with their logo.  Also, as the film industry is a commercial business, it is a way for the film companies to make big money.  If there are a number of good films produced with the same ident at the start, this could potentially attract the audience into watching other films produced by the same company which shows the importance of the ident.  Therefore, when it came to making my film opening, I chose to use my own ident which brands the company on the film.  The ident I used follows the conventions of real idents as it is bold and theatrical, standing out before the films starts to present the company name.  Also, as the screen shot above shows, some idents have a theme that is changed in order to fit in with the film.  For example, the ident of the 'Warner Brothers' has an image of dark clouds in the background to fit in with the theme of Harry Potter. Although my ident doesn't completely fit in with our film 'The Vengeance,' we chose to use it over Jess' ident because otherwise, the sound of the ident and the sparkles would be a complete contrast to the genre of the film.

  Another way I have used conventions of real film openings is by the way I have used location and special effects.  For example, in the screen shot to the left, there is a dark scene in the opening of 'The Vengeance' where the killer arrives at the house for the party to get to the victims.  This scene shows how I have constructed the location in a way that would help the audience to associate with a house party.  If the location was at a different location such as a college or workplace (for convenience of filming), the audience would be confused about the genre of the film and would also be confused about the storyline.  Therefore, the location of a typical house that most of the target audience would be able to relate to.  If a really wealthy mansion was chosen for the location of the house party, not all of the target audience would be able to relate to the wealth and could be put off from watching the film if it doesn't portray a true reality and representation of house parties.  In the screen shot on the left, 'The Inbetweeners' also uses locations that are quickly recognisable to teenagers such as the schools and the housing estate which gives the series a gritty realism.  The other use of conventions of a film opening that can be seen in the screenshot above from 'The Vengeance' is the use of special effects.  For example, I made sure that in this scene there were some colour changes and alterations to make the scene more eerie and tense to portray a foreboding effect and also to act as an enigma code that something bad will happen due to the tense, dark and cold colouration of the shot.  If the shot was bright and sunny (as it was in the raw footage), this could signify peace and serenity, which is not what the storyline is showing.  Therefore, by altering the colour, the scene itself can also portray the mood of the scene and build up the audience's anticipation and expectation due to the tension created.

  The use of props is another convention of opening sequences that I have used in my own film.  As can be seen in the screen shot to the left, my film 'The Vengeance' presents different props to help add to the atmosphere of the scene to make it realistic and believable.  For example, the use of alcoholic drinks in the scene is effective as it will help the audience to make connotations such as a party and having a good time, which aids the storyline.  By using realistic props in the film, it makes it believable and relatable from the point of view of the audience.  If the props looked like they were 'staged' in the way they are set out and framed, the audience could potentially loose interest in watching the rest of the opening.  In the 'Inbetweeners Movie,' the use of props was clear such as the use of alcohol to add realism to the scene and to make the scene of the boys going out and having a good time more believable.  Another prop used in the film included the knife where the killer is stood outside of the party and pulls out a knife.  To make this scene effective, I had to make sure that a real knife was used so that the scene is more believable.  If a plastic knife was used, it would make the scene less tense and perhaps even comical which would completely loose the captivation of the audience and could potentially put people off from watching the rest of the film.  Therefore, a real knife was used in order to build up tension in the scene and to act as a signifier of something bad happening.

  An important feature of opening sequences is the editing process.  Different genre of films will be edited in different ways to get the desired effect.  In my film, I edited the raw footage in a certain way to make the scenes look 'edgy' and 'jumpy' to build up a tense atmosphere.  At the start of the opening sequence, I edited the scenes with less jumps so that the kitchen scene was smooth.  Then, as the antagonist of the killer enters the scene, I started to edit the scenes with more pace so that they appeared jumpy to make it uncomfortable and to act as a foreboding effect.  Finally, the screen shot to the left shows the match on action shot used to present the killer entering the party and searching for the victim.  I chose to use a match on action shot because it is effective in not only presenting the continuity of the scene but also, it is useful in building up to a climax in tension because of the fast pace editing of the shots.  In The Dark Knight, fast paced editing was also used to build up a tense atmosphere when the villains enter the bank and open fire.  The fast pace edit between the different scenes in the bank makes the scene 'edgy' and uncomfortable to watch, putting the audience on edge and captivating them to watch the rest of the film.

