Evaluation

In our two minute task we wanted to try and create a piece that gave off tension and suspense. Making our 2 minute film we wanted to use the camera to show movement so we thought about moving it along with the characters to give off the feeling on nervousness and watch them like someone was there. When we first thought about our film piece each person I our group came up with ideas on how to set the task we all came up with the idea of it being dark and have tension, trying to mix all of our idea into one. We thought for our target audience would be young adults and people who like thrillers and suspense; I think we fulfilled our set task in creating this.
Whilst trying to find the best location we wanted it to be quite dark and mysterious so we filmed in a field in Catton as it was a fairly open space but had some dark areas also a small park for shot of a swing. We originally thought about having a merry go round moving and a shot of someone moving in the background but when filming we couldn’t have had the merry go round in one location and the swing in another as it wouldn’t look right plus we only have a certain amount of timing with the lighting as we wanted it to be fairly dark but still able to see, at the beginning of the film it is very light and clear throughout the film it gets very dark and quite difficult to see so we had to edit the lighting to get a better look at what was going on. At the beginning of the film we start with a full 360degree turn of the park, then close up of the swing moving but with nobody there and closes up to follow, we also did a lot of ground shots so you see the characters legs as they walk pass, this gives off the feeling of movement. Through the rest of the film we used theses techniques and at the end of the film we had the idea of letting the camera fall to give a sense of mystery of what happen next as you can hear screaming.
With our group we had difficulties in meeting up and people turning up. So when filming needs to be done it had to be done without them.

Evaluation

For our task we wanted to create the opening scene of a thriller movie. We think our target audience will be older teenagers and adults who enjoy watching thriller movies and also people who are interest about the Steve Wright murders. For part of our movie we used snapshots of pictures that we took, we wanted this to create a scene and image in our audiences mind. Our interviews took place in one of our houses as we wanted to create the effect that we were interviewing people from their houses. This was because they were scared of the murders and grieving. Our short scene of a person running took place outside on the grass. We did research however about our ideas, and looked at films such as sweeney todd and from hell which were based on murders and jack the ripper, which Steve Wright is to be thought of as a modern day version.

I think we would choose a  production company like Lions Gate Entertainment if we wanted to distribute our film because although this isn’t the most well known company, it has produced a lot of horror and thriller movies before.

We did however have many problems when doing our task. For a start we found it difficult to come up with an idea that we all liked, and that we all thought was achievable. We then had problems when actually filming. One of the group members was always hard to contact as she had no phone or email address. This made it hard for us to organize a time when we could all get together. Work was also an issue so the time we had was limited. Also when editing we realized we didn’t really have enough filing but it was too late to film some more, obviously time was a major issue here and we should have checked our filming before we began to edit. when editing as well there were only 2 of us that knew how to actually use the software, as we were used to using a different one, and even then we still found it difficult and could only do the basics. Our task could be seen as more of a documentary then a film, this was because we included the interview, if we had longer than 2 minutes then maybe it would become clear it was a film.

Therefore in our task there are a number of things we could have done better, we should have put a lot more effort into our task, and planned more thoroughly. We also needed to work better as a team and communicate more.

In conclusion I am not really pleased with our final task. I don’t feel all group members tried their hardest and we didn’t work to the best of our ability.

Images from two minute production:

 

The beginning of our film started with a panning shot around the local park in order to establish the full setting for the audience to see.

The camera then captured the swings moving in the wind.

We then zoomed in order to create more suspense and tension as if something or someone was lurking there, and not necessarily just the wind.

 

We then moved in closer towards the sand and followed it across and out of the sand pit for the extra suspense and mystery.

 

The two characters in our film then casually walked across the park and infront of the cameras on purpose. We thought this would create realism and look effective.

The characters then walked through into another section of the park. This shot was taken to make a clear variation. It was shot from the ground so that only the legs and feet could be caught on camera. This worked really well and looked good.

 

The camera filmed from inside the park looking out through the trees. This looked really effective and almost although someone was running through the park and following the two characters.

This was a shot that was used to break up repetition of running and captured the cars driving along the main road and as they disappeared up the road.

 Here is a shot of the characters running from what they thought was someone following at the sound of footsteps.

 

The camera cut to infront of the characters. Here was a continuity error as in this shot they weren’t running still, they were walking and therefore we had to move this clip forward so that we could still use it. This worked equally as well.

 Here is the end shot in which the camera moves towards the car as we hear the characters screaming. We did this so that the audience is left in suspense and doesn’t know what quite has happened down the dark pathway.

