Wednesday 20 March 2013
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Evaluation 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the final product?
I feel that during my preliminary task I new only very basic skills in camerawork and editing and almost none in sound and lighting. During the preliminary task I didn't use any mics for my dialogue and I didn't use any lighting. I used some editing techniques such as cross cutting to show for example a man walking up to a door and then a hand turning the door handle linking the two. I also followed the 180 degree rule and used shot reverse shot. I didn't do anything much more complicated than this and my preliminary task was very short and simple.
In my final piece I stuck to the basics but also explored a lot more techniques with lighting and sound. With sound I used a directional mic for my dialogue and also used the mic from the camera so that I could choose which one I thought sounded better. In the end the camera mic sounded better in most of the scenes and the directional mic in only one. I am glad I chose to use both the camera and the directional mic because otherwise I could be stuck with sound that doesn't sound very good. With the lighting I added filling lights to some shots and main lights to other ones. With both of these I used kaiser battery video lights. I had a helper to hold them most of the time but when it was just me and my actors I held them, I used the shutters around the edge of the lights to change the amount of light on the actor's faces and also the position of the lights to portray different things such as overhead lighting to give mystery with the detective as because of his hat it created a shadow on his face and hence you couldn't really see him. I also used back lighting for a shot to create a silhouette of the detective which worked well creating more mystery and combined with the mirror next to him I think looked quite professional and it achieved what I wanted it to. I used some more techniques for camerawork than I knew back when I did my preliminary task. In my final piece I used camera positioning such as high shot and low shots, establishing shot and also tracking and movement. I have learnt that using a high angle shot on a character shows the characters vulnerability and perhaps that they are weak or inferior. The low angle shot is the opposite showing power. An establishing shot would introduce the location and let you know where the characters are. Tracking shots and movement shots are a little too complex for my film however I have learnt how to do certain shots such as zooms and panning but not used them in my film. I've used editing techniques such as fast paced to keep pace up and action and then slow paced editing to create tension and focus on what's going on in the scene, like the shot where the detective enters the building via the staircase and he's a silhouetted figure. I've also learnt how to use final cut pro x to a higher level than before. I now know how to put effects onto my shots and how to reverse some shots. I also know how to lift the colour on a shot or change the colour to something different. I've learnt how to sync the sound by using a clapper board and also how to add sound effects. I've also improved a lot on continuity and tried very hard to keep this the case in my final piece however there are still some aspects of the final piece that aren't flawless. For instance the lighting frequently changes as it's very hard to have a shot with lighting from far away as you would be able to see the light and the person holding it whereas if you're close up you can hide the person holding the light and it isn't an issue. This is what i've done in various scenes which I thought was fine during filming but then when looking back on my scenes I realised that the continuity was a problem, however didn't have time to fix this. There was also a shot that was meant to come after a night shot that was shot during the day time, this too I didn't have time to fix but I managed to use various different shots and add effects on to make it darker and so the continuity didn't look too bad in the end.
I feel that during my preliminary task I new only very basic skills in camerawork and editing and almost none in sound and lighting. During the preliminary task I didn't use any mics for my dialogue and I didn't use any lighting. I used some editing techniques such as cross cutting to show for example a man walking up to a door and then a hand turning the door handle linking the two. I also followed the 180 degree rule and used shot reverse shot. I didn't do anything much more complicated than this and my preliminary task was very short and simple.
