Evaluation 7;

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

When creating the main task we looked back on the comments and feedback that we received from the audience after they had seen our preliminary task. One of these improvements was to concentrate more on making the camera work effective and believable. Also they asked for the camera work to be less jerky and tilted. However we found that the jerky effect of the camera created a good effect for our 'horror' and opening scene. Also the tilted camera angle would help to create a realistic effect and an effect of someone actually being there.

Looking back on the media product I have noticed that I have spent a lot more time planning the film. The planning I have done seems to have helped a lot as the clip was not as muddled with no story line as the preliminary task was before. Also I found that with the research into the target audience we have managed to create a much more suitable and aesthetically pleasing film.


Also in the preliminary task I was not as adventurous with the editing and effects. This may have been because I was a bit unsure. However in this final product I have used more special effects and found that they work better with this genre especially. The special effects we used also worked best with the genre and we went through a few to find the best effect for our film.


Another thing that I found was that we spend more time in creating the best of this were as in the preliminary task we used a simple setting and simple plot. Also the time we spend on making sure that the film created the atmosphere we wanted was a lot greater. This was because we found that within 'horrors' they can either be very scary and shocking or disappointing and a bit of a spoof.


Also when looking back at the preliminary task I found that there was hardly any organised planning, which differs from this final task, as the blog allows me to keep organized and everything up to date.

Evaluation 6;

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

The technologies that we used to help us with our opening scene were:

• Digital Camera
• Computer
• Two Handheld Camera's

During our media project I think that I have learnt more about editing and how to create the best effects in films, for example what transition effects would work best and how we could create the best lighting and colour.

Here is a screenshot of a programme we used throughout our media product. The programme was called Premere Elements 7. We had a few problems with this programme from having to search for things as they were not clearly shown. Another was when we tried to add the titles, as explained in our editing post. Also we found then when we were editing the brightness, ligting, contrast and saturation, that our options were very limiting and that we couldn't make the shot lighter without the clip getting blurrier or pixalated.

When filming we used a Sanyo Xacti. We decided that we weren't going to use the tripod that was available because we wanted a jerky effect to make appear that the person behind the camera is nervous and unsure. However we found that when we viewed the clip on the camera we could see it a lot better, than when we put it on the computer, therefore a lot of editing would be needed.

Also we used:

Paint: to edit pictures and create our initial storyboard

Microsoft Word: to plan out our work

Youtube: to evaluate and to be able to add the video to our blog

VLC player: to play the film and play the music

Also we had to use our email regularly to send each new ideas and group work. Also we used email to contact Mat who was creating our music for us.

Evaluation 5;

How did you attract/address you audience?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSaZ7jjjD8o

We addressed the audience by getting our friends and young members of our family. This was because we found from our research that this is the audience that would be attracted to this type of 'horror' clip. In this opening scene we have annotated what we felt was important in addressing and attracting our audience.

Evaluation 4;

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our audience would be aimed at a similar age as us. This is because we enjoy 'horror' films, also because we are looking for something to shock us, because our age range are looking for thrills and something exciting. Also we are looking for something different, and most 'horrors' are very different from each other, with new and mysterious story lines. Also we think that having an audience around our age will help create a 'horror' opening scene, as we may know how scary and gruesome it will have to be.

Evaluation 3;

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


A company does not have to be big to produce a film they can be small and not as well known. As long as the company is able to sell their product and create the correct genre.


A production company helps to sell the product by supervising and helping to create the final product. They basically are the people with the most responsibility in creating the film and will receive the most rewards after. One production company is shown in our deconstructions, this company is: Ealing Studios.

 Ealing Studio's is quite well known and has produced films such as:

• Dorian Gray (horror)
• Burke and Hare (comedy,crime)
• Imagine Me And You (romance)

This shows how a production company can create all types of genres as long as they know how.

Evaluation 2;

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 

These two girls are from popular 'horror' films, the one on the left is the young girl from 'The Ring' and the girl on the right is from 'The Grudge'. I choose to compare these two characters with our own young girl. This was because there were obvious similarities between them. One similarity is that all three young girls play the main role in which they are evil and distorted. Also each girls seem that they are tormented and driven insane. These are the similarities between the roles of the girls.

