Friday, 23 April 2010
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Website Analysis
This is the website front page for my A2 Media Studies G325 Advanced Portfolio.
The size of the canvas was made to represent the exact size of a website I have analysed previously, to add verisimilitude to my own product. This size was 800x800 pixels – the most basic template for my background and other images.
I decided that the first set of pictures did not work well and I was forced to stretch the images to fit the page. Another issue with the images were that they did not portray the genre of the trailer in the correct way, which is an important aspect of this advertising campaign. However, I reassessed which pictures could be used as an alternative, by searching through my photographic stills, for my website front page and stumbled across this picture. This image works well as it portrays a simplistic background, which can have images moulded around it, as I have done.
Another important change I made to the image is that I used it in black and white. The reason for this is that it provides an enigma, as to the location of those within the framing of the final front page. As mentioned in my main evaluation, the darkness conveyed within the image is synonymous with fear which then represents the aim of the title aswell, that the characters are “Locked Away”
From this, I added a black bar to the bottom of the image, which is where all the titles and and certificate logo will go. This is a typical code of most websites, and the colour of the bar being black represents the ongoing fear being conveyed by the website front page.
The idea for this website meant that I wanted the red of the blood to distinctively contrast with the black and white of the background. The reason for this is that it reinforces the horror theme of the film by emphasisng the “blood”. Another reason for the use of the “blood”, is to portray the link between the killer and the victim within the image.
These are the titles I have used within my website to portray the credits section seen on most websites. These titles are typical codes of such websites and I have used a black background to reinforce the horror genre theme. I have also used a significant amount to represent the amount used on many other website front pages.
The size of the canvas was made to represent the exact size of a website I have analysed previously, to add verisimilitude to my own product. This size was 800x800 pixels – the most basic template for my background and other images.
I decided that the first set of pictures did not work well and I was forced to stretch the images to fit the page. Another issue with the images were that they did not portray the genre of the trailer in the correct way, which is an important aspect of this advertising campaign. However, I reassessed which pictures could be used as an alternative, by searching through my photographic stills, for my website front page and stumbled across this picture. This image works well as it portrays a simplistic background, which can have images moulded around it, as I have done.
Another important change I made to the image is that I used it in black and white. The reason for this is that it provides an enigma, as to the location of those within the framing of the final front page. As mentioned in my main evaluation, the darkness conveyed within the image is synonymous with fear which then represents the aim of the title aswell, that the characters are “Locked Away”
From this, I added a black bar to the bottom of the image, which is where all the titles and and certificate logo will go. This is a typical code of most websites, and the colour of the bar being black represents the ongoing fear being conveyed by the website front page.
The idea for this website meant that I wanted the red of the blood to distinctively contrast with the black and white of the background. The reason for this is that it reinforces the horror theme of the film by emphasisng the “blood”. Another reason for the use of the “blood”, is to portray the link between the killer and the victim within the image.
These are the titles I have used within my website to portray the credits section seen on most websites. These titles are typical codes of such websites and I have used a black background to reinforce the horror genre theme. I have also used a significant amount to represent the amount used on many other website front pages.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
List of Software
Photoshop: I have used this programme for the two print based tasks. The diverse range of tools has meant that replicating my ideas has been an easy task, although, getting to know the programme at first was a struggle.
Adobe Audition: This was the programme used to record and edit my radio production. It allowed me to experiment with different sounds and reorganise parts more easily than “Windows Movie Maker”, which is the programme I used in the AS year to edit the audio.
Microsoft Word: Although the most basic programme I have used for the production of this campaign, it has also been the most important, with a lot of documents created for blog updates, amongst other things.
Dreamweaver: Initially, Dreamweaver was going to be used to help create my website, however, due to a lack of time, this was scrapped and just the front page, without links was created.
Adobe Premier: This programme has been vital in the editing of the film trailer. In the AS year, “Windows Movie Maker” was used and our group decided that this did not allow for a diverse edit of the film. This programme allows for easy movin g around of shots and easier editing.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Main Evaluation
The process of creating an advertising campaign, has led to a deeper understanding of the way I need to target an audience, as well as working on previous knowledge from the AS coursework. Without the targeting of an audience, the product may not be successful. This targeting is presented in many ways, particularly through demographic and psychographic means, whereby interest will build up, and in turn, will attract the intended audience. This also means that each product, created for this campaign, will target the same audience, however, via different mediums as well as through technical codes and conventions.
One of the most important factors binding the whole campaign together is the genre. I have taken common codes from my chosen genre, horror, such as the use of darkness to represent the fear within each of my products. The radio advertisement employs a similar technique, with tense music indicative of looming fear. There are other mise-en-scene links, such as characters and locations, which also play an important role in the attraction of a target audience. Research, both this year and last year, has helped inform my decision to use certain aspects to represent my genre, with the structuring of the film particularly influenced by film trailers.
These common links, between each product, are also created so that if a person finds out about one of the products, they can instantly obtain access to each of the other three products, which may then further entice the person into seeing the actual film. The reason behind this, is the extra information available to the person, such as character back stories on the front page of the website, amongst other things. Research has also informed the length of the film trailer and the sizes of the magazine and website. This is critical as I am attempting to emulate a real life product and the more accurate the diegesis, the more likely the audience member will purchase the product.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Due to the size of the campaign, it has meant extensive research into previously mentioned topics of things like genre, so that an accurate account of each product can be produced. It has also meant that efficiency between each of my group members has had to be high, so that we could complete these tasks. I have drawn on many of the codes and conventions from my previous film, produced in the AS year, and then thought about what went well and what didn’t. This gave me some insight into what needed to be completed for this year, the A2 campaign, as well as limiting possible mistakes.
