Our task was to research different media institutions related to movies and to identify the similarities and differences between a high-budget, mainstream film and a low-budget, independent film.
What is the main film going audience?
I think that the main film going audience would be teenagers because most of them have part time jobs but no financial commitments. Therefore, they have spare money to spend and like to spend lots of time socialising with friends and the cinema is a great way to do this.
How do cinemas make most of their money?
Most of the money that cinemas make from ticket sales is used to pay the production companies so that they have permission to screen the film. Most of a cinemas profit is made from selling snacks and refreshments to their customers (eg. popcorn, sweets and drinks).
How do you get a film into the cinema?
Cinemas will pay production companies for the permission to screen a film in their cinema. However, independent films are difficult to get into a regular cinema and the creator may have to pay the cinema to screen it.
What does a distributor do?
A distributor is in charge of making a film accessible to an audience. This could be either in the cinema or on DVD.
Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
I worked with Josh Yates, Lorna George and Amara. We managed the task by splitting up the roles between us based on our strengths and activities that we wanted to try. Josh was acting, making the storyboard and editing, Lorna was acting and creating the film poster, Amara was doing the camera work and the production diary and I was doing the camera work, editing and shooting schedule. Josh also wrote the script used in the video.
How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use?
Josh wrote a script and then we made a storyboard which included all of the shots we would need to include in our opening sequence.
What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
We had to take into account that we would not all be present in every lesson. This meant that we might not always have actors or people to film the scenes. Therefore, we had to plan our schedule based on this. We also had to ensure that we had a place to film our scene and so had to film at a time when we had access to a free classroom with good lighting and acoustics.
How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well and with hindsight what would you improve/do differently?
I think that we used a variety of shots and interesting editing techniques. However, i feel that some of the editing, especially related to the sound, was unsuccessful. The sound echos a lot and does not always match up with the video.
What have you learnt from completing this task?
From completing this task I have learnt the importance of having good communication in the group as we had difficulty making sure that everyone knew what was going on at all times.
I also leant how to use the video recorders on the tripods and this is something that I have never used before. I also improved my skills on Adobe Premiere and learnt how to switch back and forth between different shot angles in a scene.
Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing your final film opening?
From this preliminary task I know that in future projects i should ensure that my group is more communicative so everyone is aware of what is happening, what future plans are and what else needs to be done. This will ensure that everything runs more smoothly and it is easy for us to switch roles quickly if it is needed.
On Monday we were first put into our groups. The group included Josh, Leah , Amara and Lorna.
The next day we came up with ideas for the film and made a plan. We had an idea to begin with but we were not happy with it so we changed it. The next idea that we came up with was to have a boy in a classroom that couldn't read, we planned out the setting, characters and props that we needed. We also decided on what each person would do when making the film; Josh would edit and act, Lorna would act, Amara would film and Leah would do the camera work and some editing. Josh also wrote the script.
The next lesson we made a story board for the film clip and the shooting schedule, we planned out the days that we would film and how long the filming would last. We also planned out which days we would edit the film.
The next two lessons we spent filming; we did the whole film a few times so that when we looked back at them, we could choose the best of each shot.
We then spent 2 lessons editing and evaluating, Leah and Josh did the editing , Amara did some written work for the prelim and Lorna made the logo.
Genre Conventions to Include
We were given the genre - Comedy
Setting - Usually locations associated with social interactions.
Camera - Naturalistic camerawork. Shots are usually exaggerated and seem to be mocking drama.
Sound - Diegetic sound, such as dialogue, must be clear so all jokes can be understood and laughed at. Non-diegetic sound is added during editing in order to add emphasis.
Lighting - Bright or natural lighting is commonly used to create a realistic environment.
Initial Idea, Title and Script
Our film title was 'The Boy Who Couldn't Read'. We decided that the story would evolve around a teenage boy who never learnt to read. A girl then decides to teach him how to read throughout the film and the boy finally learns at the end. In the opening the boy is seen sitting at a desk in a classroom struggling to read. The girl is then seen coming toward the classroom
Our task was to recreate the opening scene to the movie 'Juno'. We completed the task in groups of three. We had to create a storyboard of the shots we needed to include, film the different shots and then edit them.
Storyboard
The Final Product Evaluation
I think that my storyboard was accurate to an extent because I included some of the frames and camera movements used. However, I did not include these on all of the shots. I included the duration of each shot and action in the shot. I could have included some more details in terms of Mise en Scene as I have not included key icons and props on every shot. For some shots I have included the transitions that I would need to include in the editing process, but again, not for every shot.
