Thriller Film Opening Sequence Evaluation - 1500-2000 words
PowerPoint uploaded to moodle
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of real media products?
What conventions of professional products have you used in your own film? (narrative conventions, character conventions, genre, camerawork, sound, editing, special effects, mise-en-scene? Use screen grabs of your own sequence to illustrate each example where you have followed conventions or gone against (challenged) conventions. Also use images from the films that have influenced you where relevant.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? (gender, age, ethnicity etc.)
Compare a character in your sequence to a character in a professional film (use images). If you have included a villain/victim character, does the character follow conventions of characters in professional films. For example, is your villain male? Is your victim female? Therefore how are you representing gender?
3. What kind of media institution would distribute your media product?
Discuss similar professional films and their production companies (use images of the films and logos). Which production Company do you think would distribute your film? (if it was professional and if you had made the full film).
4. Who would be the audience for your media product? (BBFC and target audience) Use images from a similar product with a similar target audience. Remember that target audience is not the same as classification.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
Refer to Significant moments in your sequence where you have tried to generate a response from the spectator (a close up to encourage identification with a character, music that encourages the spectator to feel suspense, tense, visceral reaction etc.) What techniques have you used to encourage the spectator to want to see the rest of the film? (Clues about narrative, character, etc.) Use screen grabs of your own sequence.
6. What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing your product?
(blog, camera equipment, editing software – Final Cut Express, istopmotion, Garageband etc.) Use screen grabs/photos of all these things. Be very specific about tools/effects/techniques learnt not just ‘I have learnt a lot about the software’
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your final product?
Discuss your second preliminary task that you did in a week before starting Thriller. Discuss what you have learnt since then about construction of micro elements in order to create meaning, how to use different techniques, practical skills etc. How have you built on your knowledge that you learnt from the prelim task? Use screen grabs of your prelim task and your sequence where relevant.
Friday 19 March 2010
Friday 12 March 2010
Response to Feedback
Here are our thoughts on the feedback we received from our peers:
Group S2-50: We agree with the fact that the edited version of our thriller (rough cut 2) was far more effective than the original (rough cut 1). We also agree that the shot change between Lydia in the car and walking to the location, could be smoother and better executed, maybe cutting it slightly earlier or later and by using a fade? The fact that some of the shots did not seem relevant to the sequence was intentional to disorientate the viewer.
Group S2-51: We agree with their opinion on overusing the "bad TV" effect. However we disagree with their point of the car scene being longer and more sinister, since the film is already rather long and we cant make it too sinister as Lydia is meant to be portray a vulnerable character. We also disagree with having the car scene in colour, since we believe that having the entire sequence in black and white gives it continuity.
Group S2-52: We agree with the majority of the feedback from this group yet we are uncertain on what to do about the 'Looks like someones been killed' dialogue at the end of the sequence. This group has pointed out that it is too obvious which is a really good criticism as we hadn't seen this and we will most probably modify it but we have yet to decide how.
Group S2-53: The feedback from this group was not as constructive as we would have hoped and we disagreed with the majority of it because of this. Although we have a similar theme to the 'Blair Witch Project' we have done a lot differently, for example the heavy editing and the figure in the background. We could have made the story we told more interesting but that could have taken the focus a way from the sequence itself.
Group S2-54: This groups feedback was all positive which we were really pleased with. Especially the fact that it made a one of the group members jump and this was the exact desired effect for that part of the sequence. We also like the point they made about using the hand held camera because again, this is the response we wanted to achieve from our target audience.
Overall we were very pleased with all of the feedback, positive and negative. The positive shows us that we are heading in the correct direction and the negative gives us points to improve on and helps us to look more critically at our work.
Group S2-50: We agree with the fact that the edited version of our thriller (rough cut 2) was far more effective than the original (rough cut 1). We also agree that the shot change between Lydia in the car and walking to the location, could be smoother and better executed, maybe cutting it slightly earlier or later and by using a fade? The fact that some of the shots did not seem relevant to the sequence was intentional to disorientate the viewer.
Group S2-51: We agree with their opinion on overusing the "bad TV" effect. However we disagree with their point of the car scene being longer and more sinister, since the film is already rather long and we cant make it too sinister as Lydia is meant to be portray a vulnerable character. We also disagree with having the car scene in colour, since we believe that having the entire sequence in black and white gives it continuity.