In my final piece I stuck to the basics but also explored a lot more techniques with lighting and sound. With sound I used a directional mic for my dialogue and also used the mic from the camera so that I could choose which one I thought sounded better. In the end the camera mic sounded better in most of the scenes and the directional mic in only one. I am glad I chose to use both the camera and the directional mic because otherwise I could be stuck with sound that doesn't sound very good. With the lighting I added filling lights to some shots and main lights to other ones. With both of these I used kaiser battery video lights. I had a helper to hold them most of the time but when it was just me and my actors I held them, I used the shutters around the edge of the lights to change the amount of light on the actor's faces and also the position of the lights to portray different things such as overhead lighting to give mystery with the detective as because of his hat it created a shadow on his face and hence you couldn't really see him. I also used back lighting for a shot to create a silhouette of the detective which worked well creating more mystery and combined with the mirror next to him I think looked quite professional and it achieved what I wanted it to. I used some more techniques for camerawork than I knew back when I did my preliminary task. In my final piece I used camera positioning such as high shot and low shots, establishing shot and also tracking and movement. I have learnt that using a high angle shot on a character shows the characters vulnerability and perhaps that they are weak or inferior. The low angle shot is the opposite showing power. An establishing shot would introduce the location and let you know where the characters are. Tracking shots and movement shots are a little too complex for my film however I have learnt how to do certain shots such as zooms and panning but not used them in my film. I've used editing techniques such as fast paced to keep pace up and action and then slow paced editing to create tension and focus on what's going on in the scene, like the shot where the detective enters the building via the staircase and he's a silhouetted figure. I've also learnt how to use final cut pro x to a higher level than before. I now know how to put effects onto my shots and how to reverse some shots. I also know how to lift the colour on a shot or change the colour to something different. I've learnt how to sync the sound by using a clapper board and also how to add sound effects. I've also improved a lot on continuity and tried very hard to keep this the case in my final piece however there are still some aspects of the final piece that aren't flawless. For instance the lighting frequently changes as it's very hard to have a shot with lighting from far away as you would be able to see the light and the person holding it whereas if you're close up you can hide the person holding the light and it isn't an issue. This is what i've done in various scenes which I thought was fine during filming but then when looking back on my scenes I realised that the continuity was a problem, however didn't have time to fix this. There was also a shot that was meant to come after a night shot that was shot during the day time, this too I didn't have time to fix but I managed to use various different shots and add effects on to make it darker and so the continuity didn't look too bad in the end.
Evaluation 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this film opening?
I have learnt a variety of useful things about technology. Through the process of making my film I've used many different pieces of technology. I've used:
Blogger
YouTube
Final Cut Pro X
HD Video Camera
Directional Mic
Tripod
Battery Lights
I have learnt to use these very well and they have helped a lot along the way. I've used blogger to upload a lot of my essay type questions and the progress on my film and my whole year of media has been based mainly around this website. I've used YouTube to upload rough cuts and final products of my film as well as evaluation questions i've answered visually or orally. I've used Final Cut Pro X to edit together my final piece and rough cuts along with questions i've answered and preliminary tasks. I've learnt how to edit fairly well and learnt several techniques such as cross cutting, continuity editing and sound bridges. I've used the HD Video Camera to film everything i've used. I've learnt techniques with this as well like zooming, panning and framing. I've also learnt camera positioning such as high shots to show vulnerability or low shots to show power. I've used the Directional Mic to record the audio files in my film. I've learnt via preliminary tasks how to use the mic and how to optimise the recorder so that the audio is of the best quality. I've used a Tripod to keep my camera still whilst filming and i've learnt how to use the level so that the camera isn't lopsided on the ground. I've used battery lights to light some of the scenes that were too dark. I've learnt how to use these so that the scenes aren't too dark or even too light, i've learnt different lighting techniques to show different things such as top lighting is flattering and filler lighting.
I have learnt a variety of useful things about technology. Through the process of making my film I've used many different pieces of technology. I've used:
Blogger
YouTube
Final Cut Pro X
HD Video Camera
Directional Mic
Tripod
Battery Lights
I have learnt to use these very well and they have helped a lot along the way. I've used blogger to upload a lot of my essay type questions and the progress on my film and my whole year of media has been based mainly around this website. I've used YouTube to upload rough cuts and final products of my film as well as evaluation questions i've answered visually or orally. I've used Final Cut Pro X to edit together my final piece and rough cuts along with questions i've answered and preliminary tasks. I've learnt how to edit fairly well and learnt several techniques such as cross cutting, continuity editing and sound bridges. I've used the HD Video Camera to film everything i've used. I've learnt techniques with this as well like zooming, panning and framing. I've also learnt camera positioning such as high shots to show vulnerability or low shots to show power. I've used the Directional Mic to record the audio files in my film. I've learnt via preliminary tasks how to use the mic and how to optimise the recorder so that the audio is of the best quality. I've used a Tripod to keep my camera still whilst filming and i've learnt how to use the level so that the camera isn't lopsided on the ground. I've used battery lights to light some of the scenes that were too dark. I've learnt how to use these so that the scenes aren't too dark or even too light, i've learnt different lighting techniques to show different things such as top lighting is flattering and filler lighting.
Thursday 14 March 2013
Evaluation 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your film and why?
