Foundation Production- Group 1: 2014

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

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Q2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

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Q4/5: Who would be the audience for your media product? / How did you attract/address your audience?

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Q6:What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

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Q7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Group: Shoot #3

This was our final shoot. It was the last opportunity for us to get the shots which we had encountered problems with- as we have had several issues throughout the production process.

We had a list of 8 shots to get, one of which was not possible due to the fact that the contact lenses were not useable, but we made do. This time we were more careful, yet again, with the lighting.

We collected all of the necessary clips, careful to include motion for continuity's sake.

We have finished filming.

Monday, 3 February 2014

Group: Shoot #2

We encountered an issue with this shoot, as one of the actors became unavailable. Nevertheless we went in order to get the clips which only featured Cameron. This will mean that we need to do one shoot, very last minute, but we have no other choice- we have the majority of our footage.

This time we were more careful to aim and angle the lighting so as to capture expression more readily and provide the emotional imagery, thus allowing the audience to empathise. The lighting did make a very big difference- our shots are clearer, and the ones that have been redone greatly exceed the quality of the first attempt.

Reece has been able to start planning for the montage shots, and is playing with the software 'after Effects' for titles. We got several clearer images of the notebook, with space left for titles to be incorporated.

One of the lights still holds too much precedence in some shots, so we will use Photoshop in order to reduce this.

We have 12 shots left to capture.

Group: First Shoot

On Sunday (the 26th) we went to our location to film.

Timings and access to the building were organised by Gwen. We were in on time and set up the area, taking into account mise en scene and adjusting lighting. The actors were made up and the antagonist was given her dress and blue contact lenses.

We filmed the majority of the footage that we required, starting with the montage shots. In a number of cases it required adjustment of lighting which Joe was mainly responsible for, working with reflection and movement of the lighting units.The writing shots are a little too unfocused so will need to be reshot on the coming weekend shoot.

We worked efficiently, with Gwen directing, Reece on camera and Joe contributed in both senses. All but 5 or 6 shots were captured, then we encountered a problem with the equipment i.e. the camera fell and both the led screen and lens were broken, thus halting the shoot. The camera was insured and has been sent off for repairs, we will all contribute to pay off the excess. In the next shoot we will use a different piece of equipment, so the quality of the image will not be exactly the same, but we will just persevere.

Having reviewed the footage, we have decided on several shots that need to be done as fillers, as well as other techniques to use to make more of an impact- for example, at the end, instead of revealing the items, then getting the protagonists reaction, we will get the reaction shot first then reveal the items.

Friday, 31 January 2014

Group_ Call sheet

TWGSB Media Studies Film Production

Call Sheet & Shot list

Date: 2^nd February Location:

Rugby Club

Meeting Time: 5:30 p.m. Group: 1

Crew & Cast Contact details:

Gwen Withers______________ Phone: ###########

Joe Peck__________________ Phone: ###########

Reece Hall________________ Phone: ###########

Cameron Armstrong-Wilson__ Phone: ###########

Sophie Tang_______________ Phone: ###########

Props & Equipment crew responsible

Dictaphone Joe

Bridge Camera Gwen

Lighting Equipment Reece

Candles & Rope Joe

Notebook & Photos Gwen

Location	Shot number (on revised shotlist)	Cast	Technical notes
Rugby Club	1	C S	CU
Rugby Club	2	C	MS
Rugby Club	3	C	CU
Rugby Club	4	S C	MS
Rugby Club	5	C S	High angle MS
Rugby Club	6	C S	ECU
Rugby Club	7	S	POV
Rugby Club	8	None	LS Handicam pan
Rugby Club	9	C S	OTS MS mirror
Rugby Club	10	NONE	CU
Rugby Club	11	None	BCU
Rugby Club	12	S	CU
Rugby Club	13	C	CU
Rugby Club	14	C S	MS
Rugby Club	15	C	LS
Rugby Club	16	S C	LS
Rugby Club	17	S	MS reveal
Rugby Club	18	S	CU
Rugby Club	19	S	CU
Rugby Club	20	C	CU

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Group- Practice Angles for Writing Shots

We took a variety of different shots, testing out angles and distances.