Group S2-52: We agree with the majority of the feedback from this group yet we are uncertain on what to do about the 'Looks like someones been killed' dialogue at the end of the sequence. This group has pointed out that it is too obvious which is a really good criticism as we hadn't seen this and we will most probably modify it but we have yet to decide how.
Group S2-53: The feedback from this group was not as constructive as we would have hoped and we disagreed with the majority of it because of this. Although we have a similar theme to the 'Blair Witch Project' we have done a lot differently, for example the heavy editing and the figure in the background. We could have made the story we told more interesting but that could have taken the focus a way from the sequence itself.
Group S2-54: This groups feedback was all positive which we were really pleased with. Especially the fact that it made a one of the group members jump and this was the exact desired effect for that part of the sequence. We also like the point they made about using the hand held camera because again, this is the response we wanted to achieve from our target audience.
Overall we were very pleased with all of the feedback, positive and negative. The positive shows us that we are heading in the correct direction and the negative gives us points to improve on and helps us to look more critically at our work.
Rough Cut Feedback
S2-50 Feedback:
We prefer the edited version of your sequence because it is more effective. The beginning soundtrack was good because it sets the scene. The setting is appropriate for your sequence and the build of suspense throughout the sequence is really effective.
We think the shot change to Lydia in the car could be smoother and more continuous and some of the effects didn't seem to link in with the rest of the sequence.
S2-51 feedback:
Narrative is good and original, convincing acting and clever use of hidden people to play the antagonist/thing. Very little negative feedback, a possible improvement is more jump cuts and less use of the effect which splits the screen into two. Not a massive variety of shots but obviously this is a desired effect. The car scene could perhaps be a little longer and more sinister. Would be interesting to see the scene in colour?
S2 52 feedback:
Story line is extremely well thought, developing the 'blare witch project' idea was done well creating tension at certain scenes. use of diegetic and non-diegatic sounds especially with 'MJs THRILLER' soundtrack. The lack of music added well to atmosphere. Little negative feedback - we thought the 'it looks someone died' dialogue was too obvious?
S2-53 feedback:
We think it seems like a horror not a thriller. its too much like The Blair-Witch Project. We like the scenes were the page and video is cut in 2. We thought it looked stupid Fil putting just his leg out. We only watched rough cut 2. We thought the scary story u told was ordinary. Good editing
S2-54 feedback:
it's the best one we've seen :) and it made me jump which is good because it really built tension. we like the way that the camera work is all hand held because it made it seem more realistic. we dont think it needed a sound track because the dialogue is so good. congrats.
We prefer the edited version of your sequence because it is more effective. The beginning soundtrack was good because it sets the scene. The setting is appropriate for your sequence and the build of suspense throughout the sequence is really effective.
We think the shot change to Lydia in the car could be smoother and more continuous and some of the effects didn't seem to link in with the rest of the sequence.
S2-51 feedback:
Narrative is good and original, convincing acting and clever use of hidden people to play the antagonist/thing. Very little negative feedback, a possible improvement is more jump cuts and less use of the effect which splits the screen into two. Not a massive variety of shots but obviously this is a desired effect. The car scene could perhaps be a little longer and more sinister. Would be interesting to see the scene in colour?
S2 52 feedback:
Story line is extremely well thought, developing the 'blare witch project' idea was done well creating tension at certain scenes. use of diegetic and non-diegatic sounds especially with 'MJs THRILLER' soundtrack. The lack of music added well to atmosphere. Little negative feedback - we thought the 'it looks someone died' dialogue was too obvious?
S2-53 feedback:
We think it seems like a horror not a thriller. its too much like The Blair-Witch Project. We like the scenes were the page and video is cut in 2. We thought it looked stupid Fil putting just his leg out. We only watched rough cut 2. We thought the scary story u told was ordinary. Good editing
S2-54 feedback:
it's the best one we've seen :) and it made me jump which is good because it really built tension. we like the way that the camera work is all hand held because it made it seem more realistic. we dont think it needed a sound track because the dialogue is so good. congrats.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Our Two Rough Cuts of 'The Hurst'
This is the first rough cut of our thriller, this version has most of the original footage and is not heavily edited. The second rough cut below contrasts the first by being edited significantly and it includes many effects.
Our Questions To You...
1. We would like to know which one you think is the best version?
2. We would also like to know which one, out of the two rough cuts, you think would gain the most marks?
3. Our last question would be your general opinion on the micro and macro elements of our Thriller?
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