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

During the Preliminary task, we found it hard to understand the 180 degree rule. We thought that we was not breaking it when recording our footage. When we started editing we realised it looked like the characters were both looking the same way and this is a big error. When doing our final product, we understood what was meant by not crossing the invisible line and we overcame this error quickly to avoid bad habits. The second issue we faced in the preliminary task was jump shots. We recorded a shot of the door then zoomed in on the handle. At the time we thought it looked good to add suspense. Now looking back it was not a good idea and looks out of place. When editing for our final title sequence, we almost made this error again by having a shot of all 3 criminals then a close up of the one in middle which would of made it a jump cut. Instead, we did a close up of another character which actually worked well in the end. 

One of our biggest improvements we made as a group was not breaking the 180 degree rule. We ensured we used the rule correctly and in fact it made our final product look better as it flowed better and did not confuse the audience. Also, we varied our camera angles around unlike in our preliminary task where we just used mid-shot throughout. This was a big improvement for us as it involved moving the cameras around and also editing correctly to avoid jump cuts like we did previously. our editing skills progressed dramatically. Our preliminary task was slow paced due to us leaving big unneeded gaps between dialogue. This made it too slow and jumpy and not flow. After understanding how to cut properly and put it together, our final production flowed neatly. This would not of happened if we did not increase our camera skills. We used more advanced cameras as we used the filming studio and needed to ensure we used them to the best of our ability. By using his equipment and using it right, including the microphone, the quality of picture was sharper. In the Preliminary task, we attempted to use tracking shot and it looked unprofessional and jumpy. We knew to avoid this shot in our final product. Due to our general knowledge about the filming studio enhancing, we looked into lighting and dialogue into greater detail. We took more care and attention over writing the script to make it fast and exciting. When organising the final product, we all had a role each and one of my jobs was to create the script. It was a huge improvement to the preliminary task. Lighting was a great tool once we knew how to use it to our advantage. By experimenting with it, we now know how to create different types of atmosphere just from changing the filter or position of lighting.


Overall, my knowledge and experience. my editing skills, camera, script writing, directing and organisation has grown due to this project and i know i am gong to be using these kills later on in life.

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

Camera

We used the camera in the filming studio which was called the Canon XL1. I have never used advanced technology like this before and i learnt how to set it up, how to record on it and stop. I used it to film all of my my footage to keep the quality of footage consistent and sound quality the same. 


Adobe Premiere Pro

We used Adobe Premier Pro to edit our film and used it to add effects, edit the green screen parts and cut down parts. I learned how to cut out footage which was not useful, change the background on a green screen, add sound effects and music. I also used it to add titles and add transition effects to the titles.






Blogger

Blogger.com was the website we used to explain the process while making our film. We are able to add pictures and videos when appropriate and do weekly posts. By using this website, we are able to go back to previous posts and edit them if needed and add for information while the film is being developed










YouTube

Youtube was useful for looking for previous at previous title sequences which was similar to mine. Also, it helped to recognise the conventions of a crime film which would be useful for the audience. 








Powerpoint

I used Powerpoint to create pictures of my screen shots. I print screened my film , cropped down to the part I need then saved it as a picture. I also used it when I made a pitch to tell my class about my movie.

Q5 How Did You Attract Your Audience?

Q4 Who Would be the Audience for your media product?

Lucy Jones

Age -  19

Location -  England

Likes -  being with friends, listening to music, going to the cinema, hot guys

Dislikes -  Reading, people who cant hold conversation, doing homework

What films they like -  Comedy, romantic, chick flicks

What T.V programs they watch - CSI, Big Bang Theory, Hollyoaks

What music they listen to - Chart music, dance

My movie would appeal to this person as she enjoys comedy movies and thats one of the genres of this movie. She enjoys watching CSI so she will enjoy the crime aspects in this movie and will recognise the crime conventions in the movie. She likes going to the cinema with her friends so this will appeal to her as it will be in the cinema and she can go with her friends as it is aimed at that age rang. There is a 2 attractive guys in the movie which will attract her to go and watch it for them but she will also enjoy the story line. Each character has something special about them to make them interesting which is great because she does not like boring people> the music used is upbeat, just like the music she likes to listen to.