Evaluation of opening scene-task

For our opening credits task we chose to make a thriller film. We felt that this genre would be the easiest one as we all had ideas for the scene and also on how to build the tension needed. We also thought that it would be fun to do something quite different this time as our previous task was a comedy. To start with we all made our own separate storyboards with an idea for a storyline. Then we compared the storyboards and discussed how we could make them into one film scene. This way all of us got a say in planning the scene, and it was an effective way of making our different ideas clear so that we could show them to each other.

Our opening scene shows two young girls walking through a dark park. We filmed from behind, so the audience can only see the silhouette of the girls. With this we aimed to create the feeling of them being followed, the camera is filming them from a distance. Our intension was to make it seem like we are watching the girls through the stalkers eyes, therefore we used a hand hold camera to intensify this effect. By keeping the characters at a distance we also wanted to make the audience wonder who they are, and what is going to happen to them. We wished to make it all seem very mysterious and creepy. In the background one can hear the sound of cars driving past. The lights from the cars make changes in the lighting, and with this we hoped to add a realistic feeling to the scene. We also did this because we thought that people could more easily relate to a realistic scenario, and because the realism would create extra tension. The sound is muted to emphasize that this is going on in the background. The target audience for this film would be younger people, but also adults with interest for this genre. It wound not, however be a film for children and younger teenagers as it is meant to be quite scary at some points. If we were to make the whole film it would probably be given a 15 certificate. We are trying to attract our target audience by playing on the fears of being followed and the vulnerability of walking through a deserted area in the dark.

We did some research before and during this task. This was things like watching films of the same genre carefully to get ideas and to see how the tension was build up etc. We mostly focused on the opening sequences as this was what our task was about. I feel like this helped a lot to get an understanding of the genre and how things can be done, as I have not paid so much attention to the details while watching films before. It also helped me to understand how a thriller film can be built up in different ways and that they often follow some sort of pattern.

We did face some difficulties during this task. One of my biggest problems was that I was absent while the other group members did the filming. This left me a bit confused for some time. However, after watching the film and talking to the others, I feel like I got a good understanding of what they had done and was able to join in when I came back again. Secondly, it was a bit hard to get the lighting to look the same through the whole scene, as the filming took place while it was getting dark. But I think it turned out fine in the end, after some editing had been done. There was also some lack of enthusiasm in our group, this may have been because two group members have been absent, (including myself) which has made planning and co-operation a bit complicated sometimes.

If we were to choose a media institution to distribute our film, we think that the 20 century fox would be a good option as they are a very well-known company, and have done films of the same genre before. People also tend to watch films by these big famous companies, because they have done good films before etc.

Looking back at the preliminary task, I feel that I know more about how to go through the whole process more systematically now. It helped just to have been through it before, so that we were aware of mistakes we could easily do, and avoid them this time. We also used quite a lot of time just coming up with an idea last time, and I feel like we solved this problem effectively this time by making the separate storyboards in the beginning. Even though I was not able to help with the filming, I know many of the things we did wrong the last time has been improved, and I can see that the quality of the film is a lot better. We also added more sound effects in this film, which makes the finished product seem more professional. In the end I am happy with our finished product. We could however have worked better as a team and put more effort into the task, and that is something that could be improved for next time.

Evaluation of the main task (2 minute film opening)

