Evaluation.

Conventions
In my opinion my media production develops the conventions for the Crime horror genre rather than challenge them. For example of a development is the crime involvement, my media production is mainly focused on the crimes of the characters, this trend is apparent in many other crime thriller films. Another convention that my piece follows is including danger, this is shown in the opening two minutes when Robert Browning is shot.

The majority of Crime Thrillers opening two minutes are used to introduce the criminals and there reasons. This is included in my opening sequence as we're introduced to the criminals (Teenagers) and the problems (Being brainwashed). This pattern is apparent in films such as Reservoir Dogs : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyR4RK0LA_E

However my opening two minutes do challenge the conventions of thriller, in particular the psychological issues with in the main criminal. Instead my characters do not have psychological issues but instead the characters are brainwashed and are thus they aren't in control.

Social group representation
The social group that is mostly represented in my opening sequence is young people, because the main character is a Teenager. In my opinion, the representation of Teenagers is neutral.

The negative representation of teenagers is that they are lazy and are almost robotic.The laziness is shown by the location and context of the storyline, this is because all the only activity that Jake does is play on his xbox instead of socializing and meeting up with friends. The robotic impression comes from Jakes actions, this is because despite the fact that the Video Game had obviously been tampered with, he continues as usual and plays the game without any disregard.

However Sam, the main character, portrays Teenagers positively. This is because he is a strong character who is able to fight back against the brain washing. He is also very determined, as he is determined to find the creator of this code and then stop the process from ever happening again.

Media distribution
In my opinion the company that would distribute my production would most likely be a large major industry distributer. For example twentieth century fox or universal, these are two of the biggest distribution companies in the media industry. I have decided that a large distribution company is better suited to distributing my product because of they have a larger audience base to appeal to, rather than a smaller company. As well as this, a larger distribution company will have a bigger distribution and marketing budget, therefore my product will be more widely marketed and will therefore advertise to a wider audience, which in turns results in a larger profit margin.


Audience
In my opinion I feel that the audience for my production is the teenagers to young adults group. This is because from the questionnaire I performed, I was able to derive that the age group that prefers to watch Thrillers is the thirteen to twenty five age group. Also from my research I found that the gender group that prefers Thrillers are males.Therefore my production was aimed at Males who are aged between thirteen and twenty five.

Attracting and Addressing the audience
I have attract the audience by designing a fresh new take on the thriller genre, this is because conventional thrillers follow the person with the psychological problems, whereas my production follows the puppets of the mastermind. I have also attract my audience because of my choice of characters, this is because my target audience has the ability to relate with characters such as Sam and Jake. As well as this I feel the action that I have put into the opening sequence will attract my target audience, this is because it's fast paced and exciting. I also think that the Enigma code created by the the text; 'Subject 00001 Objective Kill Robert Browning' intrigues the audience as they realise that Jake is being controlled externally, and they want to find out who is behind the brainwashing.

After publishing my opening two minutes to Youtube, I posted the video on my Facebook. I did this so that I can get the views and opinions of the target audience.

This is my opening sequence that received 10 Likes on Facebook

Some of the comments I received on Facebook

A twitter post discussing my piece (From a media student)

My learning about technologies used

I have learnt a lot about the production and editing of media productions through the stages of creating my opening two minutes. 

Technologies used:

Flip HD (Video camera)

Adobe After Effects CS5

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum HD

From using the Flip HD I have learnt that despite high definition video footage being the next step in video recording, it isn't always practical. This is because after editing all of my clips and leaving them at 720p HD quality I had to render my opening sequence as a file that was approximately eight gigabytes, this is impractical because Youtube allows for a maximum upload size of two gigabytes. As the eight gigabyte render  used the .avi file extension I decided to remove the 720p render and render at roughly four hundred megabyte as a .m2t. This allowed me to successfully upload to Youtube at 480p instead of 720p.

Adobe After effects formed a very important part of my opening sequence, the shooting of Robert Browning sequence. From this sequence I learnt how to superimpose and create realistic gun shots and wounds. I chose to include the gun shot in my opening two minutes because in my opinion it is a significant event. This process also developed my knowledge of the benefits and uses for After Effects, however using After Effects doesn't come without problems an example of one of these is that After Effects doesn't allow for the user to edit the accompanying soundtrack, however I was able to overcome this by using another video editing program to add the gun shot and diegetic dialogue.