Q3 What Kind on Media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A production company are the people who actually made the film. in ours, it was myself along with 2 others in my group and we decided to all ourselves 'The Slightly Inbetweeners' Our own company created this whole film ourselves independently and funded it all ourselves.

A distribution company is the company which would actually put the film in the cinemas and out to sale for the general public. there are many options of how to actually produce a film. first, there is the option of going to a big company such as Universal studios. There is also the option of doing it independently and using resources such as iTunes or Youtube. There are also local small production companies which is an option.

An existing film which is most like ours is Starsky and Hutch. We took a lot of inspiration from this movie for the type of comedy we are using, costume and hair. The movie is based on a 70's police duo which is exactly the same to us. There movie includes some action scenes which is again same to us. 

The money to produce our film would come from ourselves. Another possibility is getting a grant. there are a number of groups which is keen to help young producers make there dream come true. Some specialise in certain genres of movies or target audience and I am sure their is one out there that would be interested in our film.

Our titles run in this order:

1. Producers - A Slightly Inbetweeners production
2. List of Cast:
1. Harry mercer
2. Jae Jones
3. Luke Bowen
4. harry Jones
5. Dom Harrison
6. Camera By Emily Jones
7. Edited by Nick Malings
8. Title - Chip 'n' Dale
9. Directed By Charlotte Brown

 

Q2 How Does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media mostly represents the police due to our main characters being a police duo.

We have decided to represent our social group by showing the police to be not very reliable and liars about how good they actually are. For example, we have shown that our police duo say they both have a secret talent but in fact they actually are just mocks. This adds to the comedy of our film. the police duo end up being hurt in the fight when in fact a good police officer would be the one to save the day and stop the villains and not get hurt themselves.

The mice-en-scene has helped up create this funny representation a lot. First, the wigs were outrageous but also typical of the period. There clothes were casual and did not have anything that was similar to the police on there costumes. They dressed typical of the period to show how relaxed and laid back they are about there jobs and fighting crime. The way that they act also shows how inexperienced they are. The way they hold onto there guns also shows how scared they are when usually police are fearless with criminals as they are used to dealing with these types of problems.

By betraying them in this way, we are showing the police to be good in the end even if they do not get to the end result straight away. in our, one of the police duo is hit in the face by a door and also gets hurt in the fight. But after the fight we see that they are victorious. So we are showing police in society to be challenged sometimes but in the end they do get the job done.

In the media, in proper crime films we see the police being challenged with extremely twisted minded people who think of new and inventive ways to commit crime that the police haven't even thought of yet.  In most films we see that the police always find out the answer in the end and go many lengths to get there. in ours, we have shown the police to sometimes be idiots but in the end save the day. So it is similar so existing representations but ours is a more comedic way to betray them 

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

Title Of the Film
This is a screen shot of the title of my film. This title is similar to the existing film 'Starsky and Hutch' so that is the film I am going to compare my titles too. First, the title of my film is in a groovy, funky, font which represents what type of characters the police duo are. The existing title of the film is in a jazzy font but not colourful and only uses white text. We have included the characters in our title sequence for the audience to see who Chip and Dale are. In the existing one, there is an image of a car which leaves suspense, but then we see the characters getting into the car.This is developed to the existing film. They both show the time period and help to show the genre of the film.


Location

This is a screen shot showing the location our film is first set in. The criminals are set up in an undercover basement which is dirty, dangerous and abandoned which is a typical convention of a crime film. In a previous  crime film, it began with a car chase so the location was outside. We have therefore challenged this location but I believe it still works. They are both similar though as they are both trying to track down the criminals and save the day. The original shows the period of the film due to the make of cars where as our don't do that apart from the costume and music. They both show the location to be dirty and dangerous though which makes them both similar.