  The title of the film is sometimes presented in different ways to fit the storyline of the film.  In my film, I conformed to the conventions of the opening sequence by putting the title of the film at the end of the opening sequence.  I chose to put it at the end rather than putting it in the middle of the opening because during this period, I was trying to present tense scenes.  Adding the title in the middle of the action could distract the audience from the action, which could cause them to loose their focus on the plot and storyline and could also break up the tension created.  Therefore, I chose to put the title of the film at the end but at a time to fit in with the slam of the door.  The desired effect of doing this is that it will make the audience jump but also, it allows the audience to focus solely on the title without being distracted from the audience.  This is also reinforced by the fact that the background of the title is black to allow the audience to read the title and for it to be clear (as seen in the screen shot above).  When it came to the other titles such as 'story by,' 'producer' etc., I decided that they should be shown in places where there is not to much tension so that the audience's attention is not diverted from the action.  However, as I used a font that fits in well with the genre of the film with the distressed look, the titles do fit in even in the tense moments of the opening.

  Another convention used in film openings is the story and how it is set up and constructed.  In my film, the storyline of the opening is of a party held by a girl who is trying to let her hair down and enjoy herself.  However, the mood changes when the killer arrives on the scene with a knife and watches the party.  After, he enters into the house to chase one of the victims to get Vengeance.  The storyline is set up at the start through the use of Mise-en-scene and also sound to construct a party scene.  The connotations of the alcohol is partying in this context and having a good time which helps to set the opening scene.  However, when the killer arrives, there is more tension built due to the sound, the props of the knife and the fast paced edit of the shots.  This sets the story up not only for the opening sequence but also the rest of the film (if it were to be made).  As can be seen in the screen shot above, special effects were also added to set up the story such as when the killer is outside the party looking in, yet his face and body is blurred.  This suggests that the identity of the killer is unknown, which maintains the suspense but also adds to the mystery which is later to be explored.

  Another convention of opening sequences that is used in opening sequences is the genre suggestion.  Throughout the opening, there are a number of ways in which the genre is suggested.  However, at the start of the opening, the genre suggestion is almost subverted as the kitchen scene portrays a party which does not conform to the typical setting of a crime/thriller.  Nevertheless, having a party scene will attract a younger target audience and leads into the rest of the  film.  In other scenes, I have conformed to the conventions of the genre suggestion such as when the killer pulls out a knife outside the party to signify that this is a crime thriller.  When the knife is pulled out, this is a really tense part of the opening because it suggests that something bad will happen.  Other parts of the opening that gives suggestion to the genre is the use of lighting when the killer is on the scene, the mood music when the killer arrives and the fast paced camera edits.  All of these factors contribute to engaging the audience through the tension that is built and also, it portrays the genre of the film to attract the right audience.  Similarly in the film 'Goodfellas,' the genre of the film is also established due to different factors but is clear when the knife is pulled out by one of the gangsters when he stabs the victim in the back of the car.  This makes it clear to the audience about the genre of the film but also sets up the storyline for the rest of the film.

  A penultimate convention of opening sequences that I have conformed to is that of the use of costume.  The use of costume is a very important feature in films, especially the opening sequence because it allows the audience to build a character profile in their mind and to judge the characters by their clothing.  Sometimes, clothing can be used to portray a weak, powerless victim and sometimes, clothing can be used to present an evil, dominant villain.  By using costume effectively, the film's genre, storyline and characters can be easily distinguished by the audience so that they understand the film and are captivated by it.  In my film, costume was used in different ways.  For example, the killer was show to be wearing a dark, charcoal coloured jacket with dark jeans, a dark shirt and dark jeans.  Immediately, the audience is able to establish that this is the antagonist of the film as the connotations of black or dark colours is evil, mystery and fear.  However, for the girls at the party, costume was used in a different way to present their character types (as seen in the screen shot above).  For example, the girls are seen to be wearing provocative clothing such as short dresses to present them as being weak and vulnerable, the stereotypical representation of a passive princess character type.  By having a clear juxtaposition in the way the two sets of characters dress (ie. the killer and the people at the party), the audience is able to build up a vague idea of the storyline just by the way the characters are dressed.  This helps to reinforce the actual storyline and all helps to ensure that the audience is not confused which could cause them to lose interest in watching the rest of the film.

