Looking Back On Your Preliminary Task, What Do You Feel You Have In The Progression From It To The Full Product?

This contact sheet shows the preliminary task that we composed at the beginning of the school year. I believe I have improved in many ways since this task. For example; the first shot shows my legs walking towards the camera, this wasn't a highly successful shot as it dragged out and wasn't completely still where as the fourth shot in my Deceit trailer showing a shot which we intended on not revealing the character was more successful as the camera was steady, and a close up shot of the hand coming in from the side was more exciting and thrilling.

The third shot in the preliminary task shows a high angle long shot of me walking away from the camera, this shot wasn't very effective as it was quite busy there were a lot of different objects around and due to the character being off centre the audiences eye wouldn't have been attracted straight to the character. In the sixth shot from the deceit contact sheet you can see another high angle shot however the character is clearly visible as they enter from the side and walk into the middle of the shot.

What Have You Learnt About Technologies From The Process Of Constructing This Product

Whilst constructing my this product I learnt how to use many different technologies ranging from computer programmes to equipment. The first thing I had to learn how to use was Blogger, whilst using this blogging website I found out how to change my design, create labels, make a new post which can contain text, images and videos which are vital to explain the research, planning and evaluation to the full extent also to make my blog visual and interesting.

I also learnt how to use programmes on the mac such as the new Imovie, when importing our video clips they had to be opened onto the updated Imovie and saved to the scratch disk where they could be dragged into the old Imovie. I didn't need to learn how to used the older version of Imovie as I have used it previous years when doing my media studies GCSE.

I also learnt how to use Livetype, which allowed me and my group to create titles for our opening sequence. At first Livetype was quite complecated as it had only just been introduced to us, however it became easier once we figured out the programme and how it worked by experimenting with the different effects, font sizes and colours. We downloaded our font from 'Da Font' and opened it in Livetype to begin creating our titles. I believe the titles we produced on Livetype were successful and very effective for a thriller opening, Livetype is a good programme to use when producing titles as it offers a wider range of fonts, colours and effects compared to Imovie.

Another technology I used and was new to was freesound.org this is where we found our pieces of music. I browsed through the freesound website, typing into the search bar the type of music I wanted until I found the appropriate sounds. I then logged into the website, downloaded the chosen one into Itunes and opened it in Imovie. Freesound came in great use as we found effective pieces of music that are free and legal to download without needing permission.

How Did You Attract/ Address Your Audience

Who Would Be The Audience For Your Product?

Due to the fact it is a thriller it would have to have an age certificate above a 12, however we have made our thriller opening aiming at young adults, 15 and above. If I were to give it a certificate I would say it were to be a 15. I think there wouldn't be a wide audience for our film, it was generally thought of for the interests of teenagers and younger adults, 15-23. I think people of this age would watch the film as it applies to them the characters are of a similar age, they could relate to the issues that are happening in their relationships.

I think the film is aiming at the female audience rather than a completely mixed audience this is
due to the fact that the girl is one of the main characters and she also helps commit the murder, a film that challenges the stereotype of girls being the vulnerable victim is more likely to attract a female audience.

What Type Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product And Why?

Media institutions that could distribute our media products would be Hollywood pictures and spyglass entertainment as they have distributed various other thrillers that are also aimed at people within our target age group (young adults and above) that we looked at during class time such as Sixth Sense.

Hows Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?

We chose to use a non stereotype when it came to the murder, the typical murder scene in thrillers consists of a young vulnerable woman who is murder as they are weak and have no power. The murderes tend to be males who have srength and the ability to defend themselves. We chose to challenge the stereotype as it shocks the audience and shows how women can have the ability to assist or commit murder. However in our opening seqence the victim is a male young adult although he looks as if he he could defend himself he also looks like he shouldn't be invovled in troube and is an innocent person.

I played the character Carly who assisted Will with the murder. I have been deliberatly dressed in black and red to portray a powerful character which challenges the stereotype of characters that are the same age as me in the same genre films. A young girl of sixteen is known to be weak and vulnerable in thriller films, usually the main victim who ends up being hurt or murdered. By challenging the stereotype, I believe the audience would be more entrigued into watching further into the film, wanting to know why it has happened and how the girl has such confidence and power.

Tom who played Will; the murderer, fits the stereotype of a murderer. He he is male, he looks like he could have strength and power. I also think he looks quite fierce although you do not see his face in the opening his powerful but slow walk away from the murder scene shows he is full of confidence and possible doesn't care what happens to him as their deed is done.

However, our media product does represent the type of teenage killer that is found in Wallander. They are both wearing similar dark coloured clothing, both characters have blood splattered over them from the murder. They have a similar look about themselves, their straight fearless facial expression shows they are confident and do not particularly care about the serious crime they have commited.

In What Way Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Of Real Media Products?

Me and my group were influenced by Wallander when planning and storyboarding our thriller opening. Our opening wasbased on a murder; commited by two teenagers, which made it easy to take ideas from Wallander and make them our own. We took the idea of having a range of close up and long shots of the murder scene, we also recreated the close up track of the knife and also the close up of the victims hand. The fourth screen grab of Wallander shows a focus pull where the victim is in focus and the girls walking away from the murder scene aren't; we tried this technique in our first shot, however we used a lower angle and showed the whole body of the victim.