Titles

Our titles were formal and very open to what they could suggest. They were a plain font and white which fits into the tense atmosphere at the very start. This is also a convention of the crime film due to it being mysterious and not giving any clues away. The transition for the titles was a simple fade which is mature and sophisticated, also not giving any clues away to what genre the film is. In the Skarsky and Hutch film, the titles are still in the jazzy font that the title of the film was in. This is giving clues to what type of genre it is unlike ours. This is us challenging the typical conventions by not giving away at the start the type of genre. the titles also appear quickly, like a blink. this is quite exciting compared to our gradual fade in. This is again giving clues to the pace of the film unlike ours. Crime films are full of mystery so we support this with our titles.


Costume
Our costume was very fitting for the 70's era and help the audience know the period easily. The costumes were already very funny and some aspects exaggerated. For example, the hair was exaggerated on the cops to add the comedy effect. The criminals wore dark colours which is a convention of ''bad guys''. The cops wore brighter colours which is a semiotic message to the audience that they are the ''good guys'' this makes the audience ant to support them and hope they do well. In previous crime films on this genre, they also wear clothing fitted to the era and also make it look trendy. The cops are seen as cool to make the audience want to support them.


Lighting
The lighting in ours changed de to the atmosphere and mood changing and the characters that enters. First, it starts off with the lighting being low. You can see where the light source is and that's from the lamp which is directly above the table. This is a typical convention as lots of crime films as this. The lighting was produced from the back and with the smoke over it, it seems hazy and grim to make the audience feel slightly uneasy. When the cops enter, it changes and becomes brighter with a yellow tint to make the colours seem brighter. this is due to the characters changing the mood of the entire film to a comedy and that the criminals have been caught out. in Starsky and Hutch, the lighting is neutral due to them being outside on a car chase. it is bright which represents the pace of the film.


Characterisation
Our characters were typical crime film characters by having the divide of ''good guys'' and ''bad guys'' that everyone is familiar with. We had the criminals smoking which is a convention that people recognise easily. By giving each of our characters an accent, it was also a convention that people recognise. The good cops were funny and tried there hardest at everything which added to the comedy and this is recognised as what the ''good guys'' in a film do. By having them smoking, we have used the convention and not developed it much. 


Camera Angles
We did not use many camera angles in our film due to keeping it a mystery of what was going to happen. Our camera angles varied from mid-shot to close up of each criminal to see there true reactions to each other. Even though they are all in the criminal gang, one of them hate being in it and the close ups show the audience this. When the police duo enter, the camera angles are varied de to the pace now becoming hectic and manic and the variety reflects this. In Starsky and Hutch, the car chase is fast and includes lots of movement so lots of varied camera angles are needed to show the pace of the film.


Editing transitions/visual effects
We used many effects and transitions in our film. First, we used transitions for our first titles. This consisted of plain fading in and out. Secondly, when the titles for the police duo were out, they changed to represent the true genre of the film. AS you can see in the screen shot, the title of 'master of disguise' is in the middle of doing an exciting twirl out of the shot this shows the pace of the film to be fast and shows the comedy elements. Also, we used the green screen as a visual effect. by being able to change the background easily to show different locations, it helped with the humour of the master of disguise being in a variety of different places.


Genre

To begin with, our title sequence suggests its a normal crime film with lots of tension, suspense and drama. The titles suggest this, the music and lighting. The acting is also serious and does not suggest comedy at all. When the police duo come in, due to the change of music, lighting and acting being over exaggerated, we instantly see that the film is going to be a crime/comedy. It still includes elements of crime such as guns, police, violence while also including slapstick comedy and exaggerated costume parts. Due to it starting to look like a serious crime film, it makes it exciting for the audience to see a change and allows them to laugh at the cop's expenses.

Completed Title Sequence

The Edit

Sound Effects
The sound effects we used really helped bring our film to life. First we put a reverb/echo sound on the criminals voices. This lets the audience understand better that they are underground. We put background noise as a heartbeat. This adds to the crime genre and intensity of the film and makes you feel on edge. There is also eery, suspence music to help create the atmospheric tension. Some other sound effects used is for the fight sence and when CHip is demonstrating his karate moves. We have used comedic punch sound effects to add to the realism that they are actually fighting and the comedy.