To improve I would include maximum detail for every shot on the storyboard including: the frames and camera movements, Mise en Scene and the editing effects needed.
I think that the filming process went very well. My group worked together very effectively and we completed the filming process promptly. We persevered well with the limited props and locations available to us. One of my group's strengths was our ability to work together and share all of the responsibilities equally. We were all actively doing a task at all times.
We did manage to get all of the shots that we needed but needed to cut some of the shots up and film them in sections so that we could get all of the key icons from the original video in our own shots, and at the right angles. In some places the filming was a little bit shaky. To improve we could use a tripod to keep the camera steady and therefore improve the quality of the footage.
I learnt how to do many things in Adobe Premiere Pro while completing this task. Firstly, how to place another video in the corner of the screen. I also learnt how to edit the effects that I included in my video. I was able to edit the intensity of the cartoon effect (Find Edges) that I used and was able to change the direction of the wipe transitions that I included.
Our film pitch presentation was evaluated by ourselves, our peers and our teacher. These are the evaluative points that were raised.
We came to the conclusion that our film title was relevant and bold. We were told that our title was bold, short, snappy and would easily stick in a person's mind; it gains the interest of the audience and subtly hints toward the plot. It also allows the audience to guess the genre without giving too much away.
However, the title is quite generic and not very original as there is a popular television show with the same name.
Our characters have good biographical detail and are all very different and interesting. The cast and the characters fit the genre well. We have young character which means that they are easy for the target audience (teenage boys) to relate to. We also have a wide range of actors including some from minority groups meaning we have good diversity. Some of the characters are also well known meaning that the actors could be good marketing for the film as they already have a fan Base.
However, some people believed that the characters are too stereotypical and would react in prdictable ways, even if they are well developed.
The opening of the film works well to establish both setting and character. It has the potential to create interest right from the start. There is lots of enigma as the audience is left wondering if the characters will escape or even survive.
Though, some argued that the ending could be predictable.
This task was to learn media vocabulary and apply them to movie openings.
Camera
Frame - extreme close up, close up, middle shot, medium long shot, long shot, extreme long shot.
Angle - birds-eye, high angle, level, low angle, worms-eye view.
Movement - pan left, pan right, tracking, static, zoom, whip pan, drone, helicopter shot, handheld.
Sound
Music
Contrapuntal
Diegetic/Non-diegetic
Off-screen/On-screen
Voice over
Emotion
Dialogue
Mise En Scene
Costume
Lighting - high key, low key, natural light.
Actors
Make-up
Props
Setting - place, weather, time, date.
Editing
Screen time
Transitions
Order of narrative
Place
Special effects
Boyz n the Hood Opening Analysis
'Boyz n the hood' is a drama about a young black boy that lives in Los Angeles. In the opening scenes he is seen walking to school with some friends. On the way to school they stop off at a crime scene. The scene then transitions into the classroom at school where the teacher is teaching her students History. The young boy, Tre, is rude to his teacher who then suggests that he comes to the front of the room to teach the class. After explaining that all human originate from Africa, he gets into an argument with another student and it becomes physical. His teacher then phones his mother to explain what happened but ends up insulting her. Tre's mother explains that he will not be returning to school because he is going to live with his father.
The children in the opening which are walking to school see a crime scene with blood flooding the floor. This is something that you would not usually expect a child to see on their way to school. The children seem very interested in this find and not at all 'bothered' by it. This could suggest that this was a regular thing for them to see, and while they are still intrigued, it is not particularly shocking.
In the opening, African Americans are represented in a negative way. First with the fact about them killing each other at the beginning, and then showing the audience black people being violent with each other.
Medium long shots are used when tracking the children as they walk to school. This clearly shows the audience how many children are their and their location. Close ups and middle shots are used often when a character is talking or their reaction is being recorded. Close ups are also used to focus on the children's drawings in the classroom. The drawings represent the horrible lives the children are living as you can see the violence within the drawings.
A key icon in the opening is the police tape. There is no focus brought to it but is a subtle hint that the community is under pressure and violence and is not a pleasant place to live.
Sound is used frequently to give the audience signs that a key theme in the film is violence. At the start you can hear a young boy saying that his brother had been shot and killed. You can also hear gun shots (something that will cause harm to people), a helicopter (used by the police in emergencies) and a police radio.
The editing also hints at this as a fade transition is used between the crime scene and the classroom, showing that the violence from the outside world is able to enter the classroom environment and the lines between the two are blurred. Straight cutting is used within the scenes which gives them a realistic finish.