For the main task we had to come up with the idea for 2 minute opening titles to a film genre of our choice. The genre my group chose was horror/thriller. At first we were not sure whether to go through with this idea as after to speaking to the rest of our class we realised they had also gone for the same genre and looking at the same location choice as us. We thought through other ideas and then decided to go with my original idea. When planning and story boarding the idea, the 2 other people in my group thought up ways to change the story to make it an idea that we all helped think off, and were all enthusiastic to film.
We decided to pick are target audience as teenagers and young adults. We were aiming for certificate 15 as we wanted to make it as violent and gore as we possibly could with the resources we had and the abilities that the actors had. We started to look at the main ideas and themes we found in our chosen genre and 3 other films that were close to what we were looking at for our own film.
I feel I put a lot of effort in when it came down to the filming date as I organised all props, decided the costumes and brought in people I knew to play the extra actors we needed at short notice. I think the first time we filmed it, it went well as all the actors worked hard on improvising scenes and we got some well structured and interesting shots. When it came to uploading and editing our piece we experienced many problems. First of all our footage would not upload to the system, thirdly when watching it back we realised we had not got enough footage to edit and cut down into a 2 minute piece, and secondly when watching the piece back we realised we had major continuity eras and people who had come down to watch from another group were seen in the background waving at the camera which ruined those shots.
We tried our hardest to do the best we could with the footage we had and to find a way to upload it. When realising there was no possible way we decided to re-film the entire project. Even then we came across problems again. We couldn’t film for a long time because members of the group experienced a variety of personal problems and since we are all taking the same subjects we were trying to get the exam work in for other subjects on their deadlines. Also the actors we had used before were no longer available so we had to use all 3 members of the group and managed to get hold of someone hours before we were due to film. We then had a problem with the cameras battery and ended up having to film the piece over a span of 4 days only leaving us 3 days to upload and edit, also on a few of these days we were filming between and after lessons so we were loosing light fast.
When we first filmed we forgot to add in the original party scene’s to explain why karly is drugged and why she’s suddenly in the wood’s which was probably why we had a lack of footage. I felt this was because when filming the first time we all had a lack of focus and enthusiasm. When we came to deciding to re-film it we decided to set it in a beer garden of a pub and luckily we managed to get permission to film at ‘The Brickmakers’ and they were also kind enough to supply us with some props we were lacking. I felt this was a great location as it was close to the general public to show that the victim is in no kind of danger to begin with from when she is alone in the wood’s. We did experience problems with the sound on this location though as it was next to a main road and we had to try and talk above the noise of traffic.
We also filmed in a wooded and hilly area which I feel gave us fantastic shots and gave a real sense of tension to the piece and made the audience feel like the characters were lost. We also filmed the characters holding the camera themselves and running which gave a sense of terror and can help make the audience feel involved as it looks like it is really happening. This helped to provide a feel that the main girl character really has been drugged by the stalker character as many of the scenes are jolty and also had the actors spinning around with the camera so the audience can see things from the drugged victims point of view.
We decided to film the fight scenes from many angles over and over so we could cut between each scene very quickly adding to the tension we were aiming for and building a sense of fear and terror. It also keeps the audiences interested as it is not filmed from one angle. it also gave us time to cut the scenes and add blood to the people in the fight when it was needed.
I think we created a good effect when editing as all scenes at the pub before the main character, Karly, is drugged is filmed in colour and all scenes after that are in the woods are in black and white which created more shadows. We also cut straight from my character Karly downing the spiked drink to her running in the woods which makes the audience wonder how they got there. Seeing as this was an opening to a film we decided to put the end of the film at the beginning and then add the line “let me show you how an obsession grows” so if it was to be a whole film it would then go on to show you how they got there. Unfortunately due to lack of time and not having the right equipment we couldn’t add this. We also stopped just as the stalker is about to stab the friend, Dannii, which leaves the audience guessing what happens to her.
Due to the genre we chose, we had a lot of health and safety issues as there was someone running with a knife and also holding to another’s throat. We overcame these as we ran through those scenes over and over and blocked them so we got them perfect so no one would get hurt. We also did the same with the fight scenes and ran over the running scenes to make sure everyone knew exactly where they had to go. We also checked the area to make sure there was nothing that could harm us whilst doing falling scenes. With these scene’s i also researched and went through a step by step guide with the group of how to film certain shot’s that would be potentionally halmful to the actors without actually putting them in any danger. For instance, with the angle of the shot and the distance from the actor’s, when the stalker is slitting Karly’s throat you don’t actually realise that the stalker is quite far away from the actor (myself) playing Karly.
Music was also an issue for our piece because only after editting we were told that we were unable to use copyrighted music witthout getting the artist’s pemission. We managed to get hold of the person who discovered ‘The Prodigy’ ,the band who’s music we were using, but he then told us as they had changed record labels it was no longer up to the group or himself to give permission to use the track. We then were told to try get hold of the record label who owned them but we were unable to get hold of anybody who would be able to take the matter further and actually give us permission to use the track. We understand and realise that in a professional situation we would not be able to use the track without the owner’s permission, but due to lack of time and deadline’s we felt we had to go with the edit we had.
Overall, looking over footage and our final edit I think we all worked really hard and I am very pleased and proud with the end result.

Evaluation of two minute task

For our task, we were aiming to create a thriller/drama about the Ipswich murders (Steve Wright). For the opening credits and scene, we decided to have a mixture of different media forms (film and pictures). Our opening scene would contain clips of the victim running away, and then it cuts to the news report. The first thing that would appear on the opening credits would be a newspaper article about the murder which would then lead to the film. Also there would be location shots appearing; they would represent the crime scene photos. Our main target audience would be teens and young adults, as it wouldn’t be suitable for younger children, because of violence.

At first, we had trouble thinking of an idea, as none of us could think of anything. We then decided that we wanted to have ours as a thriller/ drama like Sweeney Todd (2007 film) and looked up about the modern Jack the Ripper (Steve Wright), and therefore decided that this was what our piece was based on. We had to make sure that we didn’t make it look like a documentary. We had some trouble with illness from all of us, and so could film at some points. We also had to rethink the opening sequence as we felt our original idea wouldn’t work. When we first managed to film and go onto the editing stage, we noticed that there were many errors, and therefore decided to redo the whole filming. We used some friends for the interview and used Jenni’s living room as her room was perfect for the news sofa, as her wall was plain.