Transitions
As the beginiung of our title sequence is very serious and intense, twe didnt want the title movments to give it away that it is actually a comedy. We used a basic trasition for our titles of just 'fade'. This makde is more sophisticated and serious rather then us using special effects

Colour correction
At the start of the the title sequence, we put a blue colour filter on the film to create the sense of coldness and also helps the audience understand its a crime film. Also, the blue could represent the coldness which is inside them. After the cops burst in, there is a yellow filter and contrast to make the film seem more 70's and comic strip like. it also makes it vibrant which is contrasting to before. This helps the audience to understand the period it is set in and the pace of the film which has now increased.


Green Screen
Green screen was very helpful for us to create comedy and change the location quicker. it also played a big part in how we created the fight scene. First, we used it to demonstrate the skills that each of the cops possess. We used it to create Chip being in the Chinese mountains and also when Dale is in different locations being undercover. We recorded each character fighting towards the camera and there reaction to being punch. By using editing we put these shots together to make it look like they are actually being hit.

Production Diary

Wednesday 7th March
This was our first day of recording. One of the first problems we encountered was how to set up to make it look like the location we had in mind. We wanted it to look like a deserted, dark, dingy underground basement. To do this, it was actually easier then we first anticipated. First, we had a light at the back of the studio which would shine forward. Bruce sat in front of the light too stop a glare on the camera. This created shadows and the perfect atmosphere to start recording. We then used the smoke machine to create the smoke affect in the air to again add to the intensity of this part of the film. Once we were all set up and happy to start recording, we encountered another problem. One of the actors rang in and told us he was ill land unable to make it to the recording. Luckily, we were able to find a willing replacement quickly who also suited the role. Ont his day, we recorded all of the intense part with the criminals talking about killing a customer. This was a great way to finish the recording as it was then easy to progress onwards.


Wednesday 14th March
On this day, we decided we were going to film the fight scene between the gang and cops. Another problem we then encountered was the actor who filled in for us last time was away on a trip. We tried to work around this by saying his character got scared and ran away, but it wasn't realistic enough and didn't look as good. To overcome this, we choreographed a fight scene and attempted to make it look busy and hectic so the audience would not notice the missing character. it was extremely hard for us to get the lighting and smoke looking exactly the same as the previous recording day and this broke to continuity. After looking back at the footage we shot in this day, we decided that it did not look funny but in fact silly as it was a silly fight. After discussing after options, we decided to go or a new approach to the fight sense so we booked another recording day to finalise our filming.

Wednesday 28th March
On this day, we decided to look into using the green screen and editing to create the fight. This could keep the comedy alive as it would be more slapstick and also look more impressive for the audience. To create this illusion of the fighting, we recorded each character individually. For example, we would foot shoot Chip punching towards the camera in front of the green screen. Next, we would film Joey pretending he just got punched and reacting. We did this with all characters and ensured they used over exaggerated facial expressions to help add to the comedy. in editing, we then put there two shots together to make it look like they are actually being punch. When we asked some people from our group to look at it, they laugh and agreed this was a lot better then the footage we shot before. Once we had all our footage and was happy, we moved onto editing.

Schedule

To ensure we would use each of our filming days productively, we created a schedule of each shot that needed to be take, all props, locations and of the actors. Dur to our cast being relatively small, we needed them there for each shooting day. This made it easier for us to organise. Here is a copy of our shot list and schedule

Script

Here is a copy of our script that we used, This is the final version, our first version was too long and needed to be cut down to fit into the time scale we had to use.

The Pitch

The pitch was a chance for us to explain our ideas to the rest of the group and get some feedback. We created a powerpoint demonstrating our ideas for storyline, costume, location and genre of our film. After showing our ideas we asked the group for feedback. We then went away and saw what we could improve in our film to make it even better for our target audience.