The production of the film in the AS year has also meant that I have a better understanding of which codes and conventions match well with a genre, and from this I could experiment with certain ideas during the production of the film trailer this year. Subverting an idea, rather than going with the norm, can sometimes lead to audience member feeling surprised, and in turn, creates a deeper degree of enigmatic content, which that audience member will then want to find out. I have employed such techniques, referring to the larger amounts of medium shots within my trailer, than you would find in most trailers of the same genre. In particular, the scene where the characters are at the table, with a long duration, is not typical of the genre. However, I have moulded this around quick shots, which portray the danger these characters may then face. This leads to an enigma which is answered, but only to a small extent, which is the aim of the trailer.
The links between each product for this campaign is vital, as mentioned in the first couple of paragraphs. However, the reason for this is that it builds up a certain music score, sound or image, which is then directly linked to the actual film. This reinforces the perpetuation of the advertising campaign, both virally, and by word of mouth, due to the link which is drawn to the film. Research has shown that slow and dark music is a technique used to help build tension, within an audience member. When my group members and I were discussing this issue, we decided that music alongside the antagonist would make the best link, not only because it is a good way to control the emotions of an audience member, but because it can then be used across all four products. This will further aid the perpetuation of the campaign.
My group was told that due to particular circumstances, we had to create our own music. This was later changed, but too late to change our own music. I created some music, and between the other group members, we decided which would be most suited to the radio advertisement, as well as what would suit certain areas of our film. Listening to the soundtracks of the researched trailers, I felt that the most simplistic would equate to the most tense and dramatic. I also thought that over complicating the sound may actually take the audience member’s attention away from the imagery within the trailer and the information being presented via the radio advertisement.
Over the A2 year, I have analysed many magazines, for the purposes of the exam questions. However, this analysis has also benefited the coursework, and has meant that knowing what to include and what not to include on the front cover is vital, and to target the right audience, the correct codes will need to be used. Genre also exists, to some extent, within magazines and is reinforced by the information and images added to the front covers. The information and images also work parallel to the codes and conventions being represented in the film trailer. This is one of the main reason I have used a dark background on my magazine front cover, as a reader of a magazine such as Empire may relate to the codes I am reproducing on my front cover.
Although understanding what was needed to create a diegetic representation of the front cover of a film magazine, getting to know the programme was much harder as I have had no previous experience using it. This has meant that a lot of time has been devoted to understanding certain tools and the reasons they are used when creating the front cover. Little details can sometimes have a massive effect.
An important example is the font. If I had used a different font to represent the “Empire” logo, some readers may not have recognised the magazine. Another crucial misconception is the fact that the size of an “Empire” magazine is thought to be the standard A4 size; however, it is slightly bigger. To combat this issue, I measured the exact size of a copy of “Empire”, and put these details into Photoshop, where I was in the process of creating the front cover. The reason these sizes are so important, is that if finalised, the magazine would have white space, which will again, lead to a reader dismiss the magazine due to lack of quality.
The website also relies on certain measurements, as I intend to accurately reproduce a website front page. The website, just like the other three products, incorporates dark colours to represent the ongoing fear. From my own research, I concluded that the darker of the two pictures I decided to use would be most suited to the website. The reason being is that it provides a stronger enigma to their location and also relates to general plot within the whole campaign – the fact that they are “Locked Away” within the school.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Each of my products will work in a synergistic manner to represent the whole campaign and its aims. This will naturally lead to a more widespread advertisement of the film trailer than using just the trailer on its own. The reason is that this campaign is meant to be virally distributed, more so than paper based, which also leads to the potential of a bigger audience, due to the way web 2 perpetuates information at an incredible speed. There is also a higher chance of coming across one of these ancillary texts by chance, which is directly linked to the fact that there is 4 times the amount of products in existence.
As mentioned before, the ancillary texts also help to provide background information which would be non-existent if only a trailer was produced. This is an effective technique as the audience member may be more inclined to go and see the film if more information is available to represent the genre and accessories to the main text.
The A2 year has also provided a more diverse knowledge of existing texts. Creating texts from varying mediums, particularly the print based products, has shown that similar codes and conventions need to exist in order for an advertising campaign to be linked via genre. During the production of these texts, a large number of unfamiliar programmes were used. This has also led to a deeper understanding of what certain programmes aim to produce and the wide variety of tools used to create these products.
This has been an effective mechanism, as using these different programmes has meant an advertising campaign which is more rounded and detailed. This, in turn, will lead to the attraction of a bigger audience, directly affected by the higher quality of the products being presented to them. The whole advertising campaign is a more complete and accurate representation of a media product, in contrast to the AS production. From research, it can be seen that advertising campaigns, containing promotions, alongside the trailer, are an effective way to target an audience.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Although not much audience feedback has been collected, I have asked many people their thoughts on the four products I have created since they were completed. This technique helps to aid the production by giving me information which I may not have seen the first time around in the creation of each text. Standing at an objective viewpoint leads to such discoveries and is always beneficial. The feedback which has been given has also meant that I have been able to improve my products. An example of this improvement is reinforced by the fact that I have had to film three times to obtain the shots needed for the trailer.
