Evaluation Question 7

When looking back on my preliminary task I believe that I have progressed massively. Working on my own, it was obviously difficult as I had near to no help with making the film apart from the actors in the film. When I was doing my preliminary task I had the help of Rory who was originally in my group before leaving the media studies course. So already the main task was a lot more challenging than the preliminary task in the sense that I had less help from others.

Primarily, in the planning section I went into much more depth for the main task than the the preliminary task. I completed lots of research prior to producing the film opening sequence which helped me know what I needed to include. I began by researching general thriller codes and conventions while also analysing existing thriller films so I knew the standards of which I would need to follow for my own film. Later on in the research process I focused on choosing my  target audience which involved looking at different audience theories and researching what type of audience likes watching thriller films. After this, I created an audience profile based on three people who said they would be interested in watching my film post production. For my pre lim task on the other hand I didn't really do much research into audiences and targeted a more mainstream audience. After collaborating initial ideas with the two other members of the group (at the time) I had a rough plan of what I wanted my film to be based on; I had a vision of a bank robbery scene to start the sequence off and from there we came up with the idea of an interrogation style film which would be shown in the opening sequence. As soon as I knew what I wanted to do I began the next part of the research phase. I looked at different scenes from thriller films that would be similar to mine for example I analysed the police escape scene from 'A Kid Called Danger' and the interrogation scene from 'Night Crawler' as these scenes were similar to what I wanted to include in my own. I also looked at representation of different conventions within thrillers, such as lighting, location and costume.

After completing all the research that was necessary for when I come to make the film, I had to begin planning the production of it. This began with me creating a story board based on the plot of my film; I found that my story board for pre lim task was very different to my main task's. For the pre lim task I just briefly explained what shot type I would use for that clip but for my main task I went into more detail and explained how I would achieve this with the use of digital technologies such as the ken burns effect on final cut pro. Similarly, for the pre lim task, when stating the non-digetic sound I would be using for each shot I just described what kind of music I would be using, for example on one occasion I found myself writing "I will use a slow-tempo song that will gradually get faster to build tension," which wasn't really that helpful when I came to editing the footage because I didn't know what song to use. Whereas for my main task I had done research prior to the filming and editing so I already knew what songs to include at certain parts. Because of this I was able to be specific in my storyboard, "Jungle by X Ambassadors" which was helpful during the editing stage as I could simply just search for the song on iTunes. I also created a production schedule so I could stay on track and avoid running out of time. For the pre lim task I didn't have a production schedule and as a result I found myself being quite rushed throughout it and almost missing the deadline because editing took quite a while. For the main task the production schedule helped me a lot as I was able to stick to it most of the time and stay on track. However, I could not film on one of the allocated filming days because of bad weather which was unwanted in the shot. Because I missed that filming day it threw me off schedule and I fell quite behind because of an unfortunate run of bad weather.

The next thing on the agenda was filming the opening sequence. This was obviously a lot more complex than the pre lim yet I still think I managed to do it a lot better. Going right back to the preliminary task video I had a problem with filming location- the classroom we used for the first half of the scene was being used and thus meaning we couldn't film in the same place for the next part. Because of this we were forced to use a different room than before which made the sequence look unprofessional and probably confused the audience. In the main task I wasn't faced with this problem and we were able to film in the same location for both filming days. I think the quality of the footage was a lot better for the main task than the pre lim task, which I think is dominantly down to the technologies used during the filming process. Firstly, I used the iPad air 2 to film all of the footage which is known to have a better camera than the iPad mini used to film the preliminary task video. Furthermore, I used a tripod to film some of the scenes in the main task video which reduced the shaking of the camera which occurred in the pre lim video where we weren't able to use a tripod. The location of the scene for the main task was a really good place for the opening scene as it was an isolated place in the country side connoting vulnerability. I was able to use Bowdon Rugby Club as my location because I work there and so the owner allowed me to use it to film. The  preliminary task location, however, wasn't very ideal for the plot because I was trying to convey a dull, mysterious atmosphere but the bright colours and child-centred displays contradicted this.

After the filming stage was complete I needed to edit my footage into a presentable format. When I went into editing the preliminary task I had pretty much no experience with Final Cut Pro X meaning I didn't know how to use some of the features of the programme. However, for the main task I had had some practice with the technologies and had done some research on some of the transitions and effects that may come in handy when I come to edit the footage. The preliminary video was very basic as I used barely any effects and transitions which was because of a lack of preparation in the storyboard, unlike for the main task of which I included specific effects like the 'Ken Burns Effect' which would allow me to zoom in on a desired character or prop. Additionally, I was able to use a filter, and a timer at the bottom of the screen, in one part of the interrogation scene to make it look like a real interrogation. When I was doing the pre lim task I think I lacked the creativity that made the main task so impressive.