First, we explained that our movie genre was 70's cops which includes crime and comedy combined together. We explained how our main character of Chip and Dale are the name of our film to add to the slapstick comedy. This got a good repsonse from our class and they enjoyed the title of our film. We knew that this would not need to be changed. We then went on to explain costume ideas and how this would add to the comedy due to the humourous wigs and mostaches. One feature of our film is the fact that the cops are actually pretty pathetic at there jobs. We explianed how at the start we will demonstrate there specialist skill they both posess and the comedy is they are not very good at it. Our location ideas were easy to pitch as its just an underground basement which is simplistic but atmospheric. We finished the pitch by asking for feedback. This was the feedback we found the most usful:

''I reallly like the comedy parts i cant wait to see it! Remember though that it is a crime film and at the moment you seem to only be concentrating on the comedy part''

This was constructive criticism and we went away and thought about it. How we acted upon this was how we changed the start of our film. To begin with, we would see the criminals around a table talking about money problems, drugs and killing a customer which would not pay up. This would create a completely tense and creepy atmosphere. This was enhancing the crime aspect of the movie. We showed our group the idea and they also believed it was a good idea then to just start with the movie being funny. It also helped with the comedy at the same time as when the cops burst in, it will be totally contrasting and exciting for the audience to watch which is our main goal.

Casting

When choosing our cast, my group had the advantage due to us being in a Drama class. We were able to get our cast easily and they felt comfortable acting due to the Drama class. Casting was easy for us and we didn't not need to hold any auditions for any of the parts. When writing the script, we already had our cast in mind so i wrote the characters which would suit there personalities. The two cops were already friends and knew each other so this helped the interaction between them to be real on film. One of the criminals is shy and not a stereotypical criminal and this adds to the intensity as he is even scared of the group he is in. For this character, I knew an actor which would be perfect for the part. One problem we had was that one of the actors was ill on the day of filming but luckily we had a replacement in mind who was able to step in and felt comfortable playing the part.

Locations

In most crime films, we see the criminals being in a location which is secretive and hard to find which makes sense as they do not wish to get caught by the cops. We looked at films such as Bodie and Doyle and how they find criminals to usually be underground. it always creates a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere due to it being dark and uncertain of where they are. We developed this idea and then decided to place ours a deserted basement to create the right tense atmosphere before the police duo burst in. To create this location, we used the film studio and put a blue filter on. The blue makes it seem cold and risky. We used smoke in the background to make is seem eery and also as the criminals are smoking as mentioned in the previous post. We also added a lamp  directly above the table. Due to there only being on light it shows they are trying to keep a low cover.


Here is a picture of our criminals in there basement.

Props

Referring back to the audience research post, one convention that the audience recognised in the crime genre is guns. So we had this to be one of the main pros in our film. Both the cops and criminals have them which allows the fighting to be more intense and create more atmosphere. After looking at other crime films myself, such as the Godfather, the gun is a common proper used.


Another thing we noticed after looking at crime films is that the criminals have certain props which distinguishes them from the cops. The criminals usually always have a cigarette or a cigar. Due to these criminals talking about their money problems, its obvious they would not be able to afford cigars so instead we have the main criminal smoking a cigarette.


Here is an image of our criminal smoking to betray his bad side compared to the cops.

Costume

We based our costume ideas on the famous police duo Starsky and Hutch and also the general 70's style. We liked the idea of both of them having a stereotypical 70s hair do so we looked into ones which would be easily recognised by the audience. After looking around and asking our target audience which ones they liked the most, we settle for these 2 styles. These add to the comedy aspect and fits in with the genre. The big heavy moustache was another convention which is 70's and helps add to the humour. We decided to have the cops wearing them not the criminals so the audience can distinguish between them easier.


We wanted the criminals to look different from Chip and Dale so the audience can recognise them easily. We had Chip to be wearing  leather jack so he would seem cool and sophisticated. He also is wearing flare 70's jeans. We did some research on 70's trends for the audience to be able to identify the period easily. Dale is wearing a denim shirt which is also typical of the period. He is also wearing a chest wig to add to the comedy. His trousers are high waisted which is 70's and adds to the genre of comedy. We looked at the police duo Bodie and Doyle and this is where we first got the idea for the leather jacket from. 


Here is a picture of our characters in costume

The criminals were wearing dark colours which is a semiotic message to the audience that they are evil and mysterious. The leader of the gang is also wearing a denim shirt and this causes rivalry between the Cop and the criminal and we see them fighting at the beginning. Later on we would see this rivalry grow. 