This feedback has not just been instant, it has developed over a period beginning from the pre production through to this evaluation. This input, most of the time, has not actively been seeked out and relects the audience’s true opinion. Another aid in this feedback has been the close proximity of the people in my group. We have been drawing on the same codes and conventions to represent our ideas, which has meant that I have been able to ask for their advice on a couple of issues.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Media technologies have helped advance the construction of each of my four products, however, in different ways. Due to the diverse range of texts for this task, the A2 year, it has also meant a vast range of programmes to help edit and produce them. I have oultined the use of these programmes and the aim in using them here. These programmes have meant that a more accurate production took place, particularly the film trailer, as this was the most important task for me. Although I had not used many of the programmes previously, the aim was to familiarise myself so that I could represent my ideas correctly. The process of familiarising myself can be seen, most obviously, in the way my magazine front cover has developed.
Media technologies have not just been present in the creation of texts, but it has also been used to portray ideas and evaluations through the use of web 2. “Blogger” and “Google Documents” have been key in logging thoughts and representing ideas adequately. This is reinforced by the progression of blog updates and documents being added. This has also led to the perpetuation of my advertising campaign, through popular websites such as Youtube. This reinforces the aim of the campaign directly, as advertising to the biggest audience possible is key in attracting the biggest possible audience.
One of the most important factors binding the whole campaign together is the genre. I have taken common codes from my chosen genre, horror, such as the use of darkness to represent the fear within each of my products. The radio advertisement employs a similar technique, with tense music indicative of looming fear. There are other mise-en-scene links, such as characters and locations, which also play an important role in the attraction of a target audience. Research, both this year and last year, has helped inform my decision to use certain aspects to represent my genre, with the structuring of the film particularly influenced by film trailers.
These common links, between each product, are also created so that if a person finds out about one of the products, they can instantly obtain access to each of the other three products, which may then further entice the person into seeing the actual film. The reason behind this, is the extra information available to the person, such as character back stories on the front page of the website, amongst other things. Research has also informed the length of the film trailer and the sizes of the magazine and website. This is critical as I am attempting to emulate a real life product and the more accurate the diegesis, the more likely the audience member will purchase the product.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Due to the size of the campaign, it has meant extensive research into previously mentioned topics of things like genre, so that an accurate account of each product can be produced. It has also meant that efficiency between each of my group members has had to be high, so that we could complete these tasks. I have drawn on many of the codes and conventions from my previous film, produced in the AS year, and then thought about what went well and what didn’t. This gave me some insight into what needed to be completed for this year, the A2 campaign, as well as limiting possible mistakes.
The production of the film in the AS year has also meant that I have a better understanding of which codes and conventions match well with a genre, and from this I could experiment with certain ideas during the production of the film trailer this year. Subverting an idea, rather than going with the norm, can sometimes lead to audience member feeling surprised, and in turn, creates a deeper degree of enigmatic content, which that audience member will then want to find out. I have employed such techniques, referring to the larger amounts of medium shots within my trailer, than you would find in most trailers of the same genre. In particular, the scene where the characters are at the table, with a long duration, is not typical of the genre. However, I have moulded this around quick shots, which portray the danger these characters may then face. This leads to an enigma which is answered, but only to a small extent, which is the aim of the trailer.
The links between each product for this campaign is vital, as mentioned in the first couple of paragraphs. However, the reason for this is that it builds up a certain music score, sound or image, which is then directly linked to the actual film. This reinforces the perpetuation of the advertising campaign, both virally, and by word of mouth, due to the link which is drawn to the film. Research has shown that slow and dark music is a technique used to help build tension, within an audience member. When my group members and I were discussing this issue, we decided that music alongside the antagonist would make the best link, not only because it is a good way to control the emotions of an audience member, but because it can then be used across all four products. This will further aid the perpetuation of the campaign.
My group was told that due to particular circumstances, we had to create our own music. This was later changed, but too late to change our own music. I created some music, and between the other group members, we decided which would be most suited to the radio advertisement, as well as what would suit certain areas of our film. Listening to the soundtracks of the researched trailers, I felt that the most simplistic would equate to the most tense and dramatic. I also thought that over complicating the sound may actually take the audience member’s attention away from the imagery within the trailer and the information being presented via the radio advertisement.
Over the A2 year, I have analysed many magazines, for the purposes of the exam questions. However, this analysis has also benefited the coursework, and has meant that knowing what to include and what not to include on the front cover is vital, and to target the right audience, the correct codes will need to be used. Genre also exists, to some extent, within magazines and is reinforced by the information and images added to the front covers. The information and images also work parallel to the codes and conventions being represented in the film trailer. This is one of the main reason I have used a dark background on my magazine front cover, as a reader of a magazine such as Empire may relate to the codes I am reproducing on my front cover.
Although understanding what was needed to create a diegetic representation of the front cover of a film magazine, getting to know the programme was much harder as I have had no previous experience using it. This has meant that a lot of time has been devoted to understanding certain tools and the reasons they are used when creating the front cover. Little details can sometimes have a massive effect.
An important example is the font. If I had used a different font to represent the “Empire” logo, some readers may not have recognised the magazine. Another crucial misconception is the fact that the size of an “Empire” magazine is thought to be the standard A4 size; however, it is slightly bigger. To combat this issue, I measured the exact size of a copy of “Empire”, and put these details into Photoshop, where I was in the process of creating the front cover. The reason these sizes are so important, is that if finalised, the magazine would have white space, which will again, lead to a reader dismiss the magazine due to lack of quality.