On the whole I believe that, my main task was much more succsessful than the preliminary task and the main reason for this, from my point of view was because of the amount and quality of my my planning and research. Doing all that reaserch at the start of the course of this project helped a lot as it sort of created a checklist of vital codes and conventions that I would need to include in order to have a successful film.

Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I think that prior to making this film opening scene I already had some good knowledge about media technologies from my work for the preliminary task. I used Final Cut Pro X to edit the footage so I already knew the basics of how to change and manipulate media texts, however, there was still a lot that I didn't know.

When filming I used a tripod to keep the camera in a fixed position and reduce the shaking to make the shot look better. Furthermore, the tripod also made moving the camera a lot easier and smoother because when I attempted to film with my hands, the shot was unclear because my hands were shaking and the movement was not consistent and straight. For the camera itself I used an iPad air camera which I found to be very good as none of the shots were pixilated and blurred. The sound quality was also substantial, however was quiet at times, especially in the interrogation room which was detrimental to the film. Overall, the iPad was decent for this media product however I think in the future I would try and use a digital camera to get better definition, but for this project the iPad was the best I could get my hands on.

When it came to editing the footage I used Final Cut Pro X which I was very use to by this point. After testing some of the effects at the start of the course and later using the apple programme again for the preliminary task I gained some basic knowledge of how to work it. As I worked through the editing stage of making the film I picked up some skills that I could use in the future. For example I used the Ken Burns effect to zoom in on the money in the bank robbery scene which I didn't know how to do prior this project. To access the Ken Burns effect, one must click the transform box, then select 'Ken Burns' from the pop up and crop the picture down to the size you wish to zoom in to. Another thing I learnt to do on Final Cut Pro X was to change the lighting of the shot and make it darker. This was very important as I wanted to include low-key lighting which wasn't possible when filming because of the natural light.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract and address your audience?

During the research stage of creating my film I looked into my target audience and who I was aiming my media product at. I said from the beginning that I would aim my product at males aged 18-25. From the questionnaire and focus group the main thing I found out about my target audience is that they like the feeling of the unknown and don't like predictability. They also said that they enjoyed violence and danger in thriller films which would be another thing I needed to focus on. Lastly, when asked about what conventions of a thriller they preferred, one of the main answers was the build up of tension to a significant or revealing moment.  While making my film I would need to address the audience by meeting their preferences and demands. Including the things that they have said they like will mean they will be attracted to my film and therefore watch it.

First of all, I focused on building tension within the film as this was quite a popular demand from the audience so I thought it would be best to make this my main goal. I built tension in several ways ranging from mise en scene to sound. The low-key lighting in the interrogation room enhanced an eerie mood which built tension up to the moment where Matt's character agreed to help attempt to track down the missing criminal. Along with this I used quiet music with a rising tempo to add to the build up of tension. I believe that this will excite the audience and make them keep watching as it almost indicates that a large, dramatic moment will occur soon. The location, Bowdon Rugby Club, is completely surrounded by fields which I think was  significant because it shows that the place is isolated essentially connoting vulnerability and foreshadowing criminal activity.  This will attract the audience because they will know, from the isolation of the 'bank' that something evil will take place.

Next I aimed to create the feeling of the unknown as this would link in to building tension. I did this using a cliff hanger at the end of the first scene. Matt's character agrees to help track down the missing man who threatens the country which leaves the audience wondering what will happen next. Will the criminal and police work together to find the wanted man? Or will they fail to do so and be under threat from him? The only way to find out is to keep watching which draws them in even further so they can't stop watching. I did this also when Jonny's character was running across the field into the distance. The audience don't see him till very late on in the film so in between they are left guessing where he has gone, what he is doing and will he be seen again.

Finally, I included violence early on in the film, when Matt got hit over the head with Jonny's gun, to immediately draw in the audience. They will see it and from then on out know that there is more to come because its so early on in the film. Aggressive language is also used to further prepare the audience for the aggression and violence later on in the film. In the interrogation room, in the second half of the scene,  the police man appears to be aggressive towards the criminal showing his desperation to find the missing man. I think I further attracted the audience by having a large event occur so early on in the film to set the barrier of what is yet to come.


I believe that within my opening sequence I used the uses and gratification model because it allowed the audience to escape reality and simply relax. The dominant theme of violence and crime in the opening bank robbery scene is perhaps unrealistic in modern society and so therefore the audience can use the text as a form of escapism.

Evaluation question 4

Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation question 2

How does media products represent particular social groups?

The social class system begins with the underclass who are those people who are unemployed or completing a very small amount of paid work. The working class people are also considered to be very low class as their jobs are very underpaid and can barely afford to live on just a single income. Working class jobs include, cleaners, taxi man, Middle class people tend to have higher paid professions such as teaching and shop keeping. Finally, the upper class are a minority group who have well paid jobs and can afford most luxuries such as a nice house, car and regular holidays abroad.

Evaluation question 1

Evaluation 1 from james thompson