Examination Preperation

AS Coursework Reflection

Read through your AS Blogs and reflect on your coursework using the following questions to help you analyse what you did last year:

•          Digital Technology

• How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

YouTube was particularly helpful in researching in the beginning of our research stage as it allowed us to access a wide variety of opening minutes in multiple different genres that could we could analyse and learn from. It was also helpful in the planning stage as we could use it for tutorials on the editing software to learn more about it so we could produce a higher quality piece. 

•         What software was used?

Adobe elements and Sony Vegas were used to edit our trailer Adobe is on the school computers so it was easier to access in lessons when we were all together rather than having to find time outside lessons to edit it but Sony Vegas was helpful in creating a rough draft on my laptop so we could easily replicate it in Adobe when we got to school. Although it is not excessively complicated we watched a few tutorials to learn how to use it as we wanted to make sure we used it to its full capacity. At AS our film was fairly high quality production piece but it was far less complex with less shots and only one piece of music so we improved at A2 as we had over 50 shots this time round and 3 different pieces of music.

•         What equipment was used?

We used a school camera which was not of the highest quality but it got good enough shots and saved us having to spend an excessive amount on a high quality camera. The only fundamental issue with it, alongside its terrible battery life, was that it struggled to shoot in low light, I feel it’s one of the biggest flaws of our entire trailer is the fact it’s so light when it’s supposed to be a horror. Although the trailer exudes a degree of fear in the audience if we’d had a higher quality camera it could have been so much scarier.

•         What were the technical pros and cons of the software and hardware?

The camera shot in quite high resolution meaning the end product is quite high definition but as the microphone was quite small the sound wasn’t as good as we had hoped it would be. There was also a few shaky shots which although were good near the end of the two minutes and added to the effect of making the audience feel like they were there in the woods, it would have been better to use a tripod at the beginning to get more stable shots. This is something we learnt from and incorporated in out A2 production to ensure we got far more professional looking shots. A pro of Adobe was it was clearly laid out and had extra features (like trimmer, speed) to help make a better looking final piece but a con of it was as we were unfamiliar with it we had to spend time learning how to use it and still then we didn’t know all the things we could do with the software so may not have used it too its full capacity.

•         In what ways was technology used to create the production?

YouTube was used to research openings, blogger was used to present our findings, and the school camera was used to film our piece whilst Adobe was used to edit it.

•         In what ways did the technology constrain or enable the production to be developed?

The school camera limited our quality as to look at the resolution is not as high as we would have hoped for, also the audio recorded from the camera wasn’t as clear as it could have been. Adobe enabled us to produce a fairly high quality production even with low dialogue and shaky shots as we could add music in and cut shots effectively to make the opening scarier.

•         How have you developed these skills at A2?

At A2 we re-recorded dialogue to get a more professional feel to our final product and improve upon our audio skills at A2. 

•          Creativity

• How did you use media forms to come up with something new and original? -  We used YouTube to look at other openings inside and outside of our genre picking out parts that we found most effective and then combined these feature to come up with an opening 2 minutes which is interesting and dynamic.

•         Where did ideas come from? We talked about comedy, but realised it would be challenging to come up with a script that would actually be funny, we then considered action but didn’t feel our editing could be precise and smooth enough yet to deliver a high standard opening. Therefore, we decided Horror as it was a simple and accessible setting also the dark lighting could be used to hide mistakes of continuity

•         How did you work collaboratively to share ideas? Each of us came up with a verity of ideas of what we thought made our opening of a film most interesting, we then shared these ideas and discussed how we could create them, from this we came up with a list of ideas which are achievable and applied them to our AS opening 2 minutes.

•         How did you change things? In transition from AS to A2 we changed many of our shots making them more dynamic including more interesting ones such as high angle and tracking shots. We also filmed more footage which allowed us to have a large amount of material to choose from in the editing process. We also changed amount of actors, including more gave it a more realistic feel.