  Finally, the last convention of opening sequences that I conformed to was the use of camera.  Throughout the opening sequence of my film, I used different camera shots in order to have a different effect.  For example, I used medium shots to establish the party scene and main character, tracking shots to follow the killer and also close-ups such as the phone scene (seen in the screen shot on the right).  When filming the text message Ellie receives from another girl about someone following her, I used a close-up shot to show the phone so that the text message is clear.  If I had used a medium shot or over the shoulder shot to show the phone, the audience might struggle to read the message (a pivotal moment in the opening sequence) and could lose the plot of the story.  Another feature of the camerawork that I chose was to use a focus pull on the text message.  I felt that this would be a good way to help the target audience to understand how Ellie is feeling.  As she is at a party drinking, she would be getting more and more drunk.  Therefore, the focus pull almost shows the perspective of Ellie because the blur suggests that the character is feeling dizzy and faint, making her more vulnerable.  As the target audience for this film is a similar age to the character of Ellie, they might be able to relate to her situation and empathise with her.  When the text message does come into focus, this makes the text stand out which is important as it is the start of the build up in tension in the scene.

Construction - Final Cut

Preliminary Task - Continuity Exercise

Final Cut of The Vengeance

This is the final cut for my film 'The Vengeance.'  The film has changed a lot and developed throughout the process from the rough cut.  We have encountered a lot of problems through the editing and production stages of the opening.  However, we were able to combat these problems by coming up with different solutions to enhance and make the film better.

Final Cut Feedback

  Once we had finished editing the final cut, we asked for some more feedback from those who fit in the age bracket for our marketability of the film.  The feedback is as follows:

• Lauren (17): "9.5/10 Really good.  Good titles"
• Poppy (14): "Wow I want to watch the whole thing!"
• Crystal (16): "Very scary - the music helps with it being scary"
• Julia (16): "Good Music.  The opening is realistic and built tension"
• Laim (18): "I like the use of the focus pull and the costumes are good"
• Christian (17): "I love the ident.  Good use of camera shots"
• Media class (16-18): "Good camera work when killer gets out of the car.  Like the editing of the killer at the end"

Diary Entry - Editing the Final Cut

14th March

  Today, we are editing the rough cut, from which we received feedback from our audience, and will make any necessary improvements to enhance the quality, delivery and overall effect of the opening sequence. 

  From our feedback about the rough cut, one important aspect that was mentioned was the use of music in the opening scene in the kitchen.  The audience felt that this music is not suitable as they can't really relate to a song that they have never heard before.  Furthermore, this is one part of the film where we can really exploit the audience's appeal and interests because if we use a song that is popular and well known amongst our marketability, they will really enjoy the party scene which will interest them and is less likely to make the opening scene drag.  Therefore, the song we agreed upon to use for this scene is 'Bangarang' as it is a well known song that is likely to be regularly played at parties and is popular.  However, this caused some problems because in the kitchen scene, there is diegetic music and so if we add 'Bangarang' over the top as non-diegetic music, there will be an overlap of noise.  To solve this, we had to mute the scenes where Ellie is making drinks and then add the music over the top.  However, this resulted in another problem because now, the diegetic sounds of Ellie picking the drinks up (making a clinking noise) and the sound of the drinks being poured out would be gone.  The only solution to this was to add non-diegetic sounds from the phony artist section of Final Cut Pro where there are pre-recorded sounds.  We then used the non-diegetic sound of the glass bottles clinking and the sound of the drinks being poured out to make the scene more realistic.  We were worried about whether the non-diegetic sounds would be too staged and noticeable but when we put the song over the top, it sounded good.  We also asked fellow class mates of what they thought and they said that is sounds realistic but not to noticeable as the song is the dominant sound in the scene. 