Even though I had previous experience of Sony Vegas I had not previously used more than one soundtrack and video effects/transitions. So from this production I learnt how to mix tracks and alter the volumes and different levels, an example of this is the final shot of Robert Browning, the title sequence sound track begins however at a low volume. Another important technique that I have learnt is video masking. Video masking is the process in which parts of a video a removed to create a new shape for the video, the example of this is the extreme close up of the eye.

Advancements since my preliminary task
Since producing my Preliminary I feel that my Producing and Editing skills have increased dramatically. This is because In my opinion my preliminary was edited poorly, for example throughout my preliminary I was only able to use one soundtrack, whereas for my final production I have used at least four sound tracks at points. My editing skills have also progressed because I chose not to use iMovie to edit my final production. The main reason for this was because I felt that iMovie didn't have the editing capabilities of programs such as Sony Vegas. As well as this I think that since my preliminary my directing and shot composition abilities have improved, for example the sequences in my preliminary are very basic, whereas my final productions sequences are well positioned and have a good flow, this is shown by the outdoors shot sequence. I have also learnt that actors and props have a heavy impact on the quality of a production, my preliminary didn't feature well designed props or actors well suited to the roles, but with my final production I feel that the props that I designed went very well with the story line as well as the actors chosen.

Summary
In conclusion I feel that my final product was successful as it provided a good storyline, it was composed well and the editing was professional. I have also learnt that HD isn't always better, and this is important to consider when filming future productions.

The Code

This is my opening two minutes of 'The Code'.

Actors:

Myself as Jake:

I chose myself to star as Jake because I am the typical teenage boy, I am also well suited to the requirements of the roll.

Matt Finch as Robert Browning:

I chose Matt to star as Mr Browning because in my opinion he is well suited to this role, also Matt looks professional and this is a requirement for the role of an MP.

Shot compositions and choices.

The close up of the game case is used to introduce the audience to the main object of the film as the game included in this case. This shot had to be re-filmed however, this is because during the first take I forgot to remove a real video game manual and this was obvious in the shot. The camera then cuts as we see Jake place the disc into his Xbox 360, I used this shot to show that the disc had no art on it, thus giving the impression that the disc had been tampered with. After this shot the music begins to start, this is used to create tension for the coming events. The camera cuts back as we see Jake sit down, I have edited this next sequence between Jake and the TV to show an eyeline match. The shot of the television that includes the raining code was used to give the impression that this brainwashes the subject that observes this. To create this I placed the Raw video of the code layered over the top of the TV shot, I then used the 'Cookie cutter' function in Sony Vegas to remove the edges and reduce the overall size to fit the TV screen. The next shot is an extreme close up of Jakes' eye, I edited this clip to include the reflection of the code from the TV, this is used to give the impression that the code has been implanted in Jakes' mind. To edit this section I also used the 'Cookie cutter' feature, I Feathered the clip to give it a soft outline to make it more realistic. At the start of this next sequence the Metal/Rock music is played, I chose this music to show that the character has been altered and something is different about his persona. The next shot is a point of view shot, this point of view is Jakes', I added a distortion effect to this section to reinforce the implication that Jake has been altered. Also during this shot I have placed text that says "Subject 00001 Objective Kill Robert Browning", I added this to inform the audience that Jake is the first person who is subjected to the code, the second section 'Kill Robert Browning' is used to inform the audience of the intentions that are hidden in the code. For the next sequence I decided that Jake should look almost robotic, hence the restricted movements. I decided to use quick cuts to create tension for the coming events. After this I used a Fade to black/Fade in from black to give the impression that time had passed since the previous sequence. At this moment the major tension music kicks in and Jake is shown to remove the gun from its case, this is the moment that the audience realises that this code means business. The camera then cross cuts to Robert Browning as he is on his way to the meeting hall, this is used for the audience to make the connection. The shot quickly pauses to show the audience how Jake views Robert Browning, informing the audience of this characters details. The camera cross cuts to Jake as he is cocking the gun, I used this as a quick cut to create tension. The cross cut back to Robert Browning is used to keep the audience informed, also at this point the music begins to crescendo, creating tension. This musical crescendo's continues as the camera cuts to back to Jake as he is loading the gun. The camera cross cuts back to Robert Browning as he begins his speech, the first line of speech is "Hello and welcome to the annual conservative party conference"  this is used to introduce the context of the speech. The camera then cross cuts back to Jake as he is loading the gun, he then says "Right that's it, political scum bags going down" this is used to show that political figures are the targets of this code effect. Robert Browning then says "This years going to be a exciting year for our party and I'm hear to tell you all about it" this is used to create tension, because of the next event. The camera then cross cuts back to Jake as he is standing up to take the shot I then used a match on action to show Jake as he stands up, I used front mid shot of him with the gun barrel facing the camera. The soundtrack's volume is reduced to allow for silence for the shot, I chose this because it is well suited to end the culminated tension. As soon as the gun flare is shown the camera cuts to Robert Browning as he is being shot. I edited the end of this shot sequence to include a strobe light that ends in a fade to white. At this stage the Titles begin and the opening two minutes are finished.