The website also relies on certain measurements, as I intend to accurately reproduce a website front page. The website, just like the other three products, incorporates dark colours to represent the ongoing fear. From my own research, I concluded that the darker of the two pictures I decided to use would be most suited to the website. The reason being is that it provides a stronger enigma to their location and also relates to general plot within the whole campaign – the fact that they are “Locked Away” within the school.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Each of my products will work in a synergistic manner to represent the whole campaign and its aims. This will naturally lead to a more widespread advertisement of the film trailer than using just the trailer on its own. The reason is that this campaign is meant to be virally distributed, more so than paper based, which also leads to the potential of a bigger audience, due to the way web 2 perpetuates information at an incredible speed. There is also a higher chance of coming across one of these ancillary texts by chance, which is directly linked to the fact that there is 4 times the amount of products in existence.
As mentioned before, the ancillary texts also help to provide background information which would be non-existent if only a trailer was produced. This is an effective technique as the audience member may be more inclined to go and see the film if more information is available to represent the genre and accessories to the main text.
The A2 year has also provided a more diverse knowledge of existing texts. Creating texts from varying mediums, particularly the print based products, has shown that similar codes and conventions need to exist in order for an advertising campaign to be linked via genre. During the production of these texts, a large number of unfamiliar programmes were used. This has also led to a deeper understanding of what certain programmes aim to produce and the wide variety of tools used to create these products.
This has been an effective mechanism, as using these different programmes has meant an advertising campaign which is more rounded and detailed. This, in turn, will lead to the attraction of a bigger audience, directly affected by the higher quality of the products being presented to them. The whole advertising campaign is a more complete and accurate representation of a media product, in contrast to the AS production. From research, it can be seen that advertising campaigns, containing promotions, alongside the trailer, are an effective way to target an audience.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Although not much audience feedback has been collected, I have asked many people their thoughts on the four products I have created since they were completed. This technique helps to aid the production by giving me information which I may not have seen the first time around in the creation of each text. Standing at an objective viewpoint leads to such discoveries and is always beneficial. The feedback which has been given has also meant that I have been able to improve my products. An example of this improvement is reinforced by the fact that I have had to film three times to obtain the shots needed for the trailer.
This feedback has not just been instant, it has developed over a period beginning from the pre production through to this evaluation. This input, most of the time, has not actively been seeked out and relects the audience’s true opinion. Another aid in this feedback has been the close proximity of the people in my group. We have been drawing on the same codes and conventions to represent our ideas, which has meant that I have been able to ask for their advice on a couple of issues.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Media technologies have helped advance the construction of each of my four products, however, in different ways. Due to the diverse range of texts for this task, the A2 year, it has also meant a vast range of programmes to help edit and produce them. I have oultined the use of these programmes and the aim in using them here. These programmes have meant that a more accurate production took place, particularly the film trailer, as this was the most important task for me. Although I had not used many of the programmes previously, the aim was to familiarise myself so that I could represent my ideas correctly. The process of familiarising myself can be seen, most obviously, in the way my magazine front cover has developed.
Media technologies have not just been present in the creation of texts, but it has also been used to portray ideas and evaluations through the use of web 2. “Blogger” and “Google Documents” have been key in logging thoughts and representing ideas adequately. This is reinforced by the progression of blog updates and documents being added. This has also led to the perpetuation of my advertising campaign, through popular websites such as Youtube. This reinforces the aim of the campaign directly, as advertising to the biggest audience possible is key in attracting the biggest possible audience.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Progress Report - Magazine
I have used my ideas from previous drawings to illustrate my magazine front cover. However, I have now also begun using Photoshop to produce the final draft of my idea, and although there may be some issues, such as using particular tools for the correct tasks, I have been able to move images and colours around to see what it looks like. I have also logged this progress through pictures which show the process by which I came to the cover I have at the moment. I believe this will help me, through trial and error, to see what can be done, and how it can be done. It will also help me If I forget how to recreate a certain tool or image I had previously made.
On the diegetic side of things, I have followed the codes and conventions from the magazine Empire, as mentioned in a previous blog update. However, I have actually begun to put these codes into my idea, and can be seen via the centralised image and similar colours to represent the characters power within the framing of the magazine. The title of the magazine has also been reproduced to show authenticity and create a further sense of attraction to the reader, who will associate themselves with the font.
I have also begun the critical evaluation for the whole Advanced Portfolio, which has meant that I have had to refer back to previous blogs and the progress I have made throughout the year, particularly with programmes such as Photoshop, where i have built up an extensive knowledge. It also means that I can analyse what has gone well for me and what hasnt over the past few months, while designing and creating this Advanced Portfolio. This will mean that when creating a similar product in the future, it will aid my understanding and knowledge and which audiences to target with which products.
On the diegetic side of things, I have followed the codes and conventions from the magazine Empire, as mentioned in a previous blog update. However, I have actually begun to put these codes into my idea, and can be seen via the centralised image and similar colours to represent the characters power within the framing of the magazine. The title of the magazine has also been reproduced to show authenticity and create a further sense of attraction to the reader, who will associate themselves with the font.
I have also begun the critical evaluation for the whole Advanced Portfolio, which has meant that I have had to refer back to previous blogs and the progress I have made throughout the year, particularly with programmes such as Photoshop, where i have built up an extensive knowledge. It also means that I can analyse what has gone well for me and what hasnt over the past few months, while designing and creating this Advanced Portfolio. This will mean that when creating a similar product in the future, it will aid my understanding and knowledge and which audiences to target with which products.