Jump cut

  Another mistake that was brought up in the feedback about the rough cut was that of the jump cut when Ellie leaves and re-enters the kitchen.  This was not some small aspect that could be overlooked as it obviously was something that distracted the audience due to the feedback.  We had two choices: get rid of the scene where she leaves and enters the room completely or add in another scene in between.  We thought about both choices but the problem with cutting the scene out completely is that a lot of the story about 'someone following me' in the text message and some titles will be lost.  It will also considerably shorten the length of the opening.  Therefore, we decided we would fit in a party sequence in the middle of the two scene to keep the continuity of the opening and this meant that we could keep the footage.  Also, we thought it would be effective in establishing the party scene.

  Another aspect of the rough cut that Jess and I questioned was the scene where Carla looks confused at the killer.  This is because it made the scene a bit jumpy and didn't make as much sense as we thought it would on paper.  Therefore, we decided to cut this scene out because it looked messy and untidy and complicated the opening too much.  We didn't want to be in a situation where the audience got too confused that they would start to lose the plot of the story.

    The scene where Carla looks confused is not the only footage we got rid of.  We also left the scene where Carla leaves the party out of the final cut because we thought that this made the sequence drag on too much and also, it made the sequence too jumpy.  By leaving this scene out, the opening sequence is a lot tighter and sharper.  We felt that in the end, the sequences with Carla are just too much so the only sequence with Carla is in the party scene.

  Another point that Jess and I picked out was that the scene where the killer looks into the window needs to be altered because it is the same actor who plays Billy (ie. ME!).  Therefore, we felt we needed to do something about the shot.  We didn't want to get rid of the shot because it is quite an important scene in building the tension up in the party scene and is the connection between the party and the genre of being a crime/thriller as well as leading the audience into understanding the plot of the story.  We  chose to use the blur effect again as the feedback showed that this is effective in the portrayal of the killer.  Also, if we use it in this scene where Carla looks out of the window, it will show the continuity of how Carla is feeling and will link nicely with the end shot where there is a blurry point of view shot looking at the killer.  It might also enable the audience to draw the connection between the two scenes as being point of view shots from Carla.  It also aids the scene in creating more tension because, along with the eerie effect of the music, it will make the killer a really mysterious character.  We also decided to make this part darker as this will link in with the dark effect we used for the outside car scene and will enhance the continuity.  It also makes the scene scarier and more intense by our alteration of the contrast and saturation levels.

  Another part of the opening sequence we thought needed some change was the scene where the killer pulls the knife out of his pocket outside the party.  We thought that maybe this scene didn't look as sharp as it should be because it was supposed to be an escalation of tension from that point on.  Therefore, as before in other shots, we decided to edit the colouration of the scene by changing the contrast to make the dark areas look darker and vice versa.  We also altered the saturation to make it look deeper with bolder colours.  The screen shot above shows the difference and we felt that with the altered colours, the scene looks a lot scarier and portrays the killer in a better way. 

  One point that was brought out by someone after the feedback and whilst we were editing our final cut was that the killer's movements don't make sense.  They made the point that the fact that the killer  is firstly outside the party and is then seen walking up the pathway just doesn't make sense.  Therefore, we had to give this some thought and consideration.  We didn't want to alter the scene too much as it was a big positive from the feedback so we thought of moving the scenes around.  In this way, we had the killer walking up the drive at the start, then cut to the party and then to the killer walking into the house.  This was only a small point but we agreed and felt that it is the small improvements that contribute to an overall professional finish of the film.  The last thing we want to do is confuse the audience as this will result in them losing interest and not watching the film.

  From the feedback we received about our rough cut, some people brought out that they could hear whispering in some scenes and could hear music in the wrong places.  This can be heard when killer is watching 'girl 1' enters the party and also when the killer enters the house. We had to urgently rectify this as it is very noticeable and distracting.  Therefore, we had to mute the sound of the clips to a minimum level.  However, in the car scene, this meant that the diegetic sounds would be lost.  Therefore, we had to add in non-diegetic sounds of the car door slamming to make the scene realistic.  As regards the scene where the killer enters the house, we had to mute the sound of the clip but as there was very little diegetic sound in the original clip, we could add the tense music over the top so that the tension was still there and the scene still flowed well without having any noises that could compromise the continuity.

