final cut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpopJf5JKLU

AS Evaluation Question 7

Question 7. Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression of it to the full product?

The purpose of the preliminary task was to make sure that every member of the group knew how to handle a camera and a tripod. From the preliminary task I learnt how to use the tripod mostly as I already had some experience with the camera. I learnt how to attach the camera to the tripod and how to use the panning shot on the tripod. I also learnt how to show that a conversation is taking place through the use of an over the shoulder shot. These skills that I learnt were incorporated into my opening sequence, especially the tripod which was used throughout.  

AS Evaluation Question 6

Question 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 

AS Evaluation Question 5

Question 5. How did you attract/address your audience?

The primary research that I took out was vital to the production of my opening sequence. The pie chart questions that I used were very helpful as they allowed me to determine what elements should be included in my thriller. I thought that it was extremely important that I got feedback from my target audience because they were the ones that my film was aimed at therefore it had to appeal to them. Using primary research was essential as it allowed me to ask my own questions and therefore make sure I got the feedback that I required, as oppose to secondary research where I would not be able to control what questions were asked.

In order to create my thriller film I had to go through several stages of research. These included analysing thriller films, researching my target audience, researching film certificates and researching conventions of the thriller genre. For each research stage I conducted I created a blog explaining what I had found out and how I would try to incorporate it into my opening sequence. The main research stages that I found helpful was the questionnaires that I gave to members of my target audience, this allowed me to see what they characters, plot, setting etc they wanted to see in thriller films. I also thought that the research into conventions was another helpful research stage that I did. The conventions that I found were most prominent in thriller films were very important in the making of my film, overall they were what made my opening sequence part of the thriller genre. Putting the research that I did into blogs made it easier for me to go back and check what I had found out, this meant when it came to creating and editing the opening sequence I was prepared with what I wanted to include. 

Carrying out research made it much easier when it came to planning my opening sequence this is because I knew what characters, setting, conventions, narrative etc I wanted to include. When I and my group members planned the opening sequence we already had a mental plan of what we thought it would be like, this is because of the research and feedback that we got from our target audience and from watching other thriller films. I took inspiration from the research I did into thriller films. I took the inspiration of using a hidden identity from The Strangers, I thought that it worked really well in this film as it created an enigma aswell as striking fear into the audience, so I decided to incorporate this into my film. I used the idea of a point if view shot through a mask, this inspiration came from Halloween, where Michael Myers is walking up the stairs and we can see through a mask. I thought this worked well as it created a lot of low key lighting and it also gave the audience chance to see things from the antagonists point of view, which I thought was chilling.

AS Evaluation Question 4

Question 4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

It is vital that there is a target audience for a film production, this is so you can direct the film to a certain type of people. There are elements of a film that make it directed at a particular target audience, such as the characters, the plot and the genre, this is what attracts the audience to watch your film. It is important that you know who your target audience is so you can choose what elements you want to include in your film, for example it is no good having a young teenage character for a film aimed at over 50s.

The target audience for my film is teenagers (15 – 19) male and females. I have chosen this target audience as I am of that age and I believe this will allow me to access the target audience and satisfy what they want to see. This target audience is fitting of my thriller as the characters I have used are relatable. A teenage female victim is relatable to the audience as they may have similarities to her or they may know someone like her, this makes it easier for the audience to create a relationship and therefore they become more attached to the character. I also believe that the narrative is very appealing to my target audience, I have opted to use a much simpler narrative compared to the ones that I have seen in other thriller films such as Inception and Memento. I believe this simple narrative will appeal to the target audience as they will not want to have to concentrate throughout the whole of the film. The narrative is also appealing as it is realistic and something that could happen to anyone, this allows the audience to place themselves in the narrative themselves. I believe the mise en scene that I have used is also appealing to the target audience, for example the costume that I have used for the female victim would be appealing to female teenagers watching. I dressed the female victim in stereotypical designer clothing, this is a way of attracting the females watching as they can see that she is wearing the latest fashionable clothes and handbags. Furthermore the attire that I have used for the antagonist is appealing to an audience, the dark clothing I have used with him represents his evil and the contrast of the white mask shows he is unstable, making the audience want to know more about him. 

AS Evaluation Question 3

Question 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media products and why?

AS Evaluation Question 2

Question 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The first main character in my film is the female victim – Cara Gaffney.

Cara Gaffney is a young attractive female who enjoys going out and spending time with her boyfriend, shes very popular and represents a typical teenage girl. She is dressed in stereotypical female clothes and is the represents the teenage group. This character has been used in my thriller film as I believe she is the best way to emphasise vulnerability and make the antagonist look superior. I have also used her as she is a desirable character meaning that the people watching will want her to be saved and therefore feel more attached when she is in danger. Furthermore using this type of character makes it easier for my target audience to relate to her as they may be similar in certain aspects or they may know someone similar, this will make it seem more personal to the audience and also make it much more relatable.

The second main character in my film is the antagonist – Myself (Daniel Armstrong).

The antagonist is a strange masked man who stalks young females and kidnaps them. He is dressed in all black to represent the darkside that he has and he wears a mask to hide himself from his victims. He carries a knife which he uses to execute the victims once he has them hostage in his abandoned shed. This character represents the evil in my thriller and the mask he wears also represents the enigma. This character has been used in my opening sequence as a symbol of evil and to strike fear into the audience. Using this type of character makes it easier for the audience to imagine who they would expect the antagonist to be as he is wearing a mask and it is therefore left to the audiences imagination. The antagonist is also the main technique that I will be using in order to make the audience feel tense.

Gender within my characters has been used in a stereotypical way. The fact that the victim is female is important to the way in which they are portrayed to the audience. Making my victim a stereotypical teenage girl makes her seem much more vulnerable to the audience, therefore the audience want her to be saved. Making her a stereotypical female is also important as it makes her easier to relate to for the audience, this means the audience are able to put themselves in her situation and the sequence seems more realistic and terrifying.

I think that the characters used in my opening sequence are very appealing to the audience. The female victim (Cara Gaffney) is very attractive, this makes her seem appealing to the audience as she looks desirable, this further means that they would be tense when she is in any sort of danger. Making her a stereotypical teenager makes her furthermore appealing to the audience, this is because a relationship can be made between the character and the audience. The antagonist may also appeal to the audience, this is because he looks scary and the use of the mask allows the audience to recognise the antagonist. His scary appearance is appealing to the audience as they are watching the film to be scared, and the antagonist is the main way of doing this. As I previously said, putting the antagonist in a mask makes it easier for the audience to imagine who they would expect the antagonist to be. This makes him appealing to the audience as they can make it more personal to themselves.