Tuesday 14 February 2012

EVALUATION QUESTION 4

How did you use new technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Within our project we have used many new technologies which have allowed us to create professional and successful products, such as our Film Magazine, Film Poster and also out Teaser Trailer.

Adobe Photoshop CS4
Adobe Photoshop is an advanced professional editing suite. This allowed us to create and edit our poster and magazine. The effects allow us to change lighting, colour, size/crop the image, background, angles and much more. The use of the software allowed us to create more of a mood/theme to our magazine and film poster by altering the colours. The professional look of these two products was also created using the text and shapes such as the blood splatter on the magazine. This adds to the theme of horror/thriller which the magazine is advertising. Obviously the text is there for the audience to read and give information about what is inside of the magazine.

Cropping

Brightening the image

Adding Text

Changing/experimenting with font

Still Camera
We also used a still camera to take images for out poster. This was a 12MP camera which provided us with clear, crisp images. We also used the camera to take pictures for our evidence of props, location and images used within the trailer. For example; the individual victims names and photographs on the map.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
This is the main software that we have used to create our film trailer. The time line allows us to position and arrange out footage. We can also crop footage, delete the sound and preserve the film (vice-versa). The bar to the left shows all of the footage that we have on the time line and also allows us to add more footage/re-add footage without going into other folders to find it again. Effects and transitions can also be added to the time line, creating more of a flow from one image to another. We mostly used a ‘Cross Fade’ which transitions one image out whilst focusing another, allowing a flow. Another effect used on the trailer is ‘Fade to Black’. This is useful for creating blackouts on the footage to allow tension to build whilst waiting for the footage to start again. Adobe Premiere Pro was also useful for adjusting volumes on the footage and also creating moving text; such as the text/colour blocks on the news reports, the ‘layered’ time line makes it possible (just like Photoshop) to have scrolling text which disappears behind the red bar at the bottom.

After Effects CS4 I used After Effects to add the brighter ‘flashes’ on the individual victim images. This effect, alongside the camera sounds creates the illusion that someone is taking pictures of the sections of map. After Effects was also used to momentarily adjust the colour and lighting of the map tilt, this creates a slight distraction and is odd and seems unnerving when accompanied by the music. Effects where also used when the character are walking up the stairs. We overlapped the two video's and also adding lines rolling down the screen to give an 'old' effect to the footage. The next effect used was a 'blinking' effect on the footage where the two characters are running away from something. We created a red circle to represent that the camera is recording. The frequent blinking indicates that the tape is still running and recording. Lastly, we used After Effects on the title at the end of the trailer to make the words 'shine out' and then white shapes to create the effect that the screen is closing/TV is being switched off.

Light flash

Light/colour adjustment (above and below)

Overlapping/layered footage

Lines running across the screen (old)

Recording- blink on

Recording- blink off

Title- shine out

TV turning off

IMAGE The video recorder (camera)
The trailer wouldn’t have been possible to make if we did not have this crucial piece of equipment. The video camera allowed us to shoot our footage in the building and also outside as it was a small portable camera. We also used a tripod to keep the camera steady for most of the trailer and then used it ‘hand held’ to create a feel of distress and disorientation, making the audience feel as though it is them that are being watched and chased.

Audacity Audacity is sound recording software. This allowed me to record sound not only through the microphones set up for voice/radio use, but also straight through the computer (music etc). This was useful and a faster, more time saving way of gathering sounds and also recording ourselves clearly on the professional microphones and computer technology.

The radio system (microphones) The microphones in the studio are used to provide clear and professional recordings of sounds; mostly voice. This is then added to the footage on Adobe Premiere Pro ready for further editing.

Below is video Proof and step-by-step instructions on how to create/do some of the most important steps within our work.

EVALUATION QUESTION 3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

We made sure that our products were viewed by a wide range of people. By uploading it onto you tube we managed to get the feedback by comments and "likes". We also uploaded it to various social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This allowed us to get a wide range of people viewing it. In the first 2 days of the video being uploaded, we had received 300 video views on the Youtube page, as well as how many people viewed on the Social networking sites.