  A penultimate feature of the final cut edit was the titles themselves.  Not only did we have to add a few more titles to our sequence (we ran out of time to add them all during the rough cut edit) but also, we had to change the names from just being Jess and I.  This is because in a real film opening, unless it is a really low budget film, there are normally a lot of different people who have different jobs rather than the whole film being by two people from production to costume designer etc.  Therefore, we had to ensure that we used different names in order to make the sequence more realistic and to conform to the conventions of a real film opening.

  Finally, a last touch to the film opening was to add a scream in the background when the killer enters the bedroom.  We felt that this would be a good addition to the opening as it would signify a climax in tension for the whole scene and would show the fear of the character of Carla.  Also, the scream would have a foreboding effect that something bad will happen.  Furthermore, a scream is a common feature that is in many crime/thrillers so this would help to reinforce the genre so that there is no ambiguity.  At first, we thought of using a pre-recorded scream from Final Cut Pro but after listening to a few, we felt they were too unrealistic.  Therefore, we recorded a real scream, courtesy of Jess, and this sounded a lot better when we added it to the scene.

  In conclusion, we feel that after all the improvements to the rough cut due to the feedback we received and our own opinions, the final cut is a lot better.  We feel that through different features, there is a greater building in tension and the genre as well as the storyline itself is reinforced and portrayed a lot better.

Rough Cut

  Now that we have a rough cut for our opening sequence, we wanted to get feedback from our class as they are in the age bracket for our marketability.  Therefore, we would be able to receive constructive criticism from the group about what is good and what could be improved.  As the group is within the age for our intended marketability, their opinions would be representative for our audience.  The feedback we received is as follows:

• "The blurry shot at the end is good"
• "The focus pull is good on the text message"
• "The sound/ song at the beginning is not quite right - doesn't fit in.  Confused about whether speech is in the song or diegetic sound"
• "The scene where 'Ellie' walks in and out of the kitchen is a bit jumpy"
• "There is whispering in the car scene and when the killer goes up the stairs"
• "Like the titles - original.  Good tracking shot of bottles."
• "The killer scene flows well"
• "Dramatic music is needed in the end sequence"
• "Move the title (music by...) to fit with the image better"

  Above is the rough cut of the opening scene from "The Vengeance."  As you will be able to notice, there are a few mistakes that need going over, for instance the noticeable jump between the two shots when Ellie leaves the kitchen and then enters again.  This spoils the continuity of the film as you can tell that the two scenes have been shot separately.  To combat this problem, we would either have to get rid of the scene altogether or add another scene in between to make the scene flow better.  If we left the jump cut, the audience would think of this as being too much of an amateur attempt of an opening sequence, it spoils the continuity and they would likely lose interest in the opening.

  Another noticeable mistake is that of the music used at the beginning.  As we tried to get feedback whilst editing the rough cut, many people said that the music was not effective because it is not a well known song so the audience can't relate to it.  They also said that this sort of music doesn't fit in with the party scene very well and makes the opening drag.  Therefore, we tried to half rectify the problem by muting some of the scenes which is why some of the clips from the opening sequence of the rough cut are silent.  This is also because the feedback showed that the audience were confused about whether the lyrics in the song were lyrics or diegetic dialogue.  This confusion detracted their attention from the overall effect of the scene which is not effective so we would have to make sure that when it comes to editing to produce a final cut, we will need to use a recognisable song that the marketability can relate to. 

  As regards the title of 'music by...' in the car scene, we will discuss in editing whether to move it or not.  However, our feeling at the moment is that we should keep the title there as there is little action or tension in this scene so it is a good place for a title.  Also, when storyboarding, we had a specific order for the title sequence and we don't really want to have to change the order as our research (art of the title post with time line of title order) showed that the titles are to be in a specific order for a reason - to reveal any above the line talent to interest the audience. 