Website Planning
I have decided that this photo would be best used to represent the advertisement of the film trailer, via a website home page. The reason for this is that it physically presents each character to an audience who may want to find out more about the film, after seeing the trailer. Furthermore, the trailer does not really portray any backstory to each character, other than the fact that they are in danger. This photo works by portraying them out of character, which leads the reader to relate to them more. Codes and conventions of websites tend to provide this information to a reader, who may be interested in the film’s story and characters.
The location of this photo is also important. It shows the characters in a location which will be seen within the film, and thus, may lead the reader to be further intrigued about other areas of the film, such as the locations of filming, where information will also be given, via the website. It also leads to a non-diegetic feel, as the people within the shot are out of character.
I believe that the first image is better than the second. The reason for this is that the darkness in image number 1 creates a sense of mystery behind the characters’ identities, which will then be found out as the reader navigates the website home page. This isn’t the case for image number 2 as the light gives that enigma.
Another reason for choosing image 1 is the fact that the film presents the characters as locked within the college. However, image 2 may give the impression that it is day time, more so than the first image.
The location of this photo is also important. It shows the characters in a location which will be seen within the film, and thus, may lead the reader to be further intrigued about other areas of the film, such as the locations of filming, where information will also be given, via the website. It also leads to a non-diegetic feel, as the people within the shot are out of character.
I believe that the first image is better than the second. The reason for this is that the darkness in image number 1 creates a sense of mystery behind the characters’ identities, which will then be found out as the reader navigates the website home page. This isn’t the case for image number 2 as the light gives that enigma.
Another reason for choosing image 1 is the fact that the film presents the characters as locked within the college. However, image 2 may give the impression that it is day time, more so than the first image.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Progress Report - The Editing Phase
The editing phase of the film trailer has begun, with some anticipation. We have been using the programme “Premier”, to edit our footage, which has been collected over a period of two weeks. This equated to over 15 minutes of footage, which is being handled with care, so that we can find the best shots for each scene. It is important to note that the software, Premier”, has not been used by the group before, which has meant that learning the basics has been an integral part of this phase in the production of the film trailer. On the other hand, it has provided more freedom with the editing in comparison to “Microsoft Movie Maker”, which was used in the production of the Foundation Portfolio film.
Although we filmed over a period of two weeks, the storyboards were always being changed, as new ideas were thrown onto the drawing board. This has led to a reorganisation of particular scenes, so that we can portray the horror of each character in more depth. This links back to the editing programme, as these shots can easily be swapped around to convey the horror as well as potentially making more sense. However, we still felt as though this was taking up too much time, so reverted to sticking post-it notes with labels on the board. These each represented a scene in the film trailer, which we organised on the white board.
The sound effects we planned to use have been incorporated well, in my opinion. The maccabre sound of the music does create a sense of tension and fear, which again, I genuinely felt when watching a rough edit of the first few scenes. Heavy breathing and darkness, synonymous with fear, have also been used within the first few scenes to build up the dread, which the characters will be feeling, and will also relate to the audience’s perception of fear.
It must also be mentioned that there was an issue with the ratio of the framing. We had filmed the first set of scenes in a ratio of 16:9, and the second an third in 4:3, which meant that they did not match up. However, we discussed how this problem could be solved and came to the conclusion that by adding a black bar to the top and bottom of the frames, not only will it create a sense of a cinematic experience, - adding to the tension of the scenes, as this extra black will create fear, but it will also mean that the frames will match up.
Although we filmed over a period of two weeks, the storyboards were always being changed, as new ideas were thrown onto the drawing board. This has led to a reorganisation of particular scenes, so that we can portray the horror of each character in more depth. This links back to the editing programme, as these shots can easily be swapped around to convey the horror as well as potentially making more sense. However, we still felt as though this was taking up too much time, so reverted to sticking post-it notes with labels on the board. These each represented a scene in the film trailer, which we organised on the white board.
The sound effects we planned to use have been incorporated well, in my opinion. The maccabre sound of the music does create a sense of tension and fear, which again, I genuinely felt when watching a rough edit of the first few scenes. Heavy breathing and darkness, synonymous with fear, have also been used within the first few scenes to build up the dread, which the characters will be feeling, and will also relate to the audience’s perception of fear.
It must also be mentioned that there was an issue with the ratio of the framing. We had filmed the first set of scenes in a ratio of 16:9, and the second an third in 4:3, which meant that they did not match up. However, we discussed how this problem could be solved and came to the conclusion that by adding a black bar to the top and bottom of the frames, not only will it create a sense of a cinematic experience, - adding to the tension of the scenes, as this extra black will create fear, but it will also mean that the frames will match up.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Progress Report - Radio Production and Camera Stills
The production of my group’s radio piece took place today, and although I had previous experience with the equipment, producing the advertisement was still a tough challenge. The skepticism I had built up of how it would turn out, due to the lack of planning, mainly to focus on the other products within the advanced portfolio, meant that more time was needed to make all the sounds and effects the group wanted to match perfectly. However, the atmosphere within the recording studio was calm, which led to clarity within our decision making on issues like choice of music and sound effects.
Photographic stills were also taken to reitterate the work-like atmosphere, as well as providing evidence of the physical work I have contributed to the advanced portfolio. Each member of the group contributed a fair amount to this production, by following the roles we assigned ourselves at the beginning of this project.
One issue that needs to be mentioned is that fact that our own production of music was created to fill in for the lack of copyrighted music we weren’t allowed to use, following the brief OCR has given us for the advanced portfolio. However, I believe this aided our radio advertisement, as it led to increased diversity, by creating our own piece.
