In class we were required to evaluate our contribution to the group and blog based on our blog posts and our evaluation. This is how I evaluated my role:
Sophie
Sophie Cramer
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In this evaluation question, I will discuss how we have progressed since our preliminary task by each media technique such as; Camerawork, sound, editing and mise-en-scene. I feel that since our preliminary task, a lot of improvements have been made when comparing it to our final media product (Film opening sequence).
Here are the two videos so that it is easier to make comparisons.
Our preliminary task:
Our final media product:
Camerawork:
In terms of camerawork, we have certainly used a much more variety of camera shots in our final media product in comparison to our preliminary task created at the beginning of year 12.
For example, we have :
- Used more camera shots with an intention of having meaning behind it rather than having a variety of shots just to fill up for time. For example, in our preliminary task, we used a variety of camera shots such as long shots, close ups, and some from different angles as well as incorporating a panning movement of the girl as she stands still in the classroom. We only used these camera movements as we were just trying to fill up space and make the video last longer. In our final media product, we incorporated much more camera shots such as close ups to portray the main character’s emotions more clearly.
- Another difference between both preliminary task and our final media product, in terms of camerawork, is the use of equipment to make our videos look more professional. Although both of the tasks look far from professional in comparison to the films produced by big media conglomerates, there is still a significant contrast between the two tasks. For example, in the preliminary task, we only knew how to turn the cameras on and record. We used the DSLR camera therefore we could get a much better quality video however we did not consider experimenting with the other features of the camera. When recording our final medusa product, we had much more professional equipment with us. This includes; two DSLR cameras, two microphones, a tripod and a flycam. This way it enabled us to experiment more with the equipment so that our camera shots can vary even more.
Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene is also another major media area of which we have improved a lot since our preliminary task.
For example:
- In our preliminary task, we filmed in school as it was the most convenient place to film at. This way we lacked an interesting storyline as we wanted to film in a more interesting place. For our final media product, we filmed outside a house during night and this made it much easier for us as we could come up with more story lines as well as making it look more interesting filming during night time to make the opening look more sinister.
- As well as location, we also lacked imagination when it came to the costume that the ‘dorky/new girl’ was wearing. We wanted the new girl to look like a dork as she is who the other school students are making fun of. We didn’t really have a good idea in mind of how she should look bearing in mind the lack of props that we had. Instead, we ended up making her have her blazer worn back to front, with all of her hair pulled in front of her as well as glasses on top. This made her look much more unrealistic. In our final media product, we wanted the main character to look like a ‘thug/gangster’ and we, as a group, felt that we achieved this very well as we decided on the costume that will be worn by him. This includes;black trousers, black nike trainers and a black nike hoodie.
Sound
- The sounds were also very unrealistic as we incorporated any random sound effects in to make the video look more dramatic. For example, when the girl walks in to the classroom, we incorporated a very dramatic sound effect to dramatise her entrance and this gave the preliminary task a more animated/cartoon atmosphere/feel.
- In our final media product, we took sound into much more consideration than we did in our preliminary task. For example, we used dramatic music in our opening sequence however we made sure that it related to the atmosphere created in the scene of being ‘sad’ and ‘dull’.
- We also used, in our final media product, a narration of the main character speaking as we wanted the audience to be able to relate to the character more and understand his story and why he may be frustrated. This also emphasises how horrible is life is at the moment.
Editing
- In our preliminary task, we were required to perform 3 different camera shots; match on action shot, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot. We feel that when it came to the editing part, some of it still did not flow as we would of liked it to have done. For example, we believe that we should of considered cut more of the videos so that the shot reverse shot would look more fluid rather than there being a long pause before the next reply.
- In our final media product, we made sure that all of the cutting was done much better. For example, an essential part to the editing was the part where the main character runs down the road. We wanted to incorporate a variety of camera shots to make the opening sequence look more interesting however we also had to bare in mind that we would have to do a lot more cutting to make it flow more. I feel that it was done correctly.
- We also liked, in our final media product, the use of the L Cut at the beginning where the music plays as the production company comes up and then presents a time lapse of an extreme long shot of the street. Instantly, the audience are hooked as they are unsure as to why dramatic/sad music is being played whilst the scene portrays an ordinary day.
Software
- The editing softwares were also a major component of our editing process and portrayed a significant contrast between the two tasks created. For example, we use iMovie for our preliminary task as it was much easier to understand the techniques that it had to offer. Therefore, the editing process took much quicker to do. We used their sound effects, cutting tools and titles and transitions.
- In our final media product, we used adobe premier pro as we realised that it is a much more professional editing software and most probably offers a lot more than iMovie if we begin to start learning from it and get the hang of its features. Cutting videos were much more specific as we could cut videos and unlink them etc whereas we would not of been able to have done that on iMovie.