My film is a low budget British film that wouldn't be distributed by a big company. I think a company such as Film 4, bbcfilms or momentum pictures could distribute the film as those companies usually distribute indie low budget British films. It says on the bbcfilms website that "BBC Films is committed to finding and developing new talent, collaborating with some of the foremost writers and directors in the industry" which I think reflects my film well. I also think that some of the films they distribute, such as Headhunters, would attract a similar audience to mine, as the film includes a lot of thrills and has a sort of elicit world and my film has a stylised feel and a stereotyped genre of thriller with a twist, which is similar to that of Headhunters. I think that my film could be shown in some arthouse cinemas, such as clapham picture house or the ritzy, but would probably be immediately distributed by DVD and not even make it into cinemas. However the film could become more famous perhaps by being entered into film competitions, or a film festival such as the London Film Festival that takes place every year, and then shown at some cinemas and perhaps make it into a multi screen cinema, like the odeon, or even a multiplex. Depending on the success of the film it could possibly be picked up by US film distributers like 20th century fox and be shown to a larger audience. The fact that the film was made in England wouldn't effect it much as it is still understandable in other parts of the world and doesn't particularly focus solely on British life.
My film is a low budget British film that wouldn't be distributed by a big company. I think a company such as Film 4, bbcfilms or momentum pictures could distribute the film as those companies usually distribute indie low budget British films. It says on the bbcfilms website that "BBC Films is committed to finding and developing new talent, collaborating with some of the foremost writers and directors in the industry" which I think reflects my film well. I also think that some of the films they distribute, such as Headhunters, would attract a similar audience to mine, as the film includes a lot of thrills and has a sort of elicit world and my film has a stylised feel and a stereotyped genre of thriller with a twist, which is similar to that of Headhunters. I think that my film could be shown in some arthouse cinemas, such as clapham picture house or the ritzy, but would probably be immediately distributed by DVD and not even make it into cinemas. However the film could become more famous perhaps by being entered into film competitions, or a film festival such as the London Film Festival that takes place every year, and then shown at some cinemas and perhaps make it into a multi screen cinema, like the odeon, or even a multiplex. Depending on the success of the film it could possibly be picked up by US film distributers like 20th century fox and be shown to a larger audience. The fact that the film was made in England wouldn't effect it much as it is still understandable in other parts of the world and doesn't particularly focus solely on British life.
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Evaluation 4
Who would be the audience for your film?
In the initial stages of the planning for our film I decided that a certificate of 15 would be appropriate for my film. I decided this was because I didn't want to certify it as a 12A as I didn't want to risk children who are under the age of 12 to see the film and possibly be scared by it as there is a possibility that could happen and we could get into trouble with laws. Looking at the films that people my age watch I think that my film is fairly similar to the ones they watch and enjoy and so for this reason and for certification I have decided that an audience of 15-21 would be most appropriate for my film. I've chosen a young audience. One reason i've done this is because the actors in my film are a similar age to that of 15-21 and also similar to the type of actors that they like. The genre of the film is also the type of genre that most of the people in the 15-21 age group enjoy watching. The gender of my audience doesn't matter as I think it appeals to both girls and boys however maybe leans slightly more towards the male side as guns and violence are shown throughout the opening. I've learnt all this from the planning stages of my film in which I conducted a survey and found this information out.
I conducted a questionnaire after a viewing of my film. From this I found that there were 4 males and 11 females, which isn't really representative of my actual audience as I think that there was an unnatural ratio of male to female at that point. I think that my audience would still be half male and half female. I also found that 11 of the 15 people where in the age group 15-21 confirming my suspicions of the fact that most of my audience will be in the 15-21 group. There were 2 people in the 21-45 age group and 2 more people in the 0-15 age group however these groups would not make up much of my audience. Once a fortnight was the most chosen option for how often they watch films. This shows that my audience aren't hardcore cinema goers but do go fairly regularly or watch a film at home. They also picked that they watch films on TV or on the internet rather than going to the cinema showing my audience is of a younger audience as they use technology rather than going and sitting in a cinema.
In the initial stages of the planning for our film I decided that a certificate of 15 would be appropriate for my film. I decided this was because I didn't want to certify it as a 12A as I didn't want to risk children who are under the age of 12 to see the film and possibly be scared by it as there is a possibility that could happen and we could get into trouble with laws. Looking at the films that people my age watch I think that my film is fairly similar to the ones they watch and enjoy and so for this reason and for certification I have decided that an audience of 15-21 would be most appropriate for my film. I've chosen a young audience. One reason i've done this is because the actors in my film are a similar age to that of 15-21 and also similar to the type of actors that they like. The genre of the film is also the type of genre that most of the people in the 15-21 age group enjoy watching. The gender of my audience doesn't matter as I think it appeals to both girls and boys however maybe leans slightly more towards the male side as guns and violence are shown throughout the opening. I've learnt all this from the planning stages of my film in which I conducted a survey and found this information out.