We were influenced by the film Brick to show the flash back in time, we also used the close up of the victims hand in the murder scene before the shot showing the same hand in an everyday situation. The bracelets are the clarification that it is the same girl, in our opening sequence we used a ring. We chose to use this as our inspiration as we believed it would make it clear to the audience that the person that had been murdered was alive and it had gone back in time to the morning of the death.

Your mark

Hi Jade,

It's good to see you have moved on with your blog and made a real effort to have it organised and sorted, with most posts completed. It is clearly labelled now, so that makes it easy to mark - thank you!

Current mark: 15/20
Level: 3
Grade: B

To improve:
Research:
Conventions of your genre - create a good visual post by collecting images from a range of films in your genre and making a collage to show the key conventions

Planning:
Shot list - see my email
Props, costumes, etc... - Make really exciting and visual - show loads of care and creativity with this post to get to level 4
Casting - images of the 'type' of person you imagine you would cast - with your explanation about how you have made your existing cast members look like that 'type

Date for resubmisson: Tues 1st March

Initial Ideas

Titles

To test out different title fonts I am using a website called 'Da Font' which has a range of various fonts that would be good for the use of a thriller opening title.

This font is called 'Rough Linen' I think it would be a successful font to use for our thriller opening a it is as it is plain black and doesn't give away too much about the film however it is quite scratched and distorted which gives the reader something to question abou

t such as will there be more attacks in the film. I also like how it is quite sharp and edgy, the scratches look as if they could have been done by tree branches which links in with the murder being in a woodland.

This font is named 'Cosmical Disfase' I like how the letters are bold and noticeable however cut into and separated at the same time. I think it would be a good font for our opening sequence title as looks as though it has been sliced with a knife which links to the death of Jay.

This font is called 'Prehistoric' I like how it has a cold, thrilling feel it it. I think it would add to the eerie atmosphere and increase the tension.

This font is under the name 'RvD Glued' although it is quite rounded which isn't the typical thriller opening font I think it would be a good font to use. The white marks and splattered type shapes look like blood and also water, which links in with our opening as Jay was murdered and left by a stream. I like how each letter has it's own block or background, it looks as if the letters are covering up something on the background which also links to the word 'Deceit' meaning 'concealing or misrepresenting the truth or a dishonest act or statement.'

Characters and Costumes

We put Eddie (Jay) in clothing that would be seen everyday, we decided to put on a coat and trousers to look like he has just thrown it on before he left the house in a rush. The blue coat could suggest something is cold and mysterious about the situation. We chose Eddie to play Jay as he looks like a normal and happy man that doesn't look like he should be involved in any trouble. He also looks like someone who keeps to them self and is innocent from any thing bad therefore the audience will be kept in suspense whilst they are waiting to find out why he has been murdered.

We dressed Tom (Will) in dark clothing to show that he has a dark, evil and powerful side to him also to portray death. We chose Tom to be the killer, being a male he fits the typical gender stereotype of murderers in films, he looks as if he is strong and has the ability to hurt someone.

I was the assistant of the death (Carly) and I chose to wear red and black, black also show a dark and evil side. I also chose to wear red

connoting blood and death. I was chosen to be the third character in the opening as it challenges the stereotypes of killers also because it would be a shock to the audience who would be questioning themselves on why there is a female in the opening. Also who was it and what does she have against 'Jay' Although my face cannot be

seen in the opening and only my legs and back of my body is shown, it is still clear it is female.

Feedback from research & planning

Hi Jade,

I have just been right back through your Research & Planning sections to mark again. As I mentioned to you in my previous feedback, many of your posts are really carefully done and show attention to visuals and detail, however not all are like this. I couldn't see any evidence of you having gone back to your Research posts and making any attempts to improve them or respond to teacher feedback. For example, the 'Wallander' post still needs you to work on it. Your post on Double Indemnity needs you to create a contact sheet, and you need to come back to your post on 'Conventions of the genre' to make it visual. I also couldn't find any of your audience research?? This are all issues that were flagged when your blog was last checked on Jan 19th Jade - we need to see that you are responding to feedback and coming back to your work to improve it - otherwise our time spent looking over your work and giving advice is pointless and wasted. Pleas read through your teacher comments jade and address the blogs that need completing or reviewing. You can view our comments by clicking on the Comment tab at the top.

I will be marking your Research & Planning sections a FINAL time from Mon 7th.

Between now and then, you should make sure you complete all tasks for research & planning:

Research:
Posts 3 - to do
4 - Come back to and fix
9 and 11 - need contact sheets made
12 and 13 ??
14 - read my comment for this post - make it visual. Create a collage of screen shots from films within this genre to SHOW rather than tell about the conventions (it will need annotations)
15?
17-18 - Audience research ???

Planning:
Post 1 ?
3 - Use proper template
4 - include links to sound grabs from Freesound.org
6 - needs pics
9-11 - to do

You have the potential to get a B or above Jade, that is really clear from some of your work so far. it just needs to be consistent and completed thoroughly - with a real focus on making sure your posts are creative and visual.
SJA Feb 03