Storyboard

Here is a picture of my storyboard which is guide on how each shot will look when filming.

Each box represents a shot in our filming and the description under it describes what type of shot we want to use, any special filters and lighting. Ours was generally simple until the ending so we did not need to write much description.

Audience Research

After deciding the target audience and film rating, I needed to find out what my audience liked and enjoyed to watching to ensure our film would be successful. To do this, i created a questionnaire and asked a range of ages questions about genres and films. I asked as many people as possible to make my results more representative. Here is an example of some of the questions included in my survey.

1. How often do you go to the cinema?
2. What makes you go to the cinema?
3. How old are you?
4. What gender are you?
5. What genre of film do you prefer?
6. What format do you watch films on?
7. Would you be interested in a crime film mixed with comedy?
8. What do you expect from a crime film?
9. What do you usually see in a crime film?

The answers on this was valuable for me to know what to put my film. First, it will help me understand what they like so I can include it in my film. Secondly, the audience recognise certain conventions so they know its a crime film. If I include them in my film, they will easily recognise the genre. Here is some Graphs to demonstrate my findings.

In my findings, I can see that most people go to the cinema about once a month and they go because of the genre of film. This is important knowledge to me because if they only go to the cinema once a month, it shows me that it must be for something good. Also, the genre of film is what makes people go to to cinema, so following on from here, I asked if people would be interested in seeing a crime film mixed with comedy. Only 2 people said no to this question. This is what helped me with my decision of doing this genre as it was popular. One of the most recognisable crime film conventions was guns. I will ensure they are present in my film to aid the audience's understanding of the genre. The most popular genre was comedy and this is perfect for the genre i have chosen. 

My target audience is 15 - 30 years old. This is due to the violence involved, the comedy being very 'tongue in cheek' that would not be suitable for younger audience. The older generation may also find it slightly offensive. It is appropriate for 25 and over because it is similar is Starsky and hutch which they would remember from childhood. The target audience is wide due to the humour being appropriate for a large group of people.

Media Institutions Reasearch

There are many possibilities on how to distribute a film. First, there are the main big companies that are recognised world wide that need to be considered

20th Century Fox
This company has been present since 1935. The headquaters are in California, USA and is one of 6 major American film studios. This company has produced famous movies such as Star Wars, Ice- Age, Home Alone and Planet Of the Apes. 


Paramount Pictures
This company is an american film and television production company located in Hollywood. It was founded in 1912 and is the third oldest oldest existing film studio in the world behind Universal Studios and Gaumont Pictures. This company has produced The Godfather, Beverly Hills Cops and Saturday Night Fever.


Universal Pictures
It was founded in 1912 and is the second oldest production company in the world. Universal was founded by Carl Laemmle in New York. Some of there best movies includes E.T, The Mummy, Jaws and Meet The Parents.


I have decided to look into more local distributors due to financial issues and also doing parts independently. A way I could do it independently is by using YouTube. This is a free way and can be rewarding but also risky as it may not be viewed much. A modern way to get in into the public's eye is to use Facebook. Due to the social working network being so fast moving, it would be seen by many different people quickly. Friends talking to other friends would also spread the word around.


7Video distributors
These distributors are from Shropshire and are local to me. They produce films for a variety of different clients, industries and purpose. This would be ideal for me as our genre is different and unique and they would work with that. They have a lot of experience from web video to commercials.

Age Ratings

Age ratings are put in place to ensure that each film is suitable for different ages.  The BBFC has set guidance for each rating to ensure each film corresponds. When a rating is put on, no-one under that age is allowed to see it in the cinema or rent it. For our film, the beginning shows drugs and drugs being prepared on a table. It includes strong language and this can be frequent if it was a 15 rating. Sexual references can be strong but not portrayed. Sex is not seen much in our film but is very 'tongue in cheek' to add to the comedy. Violence may be strong for a 15 rating but cant dwell on pain. We show violence within reason due to fights between the cops and criminals. After looking at the guidance with great deal i believe our film is a 15.