When editing, i choose to have the title at written over a blood background, as this would go into the idea of thriller straight away to the audience. At first i found it difficult to edit as it was different to the software that i have at home, but i manage to figure it out. I feel that we could have done better in this task, if we manage to be more organise as people were away and this couldn’t have been helped.

Looking back at the  preliminary task, i felt that this was more harder, even though it was only the opening of a film. I felt this because, in the preliminary task all we needed to do was to have someone enter a room with dialouge then leave, and with the main task, we had to create an idea for film and create the opening, which there was more thought and planning to do.

Planning Main Task

We decided to have a mixture if photo and film. The photos would contain eerie places and a newspaper article . The filming would be the Victim running away from the muderer (Steve Wright) and then a news report about the murder, interviewing children and teacher from the school the victim is from.

Cast:

Victim: Jenni Dack

News Reporter: Jessi Rabicano

P.E. Teacher: Libby O’Leary

History Teacher: Nik Jones

Two Teens: Jack and Whitney

Evaluation of Two Minute Task

   In this task we were aiming to create a thriller movie scene. We wanted this scene to be precise what I mean by this is that we wanted the camera angles to be correct and for the lighting to be right and look really effective as well as to create lots of tension and leave the audience curious as to what happened next. We thought that this was the best way of attracting our target audience which was mainly for the younger generation. Younger people and teenagers like films that keep them on edge and keep them wondering. They also like the films to scare them and give them some form of adrenalin rush, as well as portray a good sense of reality. This is why we chose to make a thriller film. The setting of our opening scene was at a local park and the surrounding area. We chose this because at the time of night we filmed it began to get dark and the trees and equipment on the park formed creepy imagery and lots of shadowing and tension. This is typically seen in many thriller or horror films. I felt this location was perfect for our scene, we also had traffic passing by which helped add to the atmosphere as it was extra noise in the background as well as the brightness of the car lights and other existing lights that we could pick up. In this opening scene we did not want to pinpoint particular characters and therefore tried to keep it to a silhouette figure as much as we could. We also felt this helped create some tension as you are not quite sure what to expect from both characters. We used a camera stand in order to get a panning shot of the surroundings; this was a good way to introduce the setting in which the events take place. We varied all of our camera shots as much as we could to make it interesting and as skillful as possible, whilst also making it look as effective as we could. This was the real importance, because without it looking effective and if it looked too precise and staged it would not create the feeling that we are trying to send across to our audience. The main theme was the reality of this actually happening in a day-to-day situation.

We had several problems in our task. Firstly we really struggled to come up with a suitable and interesting idea that we could use. We all created a storyboard which we thought would be the perfect idea and then moulded them together. This was the easiest way in which we could all agree on a specific scene choice. We had further problems when trying to film. In our group none of us are the closest of friends and we all live too far away from each other in order to just meet up and film. Considering we were filming at night we could not find a suitable location safe enough for all of us to travel to. In the end two of us took the task into our hands and filmed, leaving the other two in the group to help edit and make any adjustments and change what they wanted. This meant that everyone could take part in the group. Whilst editing we struggled to adjust the lighting and contrast for the entire film, this was because we filmed as it got dark and therefore some scenes are lighter than others. This looked out-of-place and spoilt the filming. In the end we managed to change it and make it look the same colouring and shade.

In this task there are several things that we could have done better as a team and during the creation of our scene. Firstly I feel that we should have practiced our techniques of filming a lot more so that we were certain about what camera shots we wanted to achieve. Secondly we all needed to work better as a team by fully co-operating and discussing what we needed to do as a group and individually in order to make our film a success. This was one of our weakest points.

In conclusion I am pleased with our final outcome, we tried our best and created a film to the best of our ability even if we did lack enthusiasm. However next time we need to expand our horizon and really think carefully about what we are going to do, who is going to be involved, what props and equipment we will need and most of all the most realistic location.

Changes we made for the main task

We decided to change the opening layout. We will still be using thriller/drama as the genre.  We decided to have snapshots of scary gothic places still, but then goes to a live news report, (which i will playing the role of the news roporter) which then snaps to the victim running, (which will be played by Jenni) it will then go back to the new and flash back to the victim again.  We decided to do this instead, as we wasnt sure our other ideas was good for time wise.

Planning on Main Task

For our main task we decided to make a thriller/ drama for our opening. We looked up about Steve Wright and decided to show the uprising of him and his victims. This will not be a documentary, it will be as a film representing him.

For the begining, we have snapshots of gloomy and eerie places around Norwich e.g. The Cathedral, Castle etc. We still havent yet decided of which to show these places either as photos or film with slight movement. then we would show the victim running away.