My group has also decided that we are going to include other scenes within our film trailer as well as excluding those we believe do not aid the enigma and narrative. I think that this will create a more natural sense of fear than first cretaed when watching through the rough edit of the initial trailer.
The two photos above are photographic stills of the filming process which took most of the day, in an attempt to completely follow the codes and conventions. The first is where we have been refering back the storyboard, an important part of communication between each of the members within our group. The second image is of me, operating the camera.
Photographic stills were also taken to reitterate the work-like atmosphere, as well as providing evidence of the physical work I have contributed to the advanced portfolio. Each member of the group contributed a fair amount to this production, by following the roles we assigned ourselves at the beginning of this project.
One issue that needs to be mentioned is that fact that our own production of music was created to fill in for the lack of copyrighted music we weren’t allowed to use, following the brief OCR has given us for the advanced portfolio. However, I believe this aided our radio advertisement, as it led to increased diversity, by creating our own piece.
My group has also decided that we are going to include other scenes within our film trailer as well as excluding those we believe do not aid the enigma and narrative. I think that this will create a more natural sense of fear than first cretaed when watching through the rough edit of the initial trailer.
The two photos above are photographic stills of the filming process which took most of the day, in an attempt to completely follow the codes and conventions. The first is where we have been refering back the storyboard, an important part of communication between each of the members within our group. The second image is of me, operating the camera.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Progress Report
As mentioned in the previous blog, time is limited at the moment and I have been attempting to create and apply ideas for my individual tasks as well as helping produce the group tasks – the radio advertisement and the film trailer. However, there have been some issues which has meant that alternative routes have been taken to solve these problems. An example of this is the way we have not been allowed to use existing music on our radio and film productions, even though previous portfolios have allowed this. Instead, we are going to use our own music for this. This has meant that we have larger responsibility surrounding the sound of our background music. It has also meant, however, that we have been able to directly mould the music around our pieces.
Relating to the individual tasks directly, I have been using Photoshop again, to update myself with some of the tools. This will aid my production of the individual tasks as I’ll be able to save time, which is critical at this late stage in the coursework. It will also give me the opportunity to create products that represent my full idea and in turn, show my understanding of these technologies. I have also created drawings of potential magazine front covers on paper, which has allowed for larger diversity when constructing an idea, due to the ease of drawing, in contrast to the complexities of Photoshop.
I have also spent time deciding the actual layout of the front cover; the use of the front cover to attract a potential audience is very important so the decision has not been taken lightly. The layout for my magazine is going to be similar to the style of Empire. The reason for this is that the picture I will be using conveys a sense of enigma, which is characteristic of this magazine throughout my research. This is reinforced by the posture and positioning of the character within the picture.
Relating to the individual tasks directly, I have been using Photoshop again, to update myself with some of the tools. This will aid my production of the individual tasks as I’ll be able to save time, which is critical at this late stage in the coursework. It will also give me the opportunity to create products that represent my full idea and in turn, show my understanding of these technologies. I have also created drawings of potential magazine front covers on paper, which has allowed for larger diversity when constructing an idea, due to the ease of drawing, in contrast to the complexities of Photoshop.
I have also spent time deciding the actual layout of the front cover; the use of the front cover to attract a potential audience is very important so the decision has not been taken lightly. The layout for my magazine is going to be similar to the style of Empire. The reason for this is that the picture I will be using conveys a sense of enigma, which is characteristic of this magazine throughout my research. This is reinforced by the posture and positioning of the character within the picture.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Filming for the Trailer
After arranging most of the paperwork allowing permission, as well as dates and props amongst other things, we went to film. The whole filming process took no longer than 3 hours, from which the required scenes were collected. It gave a good insight into the production stage of the Film Trailer, building on existing knowledge developed during the Foundation Portfolio, especially techincal codes. The result was that time management was smoother, as seen by the shorter amount of time it took to film.
Nevertheless, there were some minor issues which we had to correct on the spot. One of these was the issue with low batery. Although we had charged the battery the night before, this issue still caused some panic, in the ending, not running out. There were some other bigger issues though, such as the fact that one of our actors did not turn up. This lead to a rush to find someone who would be able to take up this role. For continuity, we made sure that all the shots filmed had this person in. We had taken test photogrpahs of our locations to see which would suit best for specific scenes. However, in a couple of these scenes, the reflection had made it impossible to film, leading to a change of location, more suited to our needs.
I also decided to take some still shots for potential use on my magazine and website productions, on top of the still photos taken of the location. This would aid the audience’s understanding of particular narratives, using my picture of the antagonist posing in a suggestive manner to illustrate this point. Pictures of my other group members, filming and organising the actors was also taken to reinforce the work ethic and direction of the narrative within the product.
Once filming had been completed, we returned all the equipment and then watched over the footage to see if any mistakes had been made, which were not spotted when watching the footage after each shot when filming. No mistakes had been spotted and we were happy with the footage we collected. Although the process was extremely stressful, we will be able to edit the film over the next week for the final trailer.
Nevertheless, there were some minor issues which we had to correct on the spot. One of these was the issue with low batery. Although we had charged the battery the night before, this issue still caused some panic, in the ending, not running out. There were some other bigger issues though, such as the fact that one of our actors did not turn up. This lead to a rush to find someone who would be able to take up this role. For continuity, we made sure that all the shots filmed had this person in. We had taken test photogrpahs of our locations to see which would suit best for specific scenes. However, in a couple of these scenes, the reflection had made it impossible to film, leading to a change of location, more suited to our needs.