Target audience reception:

My target audience is the 13-25 age group and a lot of my friends fall into this category, therefore I posted my opening sequence to my Facebook and asked my friends to give me some feedback. Overall the feedback was very good and everyone was impressed with the editing.

"Awesome" Andrew Parker and Jake Whent. (Target audience)

Keveren (Target audience)

"loving that josh! great added effects, actually really realistic :D love the way you run looool" Dale Ratcliffe (Target audience)

"Wow my mates media coursework piece is absolutely brilliant. Completely professional, if sped up at points. That may be intentional though" (Media Expert, Studies same media course as me)

Script and Storyboard alterations

During the production process it became apparent that some of my scripted lines were impractical, so these were cut from the final production. Also, during filming I decided that some shots from storyboard would be better filmed with lots of different cuts.

Script;
The first section of scripting that I decided to remove was the non diegetic dialogue from the character Dan. This is because in my opinion theses lines were not important and specific to the narrative of the opening two minutes. I also decided to remove the voice over, I decided to do this because I felt that the voice over didn't fit the brainwashing feel, voice over is better suited to a remotely controlled subject.

However, to still imply the main narrative I added to the script during production. I added a section for Robert Browning during his speech, this was: "Hello everyone and welcome to the annual conservative party conference" "This year is going to be an exciting year for us and I'm hear to tell you all about it", I decided to add this diegetic dialogue because it informs the audience of Robert Brownings' occupation and reasons for his death.

Storyboard;
The only change to the storyboarding was adding further camera shots. I chose to do this to create more tension at points. For example the section that Jake finds the gun, I original storyboarded two different camera angles but during production I decided to use five camera shots to create more action feel to the sequence.

Final editing

After editing all of the clips individually to include the special effects that were only possible in After Effects, I used Sony Vegas to assemble all of the clips together and then dub the sound to the video clips.

The first stage of this was to import all of my required footage; 'Aced Productions' title sequence, my recorded footage and 'The Code' titles. I then used the split (S) function to successfully order and position all of my clips. To create my cross fades I simply dragged clips so that they overlapped one another. There are sections of my production that require fades to black, to add this I used the transitions tab, I then edited these to change the timings of the fades.

The next step was adding the soundtracks. To do this I imported all of the tracks needed and then added to the work area. I then split the sounds onto different levels, so that I can alter the volumes of each clip. Once I had created the majority of the soundtrack I had to add the gun shot sound effect. This involved editing to a great degree of accuracy, to successfully do this I used the zoom function so that I could edit frame by frame allowing for pin point precision. 

Editing

To edit my footage I used a variety of programs, each with unique benefits.

The main program that I used to edit was Sony Vegas movie studio HD platinum, I chose to use this program because of the accuracy and detail that you can edit with. Also Sony Vegas has lots of effects that are well suited to all sorts of productions. Through the use of Sony Vegas I was also able to easily adjust soundtracks to fit with my filming.

The second program that I used to edit with is Adobe After Effects CS5, this program allows med to easily superimpose on to my footage. I mainly used After Effects to produce the shot of me firing the gun and the MP being shot. However After Effects doesn't support sound, therefore I used Sony Vegas to finish the scene by adding the soundtrack and Gun shot.

During the shooting scene I had to rotoscope the subject, this means separating him from the background, therefore I had to edit the background of this shot so that the background isn't affected by the rotoscoping process. To do this I used Adobe Photoshop, I used the clone stamp tool which means that the existing background is copied and by doing this I can remove the subject from the shot, and leave just the background.