- Also, another feature of adobe premier pro that iMovie did not offer was the ability to make the quality of the picture much more clearer. We could of done it on iMovie however it would only be able to enhance the picture. Whereas, in adobe premier pro, we were able to enhance the lighting of the picture/video and adjust it to any setting we would like until it looks much more clearer.
Sophie
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Sophie
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The first thing our group did before thinking of random ideas is agree on a genre type for our film opening. to do this we carried out surveys to find out certain preferences from out further viewers. since they are out audience it is essential we find out what particular aspects that like most about films in order for us to be able to attract them to watch our film opening or we may end up making a film no body finds interesting/wants to watch.
After finding out the preferred film genre for our future viewers to enjoy we then carried out another survey asking them out of the options given, what is ur favourite crime films. The options were: The dark knight, Prisoners, 21 jump street, Jack Reacher, The God father and Shawshank.
Amber
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Sophie
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Amber
http://http://www.slideshare.net/NiyiAdeaga/evaluation-questionpptx
Niyi
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
http:/https://prezi.com/embed/ktrnhmbyiefr/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0#
An improved version of question 2 that I completed:
In this evaluation question, I decided to compare the representation of race, gender, class and age in our media product with the race, gender, class and age of the film ‘8 mile’ as it is fairly similar to our own film.
Sophie
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Kidulthood in comparison to The Innocent:
The innocent
Age: Our media product is within the crime genre and presents a teenage boy in the opening there for the social group we are aiming to attract is between young teens to early 20’s. Adults and present teenagers obviously know what it’s like growing up and experiencing crazy things which is what makes our media product so relatable, because we have made it realistic, also as teenagers are younger than adults they are looked at as weaker meaning the viewers will worry more for their wellbeing in the film.
Ethnicity: The race of the social group we have focused on in out media product is black and the stereotype of black teenagers as in the way they are sometimes dressed and talk like gangsters, therefore we used this stereotype to our advantage to incorporate it into our opening sequence. As niyi is holding a bloody knife in the first scene this automatically tells the audience he has used that knife to cause some kind of harm to someone again due to his ethnicity stereotype.
Gender: In our opening we have used a boy as the main role to represent the strong and powerful stereotype of males. An example of this in the film opening is the bit of him holding the knife as it makes him seem more aggressive and violent causing people to be scared of him. The stereo of athletic/sporty males is also showing within this media product as he is seen running down the road away from the police very quickly.
Class: we have represented the boy in our film opening as lower middle class, this is shown through the use of mis en scene with the shot of the middle sized house is shown with the boy sitting outside it. The reason that he shown as lower class to the audience is because it is made up of not well educated people, this is proved by the language used in the voiceover, supporting the stereotype of lower class people being less educated.
similarities: both male, black, teenagers wearing hoodies with looks of confusion/anger on their face and they seem as if they’re middle class.
differences: ones in school during the day, ones on the streets during the night, one is alone, one is with a group of people, one is wearing a navy hoodie, one is wearing a black hoodie, one is the strong dominant leader that scares people weaker than them and the other is an average scared boy being dominated by something/someone.
Amber
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
.
Age -> Our final opening sequence was in the genre of crime and it starrs a teenage boy who goes directly with the stereotype of young black boys, with this in mind the social group we are trying to attract are the young black teens aged early 20s. Our finished opening tries to relate and sympathesie with youung black boys that are wrongfully sterotyped as” gang bangers” and thugs
Ethnicity -> our opening is mainly faced at the Black ethnicity, the the sterotypes around black people espeically. we have promotes this through the mis-en-scene we have used throughout the opening sequence for instance a knife with blood smeared on the blade and the dark setting in which our opening is based. Having this mis-en-scene forshadows what is later revealed in the rest if our stiry line – a murder.
Gender -> in our opening sequence we have reprsented the charatcer as intimidating and strong. This is connoted by the clothes the character in our opening has chosen to wear – all black.
Our charatcer has very similar characteristics to the main charatcer within the movie attack the block. This is mainly due to the fact that they both speak abit of slang. this bring out the sterotype built against black boys. also both boys dress sense are similar in the sense that they both constantly have there hoods up.
By Niyi Adeaga
Question 1-In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Filming and Editing Process
Here is a video showing a few of our filming and editing techniques as well as explaining the reasons why we chose to do certain things.
Video by Sophie
Filming and Editing by Sophie, Niyi and Amber
Our final cut of our film opening sequence
On April 2nd we finished editing entire film opening sequence. We did have a problem making it 2 minutes as we were 10 seconds short of that however we were relieved to find out that it should be 1 minute and 45 seconds minimum.
This is our final cut:
Sophie, Amber, Niyi and Phoebe
yardproductions 