I also decided to take some still shots for potential use on my magazine and website productions, on top of the still photos taken of the location. This would aid the audience’s understanding of particular narratives, using my picture of the antagonist posing in a suggestive manner to illustrate this point. Pictures of my other group members, filming and organising the actors was also taken to reinforce the work ethic and direction of the narrative within the product.
Once filming had been completed, we returned all the equipment and then watched over the footage to see if any mistakes had been made, which were not spotted when watching the footage after each shot when filming. No mistakes had been spotted and we were happy with the footage we collected. Although the process was extremely stressful, we will be able to edit the film over the next week for the final trailer.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Planning of the Pre-Production
Since creating the blogs, for the purposes of explaining the process of the coursework, I have developed particular skills which have aided the production of this Advanced Portfolio. A direct example would be the use of web 2 technology, such as blogger, where this will end up. Furthermore, it has been used as a concise storage facility, linked to ‘Google Documents’ for the work produced over this period of pre-production. This will create ease for not just my group, but for others as well, such as the examiner who will need to locate each document individually.
In relation to the coursework production directly, I have been working well with the other members of my group, which has lead to quick progression since coming up with the initial ideas draft. This has also helped adapt our own transferrable skills to suit each other’s needs. This can be seen with the assignment of particular roles within the group, portraying the aspects at which we are better and worse at. This has lead to each of us helping each other with tasks we may find difficult, such as uploading work to ‘Blogger’ and ‘Google Documents’. ‘Google Documents’ has been helpful as a safe storage facility so that we do not lose important information. It has also meant that we can keep track of the work we have done and what work we still need to do through the use of a digital copy of the log book.
The pre-production of the Advanced Portfolio has shown that there is a lot more information that needs to be considered than in the Foundation Portfolio studied at AS Level. This may be partly due to the fact that there is more to produce, but it may also be stated that I have learnt that rules and regulations are just as important as deciding on other pre-production issues such as the technical codes. As a consequence, my group has dedicated a good amount of time in relating our own production to the rules and regulations, and advertising standards created by the BBFC.
Looking ahead, the filming of our trailer piece will take place tomorrow, which will be another big step towards the final Advanced Portfolio. Permission for equipment and locations have also been given, which will hopefully mean that no issues develop and the filming can be completed in quick time. Testiment to the planning between the group members.
In relation to the coursework production directly, I have been working well with the other members of my group, which has lead to quick progression since coming up with the initial ideas draft. This has also helped adapt our own transferrable skills to suit each other’s needs. This can be seen with the assignment of particular roles within the group, portraying the aspects at which we are better and worse at. This has lead to each of us helping each other with tasks we may find difficult, such as uploading work to ‘Blogger’ and ‘Google Documents’. ‘Google Documents’ has been helpful as a safe storage facility so that we do not lose important information. It has also meant that we can keep track of the work we have done and what work we still need to do through the use of a digital copy of the log book.
The pre-production of the Advanced Portfolio has shown that there is a lot more information that needs to be considered than in the Foundation Portfolio studied at AS Level. This may be partly due to the fact that there is more to produce, but it may also be stated that I have learnt that rules and regulations are just as important as deciding on other pre-production issues such as the technical codes. As a consequence, my group has dedicated a good amount of time in relating our own production to the rules and regulations, and advertising standards created by the BBFC.
Looking ahead, the filming of our trailer piece will take place tomorrow, which will be another big step towards the final Advanced Portfolio. Permission for equipment and locations have also been given, which will hopefully mean that no issues develop and the filming can be completed in quick time. Testiment to the planning between the group members.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Media and Collective Identity
"Find and list 5 websites that allow readers/users/contributors to create or participate in a collective identity. You are required to provide a discussion of how a specific collective identity is constructed/expressed on each of these sites (including a theoretical discussion of any relevant issues). You should seek to be as detailed as possible, use appropriate terminology and link to specific aspects of contextual study."
As the development of web 2.0 has grown, many websites have emerged that have helped individuals to join groups and convey their interests, via psychographic and demographic means. This has led to the build up of certain identities perpetuated throughout society, that have not stopped growing, leading to collective identities that other may attempt to judge or vice versa, label themselves. The list of websites below construct these identities in different ways, giving the user free choice over how they represent themselves.
http://www.myspace.com/
Although not as popular as it used to be, MySpace is still an important factor when it comes to representing a collective identity. The reason for this is that it incorporates many applications that aid musicians in uploading their work to web 2.0 for fans to listen to, such as the music player. It has a more direct approach than competitors such a Facebook, with the music player being easily located on the page, unlike Facebook. This will interpellate to the audience, persuading them to listen to maybe one track due to the ease of visiting the page.
It also gives the chance for those bands that may not be signed to a label to upload music, and many of those bands exist today amongst average people such as me. This leads to the idea that a “normal” can get noticed via the means of web 2.0, which appeals to most. This may give cultural capital to that band amongst friends or even bigger such as a school. On an even bigger scale, the band exists amongst many thousands more via MySpace, creating a collective identity solely representing music and the fans of it.
http://www.youtube.com/
Before the introduction of YouTube, uploading videos to the internet was much harder, so it is understandable that a collective identity developed from a site such as this. However, within this collective identity, many other identities are represented due to the wide range of users. This can be seen through the way videos are categorised by YouTube – Music, Comedy, Politics etc… The diversity of this website as well as the simple interface has meant that anyone from the average person to big corporate companies such as the BBC can create their own channel. It gives the opportunity to become a producer, and like MySpace, a person can show their own work to the world. There are some obvious examples, only recently a Uruguayan man was offered a $30m contract to direct a film based on his short film which he uploaded to YouTube.
