Tom Morris Evaluation question 4

Technology was obviously key to my work on this project. We used a HD camera to film our production, which I found importantly, easy to use, as I carried out the majority of the filming. 

During the editing stage, using Final Cut, I didn't do too much of it to be honest, but when I did help, I found it quite complex, but some of it was fairly simple. 

To produce our radio trailer, I used a Zoom recorder to record my voice, which was easily uploaded to Final Cut to be used as a voice over. 

Other things such as Google Docs, to produce the questionnaire was very easy to use and I would use it again the future. 

Blogger itself, has continued to be very effective and has always been straightforward and is a very good way to display this project. 

Tom Morris Evaluation question 3

3 – What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Having looked initially at the brief, we looked into various genres and ideas. As you can see on the blog, we played around with other storylines and possible outcomes, until we finally decided to go down the route of a psychological thriller. This we thought would be effective as we had done something of similar style the previous year. That wasn’t on the same lines of course, but the story, in a sense, is similar in terms of the severity and darkness to the story, even if it isn’t until the end.

Once we had decided on this idea however, it was fairly clear on where we were to take it. The criteria stated that the film must be five minutes, the end product being a few seconds over I believe, but we wanted to get every aspect in, cutting it down to an extent at which it still made sense to the viewer.

In order to understand what our audience thought of our idea, we produced an electronic questionnaire in which we distributed on the internet. Also, we made a video where we attempted to film various people answering our questionnaire in person. This however, didn’t go exactly to plan, but we had the answers from at least one person in the end.

In terms of meaning, we didn’t as such struggle, but in editing we did have to make considerable cuts in order to get it near the five minute mark. We initially felt this would take key parts away from the film, taking away meaning and would confuse the reader. However, we found that we could cut it down and still make sure it made sense and followed our story rather well, if not better. Some parts I saw as excessive, anyway. We filmed in parts, which helped with continuity so we didn’t get lost, as such.

Effects such as black and white and the repetition of these shots help the viewer understand the film better. Also, sound effects over these shots give them a better understanding of what’s happening and why.

We distributed a rough cut of our film and found that viewers liked the idea of the storyline and the effects in which we used. We shortened the film after due to the length. We needed to get as close to five minutes as we could.

Tom Morris Evaluation question 2

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

In our main production, we were trying to achieve a sense of mystery and suspense, to give the viewers a shock come the end. We did this by building up evidence that would seem to have led to only one outcome, but of course it was the opposite.

We reflected this very well in the ancillary products also. The film posters in which we produced contained symbols from the film, such as the poker chips, the playing cards and in one, the face of Brian himself. On both however, is blood. We did this in each of our posters to throw the audience a little, as this suggests that something bad will happen, but they don’t know how it will happen or in which context. By this I mean, given the circumstances of the film, this could be a vision of Brian’s, but it could also be a reality. The viewer looking at this, simply doesn't know.

The one above is my poster, which as you can see, has the elements I was talking about. The one on the right is our final chosen one, which goes further in using more symbols, but keeping the blood to add the sense of mystery.

We also produced a radio trailer for our film. This also reflects all of the elements as in it you hear scenes from the film, that give the listener an understanding of it, but not giving anything away. It uses the same conventions of the posters really, as it gives the audience an outline but it keeps a feeling of the unknown.

In comparison to existing products, we looked at existing trailers and posters to give us an understanding of how they should look and sound, belonging to this genre. We found that what were required for the radio trailer were key parts taken from the film, sound obviously. Also sound effects from the film that carry significance. The voiceover in the ad was also important in the sense that it is setting a tone for the film and also of what is to happen.  It was kind of the same for the poster, just containing the symbols, showing what happens in the film and then the blood rather than the sound effects to add the uncertainty of the storyline.

Tom Morris Evaluation question 1

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

In terms of understanding the continuity of our film, we of course had previous experience from our production the year before. In that film, we had understood the aspects of continuity well and in doing so, produced a film that had continuity that worked quite effectively. So from this, we had already observed the conventions of this, to an extent.

In order to understand and interpret these conventions further, I did research into it by looking at videos, to give me a better idea of how continuity, in particular, should work to the best of its capabilities, giving me a vision almost of how our film should look in terms of continuity. I feel this research helped a great deal, as I think our end product is very strong in this department. Personally, I feel that the continuity and the editing between shots is what set’s our film apart. We chose to adopt a quick, snappy, rhythmic style between our shots, making the continuity what it should be; clear, precise and keeps the viewer informed of any changes that are happening, as well as making sense throughout.

I believe our film met the criteria of a psychological thriller very well. We had done research into the genre and found exactly how it should look, as well as the specific effects needed to give the viewer no doubt of the genre in which they’re watching. Effects such as zooming in and out of the eye reflect, I feel, the genre well. It gives us an almost weird, unusual edge, which I believe is necessary to a psychological thriller. The ‘eye zoom’ especially, gives us a sense of the psychological state of the subject, perhaps. Also, the flashbacks we see of the main character Brian, further confirm this genre as it is us seeing what he sees in the future. The sound effects of something rewinding and the black and white effect over the film, show this again. At some points in the film, we see Point Of View shots (POV), where we see what Brian is seeing. This puts us in the mind-set of the character and gives us an understanding of what he is thinking, or planning to do next, maybe. As the director, these are the effects I wanted the film to reflect, by using these shots, such as POV’s and Over the Shoulder shots (OTS). It puts us in the mind of the focus point and we see everything he sees, in the same way and context he sees it, which is what I really wanted to get across to the viewer.

Also, I wanted to stick to the conventions of the genre, and never planned to subvert the expectations of the audience. I wanted it to be different and un-expecting, but at the same time, I wanted it to be seen as a psychological thriller, in which we all know and enjoy.

I don’t see there being any parodies in our film. As I said, I wanted to keep it close to the conventions of the genre and in doing so, avoided any parodies and ‘twists’ of the genre, such as blending two genres together. A part we are particularly happy with is the plughole scene. We didn’t parody as such, but took inspiration from the great film Psycho, where we see the same thing of zooming into the round plughole and then zooming back out of a round, eye. We differ from this as we have a different context, no one has been killed as there was in Psycho, and there is simply water instead of blood. This scene uses that effect well but also works cleverly as it flows nicely with the story, as Brian goes through his morning ritual.

In terms of audience pleasure, I want the audience, as I said, to get into the mind of Brian and to understand what he is doing and why. Also, the film builds up this huge expectation of something amazing to happen, and it does, to an extent. Then of course at the end, there is the twist in which the film finishes on. This I think will surprise viewers and perhaps have had them fooled throughout the rest of the film, which I hope they will see as clever and that it makes a great story.

Comparing our film to real media texts, I think there are a couple in which we looked at and took inspiration. For the title sequence, we took ideas and the look from the one seen in Se7en, where we see the text ‘jumping’ across the screen, from its original position. This adds to the distressed, edgy look we wanted.

The other film would of course be, Psycho. We thought it would be interesting to take such an iconic scene and give it a twist of our own, which I feel fits into the film very well and also tells the story in a different way, whilst still having such clever, eye catching editing.

Audience feedback results

click for audience feedback results

Audience feedback questionnaire

link to audience feedback questionnaire

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_4xk0PyJtU0hz_Lg3PSCAB4jHkNB0oxg8MtBktkydjE/viewform