Video Feedback

We received video feedback from 3 people, all from different colleges. This allowed us to get a range of opinions from different places, and makes sure that everyone agreed with our designs and enjoyed them.
We used these people to give us video feedback for our Indignation trailer. There are different advantages of doing a video/interviews. One Advantage is that it gives a lot more personal response. It allows true feeling to be put into the answer (even some jumps if the trailer is scary enough). The answers tend to be a lot more in depth and full. However some disadvantages to this is that the process is a lot more time consuming and means that a video team needs to be on site to record the feedback.

Here are the 3 people we used for video evidence:

Ryan (18), student at John Rigby College.

Mike (25) Media Teacher at Runshaw College.

Hannah (17), Student at Winstanley College.

We used these video feedback to get different advantages and disadvantages to our video. We managed to get a couple of bad points, and good points to our design. This made the conclusion easier as to what needed to be done for the next update.

One point that Mike (25) came up with was the graphic animation at the end. He said he really enjoyed this as it gave off a good ending and allowed the name of the film to really stick into the consumers mind. This made sure that the viewer would remember the film name, and tell all there friends to watch it as they can clearly remember the film title.

Ryan (18) finished off his feedback by saying he really wanted to go watch it at the cinema. This made the whole group pleased as we had hit our target age group. We was aiming for the age range of 15-20 year old teenagers. These are the people who are more likely going to the cinema to watch this genre type. As Hannah is 17 and said she thought the trailer really looked good, this only enhanced the fact that we had hit our target age group.

Hannah (17) really like the fact that the locations looked professional and made the scene look a lore more interesting for the viewers. She believed having the scary setting allowed the trailer to really have an "scary" feel.

Digital Feedback

Here was certain feedback that was generated from social networking sights. Facebook allowed us to post the video to certain friends and family members. This allowed people to "like" the video and say different points that they enjoyed about it.

Below is a print screen of the Design on the social networking site "Facebook". It shows that quite a lot of people have looked and visited the face book page to watch it.

It shows that "21 people like this" however this has only been on for a couple of days. It hasn't been given chance to allow the whole people to view it.

There was other feedback that was generated from online websites. Below is a presentation, to the different evidence that we managed to collect. This allowed us to figure out whether people enjoyed our trailer and allowed feedback for the products produced.

Conclusion

We found our audience feedback very helpful as we needed their feedback to produce our film to a higher standard and we see the audience as an important part of producing our film as they are the people who we want to enjoy it.

EVALUATION QUESTION 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Films use a combination of trailers, posters and other advertising techniques. For our A2 course our main task was creating a trailer for a film. As well as making the trailer we also created our own film magazine front cover and a film poster. These three media texts need to compliment each other and create successful synergy between the three. It is important that each of the media texts links effectively. Through all of our media texts we had the main image of the murderer.

Below is a presentation for the products that were made to advertise "indignation" to a high standard:

The trailer is the most important marketing tool for a film before its release, the trailer is used to draw in the audience and identify the key features of the film. The trailer highlights the areas of the film which are the most eye-catching and what will identify the film and make it recognizable for the audience.

EVALUATION QUESTION 1

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

Evaluation Question 1

View more presentations from Molly Lyon.

In conclusion, we have used a number of typical conventions for each the trailer, poster and magazine. Our trailer takes a similar form to other low-budget horror films like REC, and Paranormal Activity, through the use of hand-held camera styles and simple plot lines creates a sense of realism, with the element of fear created through the audience feeling disorientated and unaware of what is happening. We have used techniques from trailers we researched to add to the mise en scene, from the map, and establishing shots to the location itself, this takes influence from the trailers for 28 Days Later, and Texas Killing fields.

Our magazine and poster use the typical conventions of magazines and film posters to enable them to appear professional. However, breaking out of the typical conventions of a film magazine, ours takes the form of a "Special edition Horror issue" so that the dark colours and use of the colour red suggests the impending danger, and elements of horror, similar to those in the trailer.

The "noise" effect used in the trailer has also been duplicated on the poster, linking the two appropriately. This idea came from the noise effect of the "Quarantine" movie poster, and is created on Photoshop for the poster, using a filter, located at Texture>Grain>Horizontal. This is becoming a common feature in film trailers, and because it is featured in our trailer, I felt it would be more effective in the combination of all three products.