Cultural capital again plays an important part within the world of YouTube. Subscribers to your channel will mean that the videos you make are important and entertaining to them. This may be another reason for the use of YouTube by the mass, to feel as though they have a place, other than at work or at home.
http://www.runescape.com/
Runescape is a browser based game whereby you create and control your own character. There are over 10 million players who interact via game play and the forums provided by the website. These all link together to form a collective identity, where you may appear to be more important than you are. This is reinforced by the idea that you are someone else within the game.
Anne Cronin’s theory that you become the product you buy is quite literal in this sense as you are becoming a character, seemingly different from the rest, but with motives very similar, that is to be the best and to communicate with other players through this newly obtained cultural capital.
http://www.facebook.com/
Facebook has probably become the most used social networking site, over taking MySpace in recent years. This has also lead to a collective identity whereby the key focuses may be the groups that you can join to show your interests or the other more important factors such as the pictures you post and the comments you leave. Similar people might look at these and agree with your views, and then proceed to add you as a friend. A snowballing effect, may then take place. The groups within the website that you can join will also say a lot about you and the influence web 2.0 has in connecting people. An example of this will be the way in which the campaign to get Rage Against the Machine to number one created a collection of people who were fans of the band; which then had a major impact on society.
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Wikipedia has come to the forefront of our attention due to its large amount of informative content. This information is largely user compiled and means that collective identity is developed via this idea that users can decide on correct information, develop and edit a page on a particular topic. There are also sub sites linked to Wikipedia such as a “Wiktionary” and various other forums where this information can be discussed by users.
Bordieu suggests that knowledge can also lead to a higher social position amongst a group, such as the discussions on Wikipedia, and this reinforces the idea as those with more knowoledge have a higher position amongst friends and other contributers to the site.
As the development of web 2.0 has grown, many websites have emerged that have helped individuals to join groups and convey their interests, via psychographic and demographic means. This has led to the build up of certain identities perpetuated throughout society, that have not stopped growing, leading to collective identities that other may attempt to judge or vice versa, label themselves. The list of websites below construct these identities in different ways, giving the user free choice over how they represent themselves.
http://www.myspace.com/
Although not as popular as it used to be, MySpace is still an important factor when it comes to representing a collective identity. The reason for this is that it incorporates many applications that aid musicians in uploading their work to web 2.0 for fans to listen to, such as the music player. It has a more direct approach than competitors such a Facebook, with the music player being easily located on the page, unlike Facebook. This will interpellate to the audience, persuading them to listen to maybe one track due to the ease of visiting the page.
It also gives the chance for those bands that may not be signed to a label to upload music, and many of those bands exist today amongst average people such as me. This leads to the idea that a “normal” can get noticed via the means of web 2.0, which appeals to most. This may give cultural capital to that band amongst friends or even bigger such as a school. On an even bigger scale, the band exists amongst many thousands more via MySpace, creating a collective identity solely representing music and the fans of it.
http://www.youtube.com/
Before the introduction of YouTube, uploading videos to the internet was much harder, so it is understandable that a collective identity developed from a site such as this. However, within this collective identity, many other identities are represented due to the wide range of users. This can be seen through the way videos are categorised by YouTube – Music, Comedy, Politics etc… The diversity of this website as well as the simple interface has meant that anyone from the average person to big corporate companies such as the BBC can create their own channel. It gives the opportunity to become a producer, and like MySpace, a person can show their own work to the world. There are some obvious examples, only recently a Uruguayan man was offered a $30m contract to direct a film based on his short film which he uploaded to YouTube.
Cultural capital again plays an important part within the world of YouTube. Subscribers to your channel will mean that the videos you make are important and entertaining to them. This may be another reason for the use of YouTube by the mass, to feel as though they have a place, other than at work or at home.
http://www.runescape.com/
Runescape is a browser based game whereby you create and control your own character. There are over 10 million players who interact via game play and the forums provided by the website. These all link together to form a collective identity, where you may appear to be more important than you are. This is reinforced by the idea that you are someone else within the game.
Anne Cronin’s theory that you become the product you buy is quite literal in this sense as you are becoming a character, seemingly different from the rest, but with motives very similar, that is to be the best and to communicate with other players through this newly obtained cultural capital.
http://www.facebook.com/
Facebook has probably become the most used social networking site, over taking MySpace in recent years. This has also lead to a collective identity whereby the key focuses may be the groups that you can join to show your interests or the other more important factors such as the pictures you post and the comments you leave. Similar people might look at these and agree with your views, and then proceed to add you as a friend. A snowballing effect, may then take place. The groups within the website that you can join will also say a lot about you and the influence web 2.0 has in connecting people. An example of this will be the way in which the campaign to get Rage Against the Machine to number one created a collection of people who were fans of the band; which then had a major impact on society.
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Wikipedia has come to the forefront of our attention due to its large amount of informative content. This information is largely user compiled and means that collective identity is developed via this idea that users can decide on correct information, develop and edit a page on a particular topic. There are also sub sites linked to Wikipedia such as a “Wiktionary” and various other forums where this information can be discussed by users.
Bordieu suggests that knowledge can also lead to a higher social position amongst a group, such as the discussions on Wikipedia, and this reinforces the idea as those with more knowoledge have a higher position amongst friends and other contributers to the site.
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