Diary Entry - Editing Rough Cut

12th March

  Now that we have all the footage from the shoots throughout last week, we can now start to edit the work to build up a rough cut which will then have feedback and then improve the work to then produce a final cut based on the feedback.  In order to edit the clips, we used Final Cut Pro as we have used it before, it is easy to use and we will be able to manipulate the footage to hopefully produce a professional looking final cut. 

  One of the first things we needed to do in the process of editing is to collect all the suitable clips and cut them down to use particular parts.  Therefore, we spent some time looking through the footage over the week and slowly started to filter through the footage we would use and the footage we would leave out.  Some clips might not have been used due to poor lighting, shaky camera, poor acting etc.  Moreover, once we had filtered through these different clips, we then had to crop the footage down.  This is because at the start of a clip, you would here us say "start" and similarly at the end you would hear "cut."  Not only that but due to the genre of the opening being a crime/thriller, the scenes would need to be cut down so that the scenes were edited in a way that made them short and snappy in order to create tension.  If we prolonged some of the footage, the scene would appear to drag which could lessen the tension of the opening and in turn, the interest of the marketability in watching the film.

  When we were in the process of selecting the right footage, we faced a choice between the two kitchen scenes and which one would feature in our opening sequence.  We watched both pieces of footage over and, after some consideration, we decided to use the first take of the kitchen scene (right image in the screen shot) as opposed to the second take of the scene (left image in the screen shot) because the lighting is a lot better in the first take, making it more tense, atmospheric and party-like.  The second take, on reflection, didn't have very good camera shots, had poor lighting and less props.  We therefore kept the footage of the first take and used it for our rough cut.

  When a film is being made, there is a colour artist who edits the colour of the scenes to make it fit in with the genre and perhaps hint at a particular storyline.  Once we had all our clips in place in the right order, we next needed to alter the colour of some scenes to make it look realistic.  One part of the opening where this really needed to happen was during the outside car scenes.  As we had to film at a certain time on a certain day due to the driver of the car only being able to attend the shoot once, the lighting was not correct on the raw footage because it was too sunny and therefore didn't match up with the idea of a party scene.  Generally, people would associate a house party being held at night so the look of the shots in the day mean that the party connection is lost and also, the tension is lost.  Therefore, using some of the colour effects on final cut pro, we added an effect called 'cool tones' which made the scene darker.  However, as you can see in the screen shot, this doesn't make the scene pitch black as we would have liked so isn't entirely effective in that respect.  Nevertheless, the effect does mean that the scene looks more eerie due to the cool, cold, blue tones.  Also, we altered the hue settings so that the scene looked even more cooler and cold.  We were careful, though, in making sure that we didn't alter the lighting too dramatically as it could distort the picture and could even ruin the effect of making the scene scary.

  Another scene where we altered the light is the kitchen scene where the character of Ellie is making drinks for the party.  The screen shot on the right shows the difference between the different lighting.  The left image has a lighting effect and the right image has no lighting effects.  We chose to use a lighting effect for the party scene because we felt that the original clips looked slightly grey/ brown in colouration which didn't look sharp and neat but warm.  Therefore, we chose to alter the lighting  by changing the contrast to make it look crisper and the saturation levels to make the clip look bolder and stronger as opposed to having a grey tint.  We think that overall, this enhanced the quality of the clip as in a crime/ thriller, saturation levels and contrast are sometimes used to portray a tense scene or to have a foreboding effect that something bad will happen.  As with the outside footage, we made sure that we weren't too drastic with the editing but enough to make a difference and make the scene more tense. 

  Sound is a very important feature of any film as it is said to contribute to 50% of the overall effect of a film.  Therefore, we had to think about using some music for the different scenes.  For the killer scene, we didn't record any music apart from background noise so we would have to find or make some music that would fit the killer scenes and be effective in contributing to the tense scenes of the opening.  We felt that we didn't have enough time to make our own music by using software such as Garage band as it could prevent us from further editing.  We felt it would be stupid to focus too much on music and then, as a result of running out of time, having poor editing effects or titles.  We thought of making a sting which is a piece of music that identifies a particular character of a film such as the music used when James Bond arrives on a scene.  However, we thought that a sting might not be a effective as an ongoing piece of music because the tension for the killer wouldn't last long.  In the end, we chose to look on you tube for some tense music and came across a piece of music called 'The Prestige - Scariest Music Ever' which was not just a good piece of tense music but also gave the out the rights for people to use.  We therefore took full advantage of this, edited the parts we wanted and put them over the scenes where the killer arrives.