Monday, 27 January 2014

JP: Analysis of Title Sequence in 'Se7en' (Fincher, 1995)

Camera

A variety of shot types are used during the opening but the predominant ones are CUs and BCUs to place the audience in the centre of action and close to the individual presented despite only framing their hands.
Canted angles are used to connote the psych of the person presented to be erroneous in nature and insecure serving to unease the audience and create a sense of unknowing to what could happen.
The use of solely static camera allows the edting and actor to control the movement and pace of the scene which ultimately means the audience feels less in control of the situation conveying an edgy atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene

Distorted handwritten typography connoting insanity and setting a sinister tone for the opening.
Razor blades being used on hands with cracked skin creating a uneasy atmosphere as, being combined with other aspects, gives the impression to the audience that more disturbing acts could be performed with the prop.
The lighting in general is low key and conveys the mysterious nature of the hidden person as well as serving to conceal them more.
The act of crossing out certain words such as "transexual" and "intercourse" as well as highlighting some including "God" has religious connotations, presenting the faith as being evil; reinforcing an emergent ideology with the rise of atheism really becoming apparent at the time the film was released. Also the crossing out of people's eyes and faces conveys the individuals murderous intent and holds menacing undertones giving a nervous effect on the audience.

Sound

Non-diagetic sound dominates the scene with the inclusion of various clanging objects that and the sound of a typewriter, whilst not directly relating to the action on screen, unnerves the audience and creates an abnormal effect.
The score used is discordant with an atonal key being used as well as featuring clashing timbre choices to displease the listeners' ears. Also, some instruments use a diminished scale to convey a sinister ambience and to unsettle the audience.
White noise is used extensively throughout to fill the audial space without relating musically to the score giving the whole scene a sense of disconnection connoting the same disconnection within the presented individual's mind.

Editing

The fast cutting rate places the audience in a suspenseful eratic state both shocking them and creating a fear of what is going to happen.
The combination of intercutting of titles and having some overlay (as well as having some intercut in and staying into overlay the next shot) creates a confusing effect with no sense of regularity connoting the mental instability of the individual presented.
The distorted shaking effect on the text further reinforces the idea of insanity and presents the residual ideolgy of mental illness being frightening and negative.
Shots are also overlayed and cross-disolved as if the viewer is unable to focus, positioning the audience with the presumably mentally ill individual being presented.

Group- Floor Plan

We are using one smallish area of the club for the shoot. This is a basic floor plan:

Group: Audience Research Results

We asked this to establish core audience representation, so it correlated with the common audience in reality.

The majority of those who partook in the survey were under 18, which is more reflective of our peer group than of a general audience.

This suggests that those who answered are not the core audience desired by institutions, as the majority only view films of this genre occasionally.

There was a wide range in terms of genre, with two of the top being supernatural and psychological, which suggests that our film would have the possibility of being successful.

The majority of those asked enjoy watching horror films, meaning that making a film in this style could be popular.

Most people were of the view that a female lead is just a pretty girl, with a few taking on the 'final girl' as an example.

Our aim of creating A PROGRESSIVE CHARACTER could be a popular one, challenging the hegemonic ideology.

The two most popular titles are Schism and Hollow- hollow has connotations which do not match the psychological genre, seeming more gothic or isolationist. Schism is often linked to the emptiness of the mind, the dark void waiting to pull you in, so therefore it seems more appropriate for a story about a man who is so far gone in his mind that it becomes his reality.

Around 45% of people believe that non-linear plots add interest, a further 45% of people who answered are apathetic towards their presence- suggesting that for a certain audience ours would be a popular idea.

Only one person viewed the idea of a vulnerable male as being a positive thing, suggesting that the idea may not be popular. Having said this, it could now be taken on-board that the dominant ideology towards the idea of masculinity is very closed minded, and perhaps should be challenged as part of affecting the social commentary around today. The fact that the man is a heterosexual male, yet is still allowed to show pain, vulnerability and fear, will form an opposing force against the idea that this behaviour is 'gay' (tackling a homophobic standpoint).

All of these answers either are positive of neutral towards the use of insanity.

Though some of the answers were not serious, the general view is that it is ghostly or otherwise related to death. This corresponds with the characterisation.

Foundation Production- Group 1

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

8247 - Reece Hall

Monday, 5 May 2014

8309 - Joe Peck

Thursday, 1 May 2014

8540- Gwenyth Withers

Friday, 28 February 2014

Candidate 8247: Evaluation

Candidate 8540: Evaluation

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Candidate 8309: Evaluation