I conducted a questionnaire after a viewing of my film. From this I found that there were 4 males and 11 females, which isn't really representative of my actual audience as I think that there was an unnatural ratio of male to female at that point. I think that my audience would still be half male and half female. I also found that 11 of the 15 people where in the age group 15-21 confirming my suspicions of the fact that most of my audience will be in the 15-21 group. There were 2 people in the 21-45 age group and 2 more people in the 0-15 age group however these groups would not make up much of my audience. Once a fortnight was the most chosen option for how often they watch films. This shows that my audience aren't hardcore cinema goers but do go fairly regularly or watch a film at home. They also picked that they watch films on TV or on the internet rather than going to the cinema showing my audience is of a younger audience as they use technology rather than going and sitting in a cinema.
Thursday 7 March 2013
Evaluation 2
How does your film opening represent particular social groups?
My film opening focuses on three social groups as it follows three different characters in the opening. The first character it follows is the girl, played by Morgan. Her social group is a middle class white girl. I borrow ideas from noire films and she is the fem fatale of the film. Yet i've tried to put a spin on this stereotype by going slightly over the top on her. I added the bright red lipstick to highlight her social group and the fem fatale stereotype. It also contrasts well with her pale skin and blonde curly hair which gives it an unnatural feel. The girl is seen as a victim at first but when you see her smile and you see that she has the power in this situation you feel less sorry for her and class her more as a villain, but perhaps not as much as the actual villain at the computer. Along with the graphic effect i've put onto the film I think this portrays her social group well whilst also adding a twist to it.
The second character is the detective. He is of a lower class than the girl and we can see this because he is coming to her for help and he is dressed mysteriously and you can't see his face. She is also smiling when she whispers something in his ear and he stays serious and starts to run away, like it's just a game to her and he is taking it seriously. His social group is also shown by the fact no one sees him until right at the end and he works alone. This character at first because you don't know why he's following the girl you see him as a villain but it changes once she smiles at him and he starts to run and you can tell he's a good guy detective, his clothing also helps this. He is below most of them in class but he is also above them in status because he wins in the end.
The last character is the villain. He is also middle class and above the girl shown because he is watching her on the cctv. He's definetely above the detective as well in class but he is below him in status because in the end he dies by the detective's hand. His costume is smart but casual enough that he knows he doesn't have to dress up and make an effort because he is so far up the ladder he doesn't have anyone to impress. Unlike the girl who has to dress fairly smart and attractive to impress him. This character unlike the others is seen throughout the entire opening as a villain. From the start you see he's the bad guy and when you see his emotionless expression at the end before he dies you don't particularly feel sorry for him and you get a sense he deserves it. The main way in which the social groups are shown is through costume.
My film opening focuses on three social groups as it follows three different characters in the opening. The first character it follows is the girl, played by Morgan. Her social group is a middle class white girl. I borrow ideas from noire films and she is the fem fatale of the film. Yet i've tried to put a spin on this stereotype by going slightly over the top on her. I added the bright red lipstick to highlight her social group and the fem fatale stereotype. It also contrasts well with her pale skin and blonde curly hair which gives it an unnatural feel. The girl is seen as a victim at first but when you see her smile and you see that she has the power in this situation you feel less sorry for her and class her more as a villain, but perhaps not as much as the actual villain at the computer. Along with the graphic effect i've put onto the film I think this portrays her social group well whilst also adding a twist to it.
The second character is the detective. He is of a lower class than the girl and we can see this because he is coming to her for help and he is dressed mysteriously and you can't see his face. She is also smiling when she whispers something in his ear and he stays serious and starts to run away, like it's just a game to her and he is taking it seriously. His social group is also shown by the fact no one sees him until right at the end and he works alone. This character at first because you don't know why he's following the girl you see him as a villain but it changes once she smiles at him and he starts to run and you can tell he's a good guy detective, his clothing also helps this. He is below most of them in class but he is also above them in status because he wins in the end.