Blooper

With every production there are bloopers, however during filming I was fortunate enough to experience very few bloopers. The main blooper was a hardware failure, this was when the Gorillapod I was using fell from it's positioning. This happened when I was recording a section that was later cut, it's shown below.

Sound.

An important part of any film production is the sound track. Most soundtracks are copyrighted, therefore i had to use Royalty free music for my opening sequence. To source my music I used the website
Incompetech.com, this is because they have a large database with excellent search options to choose from. For my piece i wanted to use Tension music, fast paced music and some sombre background music.

For my basic soundtrack I used a mixture of the tracks called 'Dark times' and 'Nerves', this is because it's a well composed track that can provide tension for coming events.

Dark times:


Nerves:



For the section of footage of which the character is in the trance i have chosen a track with a metal/rock feel to it. I have chosen this because Rock/metal genre gives the impression of rebellion, and the film is a rebellion against the government. This track is called 'Zap beat'.

Zap Beat:



For the main shooting sequence I have chosen to use a track called 'Clenched teeth', this is because the track consists of a strong beat that slowly speeds up, this track then culminates in a section of quiet, and this is timed perfectly for the shooting of the MP character.

Clenched teeth:


For the outro I used a section of Eminem's Won't back down, however this was performed and recorded by a friend.

Editing: Stage one.

The first stage of editing was to use computer generated imagery and effects to super impose gun shots/wounds onto my footage. To do this I used Adobe After Effects. To document how I made this I have created a video that shows my method. This is shown below:

What have i learnt?

What have i learnt from research?

Silence of the Lambs analysis:

From this is l have learnt that for a thriller to be successful it should cause suspense and contain mild horror. Also the colours that are used in the film should be dark, this is because dark colours mean for a grittier film overall.

Dawn of the dead and Four lions title sequences:

By analysing these title sequences i know that i have several options for title animations, for example; Text on black, text on images and separate animations for specific titles. From this i know that for my production the title sequence will have to depend on the timing of the rest of the filming.

Layer cake opening sequence analysis:

Layer cake fits into the crime genre of film and crime is a sub genre of my film. From analysing the Layer cake sequence i know that my production involve action that poses a threat to characters with in the film.

Narrative structure:

By learning about the narrative structure for films, i have learnt that it’s very important for my film opening to incorporate the narrative structure. 

Locations are also important when filming a production, and because my budget is low I am restricted to locations that I choose. However, fortunately most of my filming can be filmed around my house, and the rest within Copleston's School hall.

Below are the locations that I have chosen to film.

My Bedroom

I chose to film in my bedroom because it features all of the requirements that I need for the bedroom in the opening sequence. This also means that I don't need permission to film here as I live in the location.

Outside of my house

I have chosen to film a section of my opening sequence here because the scene involves a rifle, therefore this is the only outdoor location that I am able to film easily within. Also because this allows me to get a wide variety of shots to compose my shots.

Copleston School hall

I chose to film here because there is a lectern and stage, both of which are used for a speech. I also chose this location because of the large white background, this is because the blood will show better on a white background.

Preparation

To ensure that film went to schedule, I decided to film on a Wednesday afternoon, this is because I have Wednesday afternoons free, therefore I can start filming at around 1 PM. To make sure that everything can be filmed, I had to check the weather, this is because a small section of my film has to be filmed outside. To check the weather I used the BBC weather section on their website. A screenshot of the weather is shown below:

From this I know that it's possible for me to film on Wednesday 16th March.

Equipment.

The equipment that's chosen to film a production can have heavy effects on the final product, for example if a camera is of a sub standard then the final output will be a poor quality.

The camera that I will be using is a Flip HD, this is because this is a very good camera that is capable of filming at 720p, this means that the footage captured is high definition. However this also means that the file size of my output will be large, therefore I will have to compress the file.





The tri-pods that i will be using have very different uses.

 For the majority of filming i will be using a Gorilla-Pod, this is because this allows me to place the camera in various positions. Another advantage of this is that I am able to film from high angles, because the Gorilla-Pod features three moldable legs that can be shaped to fit around a post.

The filming of the shooting will be filmed using a standard tripod, this is because the Gorilla-Pod requires other objects to film from a good height, whereas the tripod allows me to film from height easily. The tripod that I will use features a spirit level, this allows me to make sure that I am filming at a level angle.