The similarities in appearance are very apparent. The young girls all have pale faces, this could be to show the frailness and torment they have been threw. Also the girls have dark eyes, this could be to show the restless torment and pain they have been through. Also their dark and large pupils make them appear to be evil and can be an opening to their dark and evil soul. However the girl from 'The Ring' appears to have a lot less darkness around the eyes and bags under them. Also another similarity between the girls are their dark long hair, this maybe because the darker the hair the paler the skin.

When we were creating and deciding on the characters appearance we tried to base it on contrast. We wanted the girl to be quite innocent to contrast with the evil in her. The girl is also to be very misleading and a bit crazy. Also she is meant to be quite and dangerous. We hope that we have created this character well with the use of costume and make-up.



Evaluation 1;

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

In the first still life it shows where one clip which was off feet and the girl walking and another clip off the person dead. These clips seem to be merged together I did this because it would show the dissolving transition we decided to use which seems to be effective. Also this still shot shows the setting quite well, we used a setting near the group in Whittlesey the setting appealed to us as it had a very eerie feeling about it and created the atmosphere we wanted. Also the setting looked a bit dull and dark which is the mood that we wanted to convey to the audience. Also you can tell that this area appears to be quite rough and hardly walked through as the leaves don't look stepped on and there is old rubbish around. This adds to the rough effect.


In the second still it is off a fussy screen. This fussy screen was added during editing; we added this screen as it would add to the transitions of the clips. Also this fussy screen would add to the mystery of what was going to happen next. The fussy screen was decided on by the group as it would add to the 'horror' and mystery effect. The fussy screen was made by using a black image which then had the fussy effect added over it. The effect was available in the programme (premere elements 7), that we used.


In the third still, one of the main character is introduced, this character is a young girl with no name. The young girl is meant to appear to be a bit misleading and dangerous. Also in this still you can clearly see one of the costumes that the group decided that we would make. The costume is meant to be a bit of a contrast. The little white dress is to suggest innocence and purity of which a young girl would have. The contrast in the costume is the blood and bloody handprint on the dress this shows danger and evil. Therefore the costume worked well for us as it made a contrast which added to the dramatic and horrific feel to the clip. 


In the fourth, fifth and sixth still images it shows how the opening scene flicks through the incident that has happened. This is added to the suspense to the film. Also the group found that when shots are flicking it makes the tension for the audience rise, as they don’t know what’s going to flicker on the screen next. We found it important to show how the clips change as it was one of the features we used to create the feeling and genre of a 'horror'.


Also in the seventh still you can see the other costume we used. This was just meant to be a simple everyday walking outfit. We used the brown raincoat as it was easy to tear and would add dullness to the setting. With this costume we added dirt and blood to show how this person had been viciously murdered.


In the eighth still image we are introduced to the young girl again. However here it is a clip of her face. This was to show the evil and strangeness to the characters personality.  Here we are shown quite a dark image, but you still manage to see the dark bruises and bags under her eyes, therefore suggesting that this girl doesn't get any sleep, possibly because she has been driven insane by a terrible accident. Also in this part of clip we are introduced to the phrase of ' If you go down to the woods today be sure of a big surprise' this phrase sets the audience up for what is about to happen without being too obvious.


In the final still image we have chosen to show a dramatic scene, which sets the audience up for the rest of the film. This sets the audience up for the rest of the film as it gets the audience asking questions, therefore appealing to their curiosity. Also in this clip the title is shown. We decided to place the title here as it represents the end of the opening scene and prepares you for the film, which is about to begin. We used a dark red, as the group decided that it is commonly represented with blood and danger. Which is the feeling that we wanted to create in this film. Also the font we used, seems to be a bit chipped, which for the group added to the mysterious and old effect of the opening scene. Also it added to the horror felling because the audience doesn't know what has chipped away at the font.


The genre is shown through some features in this opening scene. For example it is shown through the: make-up, effects, costumes and the soundtrack. It is shown through the make-up as it is dark and messy which is seen to be a bit scary instead of appealing or attractive. The genre of 'horror' is also shown through the effects we have used, like darkening the scenes and adding the fussy clips. Also the costumes are very dull and bloody which suggests there is going to be blood and gore in the film, which we found to be popular in some of the well known horror films. Finally the music adds to the genre of 'horror' as it is eerie and sends shivers down your spin which adds to the atmosphere for the audience.