The last character is the villain. He is also middle class and above the girl shown because he is watching her on the cctv. He's definetely above the detective as well in class but he is below him in status because in the end he dies by the detective's hand. His costume is smart but casual enough that he knows he doesn't have to dress up and make an effort because he is so far up the ladder he doesn't have anyone to impress. Unlike the girl who has to dress fairly smart and attractive to impress him. This character unlike the others is seen throughout the entire opening as a villain. From the start you see he's the bad guy and when you see his emotionless expression at the end before he dies you don't particularly feel sorry for him and you get a sense he deserves it. The main way in which the social groups are shown is through costume.
Sunday 3 March 2013
Hotel Babylon essay
Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations of ethnicity
In this extract of "Hotel Babylon" several workers are hiding from the authorities as to not get deported as they're all illegal immigrants. The receptionist warns a co-worker and he rushes down to the basement and tells all the workers to hide however one gets captured. They show ethnicity fairly broadly and don't conform to stereotypes.
All of the illegal immigrants are obviously not fully british. However they haven't gone with a stereotype that they are all black or all asian they have a wide variety of different ethnicities and some are white perhaps from some parts of europe. The stereotype would be that they are all black but i don't think this extract conforms to that. They also have a wide variety of gender and age, there is old people and young people who are immigrants as well as a mix of women and men. They also have a black person who's not an immigrant as well as a white person who's not an immigrant. You end up feeling very sorry for the immigrants as they are all trapped in the room together and one of them even faints. You see that they're close and they look innocent and scared. The fact that one of them faints because she has diabetes gives the audience another reason to feel sorry for the immigrants and they're on their side. The audience is taught not to like the man who takes away ibrahim. He is the archetypal character of the bad guy, who doesn't care what is right or not and is slightly power mad so he takes ibrahim in even though he doesn't have to and could turn a blind eye. Although he is slightly kind to the immigrants because he mentions he knows about the code and that he allowed them 2 to 3 minutes to hide before coming in and so he was only "following the rules" but you still can't help but be against him. They convey action through camerawork. At the start of the extract the camera is moving around a lot tracking the action and panning around quickly. For instance when the woman faints the camera quickly zooms in, also when there's a knock on the door the camera zooms into her face. There is also a soundtrack in the background to convey action as well. Most of the sound apart from that is diegetic. All of the immigrants are wearing the same sort of clothing, either a purple uniform or a white uniform showing that they are essentially all the same or all part of the same family even though they are slightly different as they all have different nationalities and backgrounds. They all also have an accent to highlight the fact they're immigrants whereas the british workers all have a very clear british accent, in some cases quite posh, like the receptionist. The immigration worker has a english accent but it's more cockney and seems harsher.
In this extract of "Hotel Babylon" several workers are hiding from the authorities as to not get deported as they're all illegal immigrants. The receptionist warns a co-worker and he rushes down to the basement and tells all the workers to hide however one gets captured. They show ethnicity fairly broadly and don't conform to stereotypes.
All of the illegal immigrants are obviously not fully british. However they haven't gone with a stereotype that they are all black or all asian they have a wide variety of different ethnicities and some are white perhaps from some parts of europe. The stereotype would be that they are all black but i don't think this extract conforms to that. They also have a wide variety of gender and age, there is old people and young people who are immigrants as well as a mix of women and men. They also have a black person who's not an immigrant as well as a white person who's not an immigrant. You end up feeling very sorry for the immigrants as they are all trapped in the room together and one of them even faints. You see that they're close and they look innocent and scared. The fact that one of them faints because she has diabetes gives the audience another reason to feel sorry for the immigrants and they're on their side. The audience is taught not to like the man who takes away ibrahim. He is the archetypal character of the bad guy, who doesn't care what is right or not and is slightly power mad so he takes ibrahim in even though he doesn't have to and could turn a blind eye. Although he is slightly kind to the immigrants because he mentions he knows about the code and that he allowed them 2 to 3 minutes to hide before coming in and so he was only "following the rules" but you still can't help but be against him. They convey action through camerawork. At the start of the extract the camera is moving around a lot tracking the action and panning around quickly. For instance when the woman faints the camera quickly zooms in, also when there's a knock on the door the camera zooms into her face. There is also a soundtrack in the background to convey action as well. Most of the sound apart from that is diegetic. All of the immigrants are wearing the same sort of clothing, either a purple uniform or a white uniform showing that they are essentially all the same or all part of the same family even though they are slightly different as they all have different nationalities and backgrounds. They all also have an accent to highlight the fact they're immigrants whereas the british workers all have a very clear british accent, in some cases quite posh, like the receptionist. The immigration worker has a english accent but it's more cockney and seems harsher.
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