  Another feature we used when editing the clips for our rough cut was to add effects for the killer scenes to give him a mysterious and sophisticated character.  Having already added tense music and altered the colour of the outside scenes and the kitchen, we thought that for the end shot - when the killer kicks the door down and the character of Carla sees the killer enter the room as a shadow in front of the bright light - we would use an effect to make the identity of the killer even more mysterious by adding a blur effect.  Not only does this make the identity of the killer even more difficult to work out, we thought that this effect would portray this shot as being a point of view shot.  As all the characters at the party would be drinking, they would likely feel dizzy and so this blurry effect of the killer shows how Carla would be feeling drunk and dizzy and would therefore have slightly impaired, blurry vision.  This is also effective in building tension because it is unclear what he will do. 

  Finally, before showing our rough cut to the rest of the class to get some feedback to help with the final cut, we needed to add some titles.  Due to time limitations, we were unable to put all the titles on for the rough cut but we had most of them to give the class an idea of what the titles were like.  Some of the titles we used were actually in the scene such as the drinks bottles at the start of the scene in the kitchen.  We thought that the titles in the scene was an original touch as it not only served the purpose of showing who directed the film, who it was by etc, it also drew attention to the props used in the scene, helping the audience to draw a connection between the props and the storyline.  The other use of titles were the ones put over the top of the scenes in editing.  The font we used for the titles was 'Base 02' from dafont.com and this looked really good and fitted well with the scene as it made a slight reference to the genre of the opening and also made the scenes look tense and also hints at the demeanour of the killer as the font is distorted.  At first, we had a look at what the titles would look like in a red font, as red connotes violence, death and blood.  However, when we looked at the title, it looked to cliched because it is sometimes over used as a colour.  Therefore, we made the titles white to give the scenes a more contemporary feel and gives a bold look.  Also, for the last title (which can be seen in the screen shot above), we timed the transition of the title so that when the door slams, the title appears instantly, almost frightening the audience.  We also thought that when the door closes, the scene is pitch black.  This is a good time to put the title of the film as the main title is usually at the end of the opening sequence and also, the black backgrounds means there is nothing to divert the attention of the audience from the from the main title.

Diary Entry

8th March

  Today, although we had filmed all the scenes we needed to, we decided that we should maybe re film the kitchen sequence again as we discussed whether the acting was up to the standard to interest the audience.  This therefore meant that we would have to make sure the Mise-en-scene was suitable for this scene so that the audience would make the connection of a party.  The table in the kitchen had to be laid out in the same way with the drinks bottles so we made sure that they were scattered so as not to look too staged.  However, we made sure that the titles on the bottles were facing the camera so that we could integrate the titles in that way.  However, one problem we did face was that we didn't have the smoking equipment as props.  This made us question whether we should still go ahead with the filming as it is an important prop that is typical in a party and adds to the Mise-en-scene of a party sequence.  Nevertheless, we decided that in the end, we should still shoot today and then when it comes to editing, we will then decide what footage to use - the first take or second.

  Another problem we faced today was that of the music.  On the first day of filming the kitchen scene, we didn't know whether the background music was suitable enough to portray a party sequence.  Therefore, we chose to film this sequence today without music.  When filming though, the actress found it difficult to act like she was at a party, slightly drunk and dancing to the music.  This was difficult but we told her just to sway a little so that in the editing, we would add music and it would look like she is dancing along.  The benefit of having no music was that we would have diegetic sounds which would make the scene more realistic and this would add to the whole 'feel' of the opening.

  Before filming this scene, we had a discussion about whether the costume was effective or not in the first scene.  After some consideration, we thought maybe it would be better for 'Ellie' to wear a black dress instead of the costume before.  This was because in the party scene, the girls were wearing dresses and so the audience would watch the kitchen scene and see a connection with the party.