•         How did you use tools like Adobe Premier Elements etc. to achieve something imaginative? Using this software allowed us enough tools to create an interesting opening two minutes this includes our 2 production titles which gave our trailer a realistic edge as well as our multiple soundtracks which allowed us to have eerie non diegetic as well as diegetic sound from our footage

•         What stylistic techniques were used to appeal to the audience? We used a point of view shot from our main character as she ran through the woods this enabled the audience to relate to the opening more therefore taking more interest at the overall opening.

•         What was the intended outcome of the production? (Assessment objectives, preferred readings, promotional purposes?) Our group wanted an opening two minutes which looked professional and clean, we didn’t want there to be a dull moment so we made sure no shot was too long and no title appeared too short or too long. At the end of our production we wanted a diverse trailer which keeps the audience’s attention.

•         How were these outcomes achieved in terms of page layout and camera shot choices (codes and conventions)? We made sure our page layout was in proportion using rule of thirds as well as 180 degree rule, this made sure our actors were always positioned correctly on screen, we had a range of shots including panning, high angle and close up which all looked effective in the end product.

•         How have you developed these skills at A2? We have taken the skills we learn at AS and realised the few mistakes that we made such as lighting and made sure we developed our skills further to overcome any new mistakes, in our A2 production a wider variety of shots were used, we used more actors and filmed loads of footage so we were able to be picky with what shots to include.

•          Research and planning

•         What real media and audiences did you look at?

•         How did they inform your thinking about your media production?

•         How did you record all that research? We recorded all our research using the Blogger to post quality and detailed analyses of the different influences for our own opening scene and the pre-production planning. Since we decided to film a horror-opening scene, we decided to evaluate additional horror opening scenes to get more information to be able to plan concepts that followed all the codes and conventions. YouTube was convenient since we uploaded our planning videos e.g. video diaries, preliminary task etc. allowing us to share the content within the group. During AS we had a basic and simple mind-set of the research and planning without going in-depth into our posts however we realised it had a huge impact in our production of the work since our knowledge and understanding of the concept has expanded and developed through A2. This is shown through the quality of work we have provided this year. I feel that we have improved our organisation skills because we used our free time to discuss about the trailer; this is evident in our blogger page.

What primary research was undertaken? As a group we explored various film genres by making mind maps to gain an in-depth understanding of the different codes and conventions each genre consists of. We analysed different aspects of horror, romance and action opening scenes, observing the mise en scene, camera shots and sound to get a thorough evaluation of each opening scene. By following each element we were more aware of what each scene was trying to indicate. This gave us an insight on the common conventions each genre normally follows. After researching we chose the horror genre due to the flexibility in terms of the themes and concept available. In A2 it was easier to analyse the common convention of the trailer since we create a presentation for our chosen genre which was action, picking out significant features of each conventions and explaining them in-depth. 

In our preliminary tasks we tried out and practiced various shots. The editing was fairly basic due to our lack of knowledge. We didn’t make the genre clear in our preliminary, which did affect our filming in the beginning since we didn’t practice and horror type shots. We experimented with different types of shots to use for our opening scene and practiced the rules of filming however we felt that planning shot types that adhered to the horror genre would have benefitted us. We also had an opportunity to explore with the various camera shots and the rules of filming whilst recording the interviews with the actors which was a beneficial experience since we got an idea about the placements of the camera to gain a suitable shot required. Through A2 we acknowledged the importance of pre-filming and planning some of the scenes by instructing the cast to prepare them instead of putting them in the spot which resulted to high quality performances in the scene.  

The interviews allowed the actor to touch upon the influences of our opening scene and a general idea of the plot however the answers were very limited. We discovered in A2 that using open ended question benefitted us as there is more information about the characters and plot.  

Questionnaire was very useful because we involved questions about the common concept of horror films and decided to incorporate open-ended questions enabling the participants to expand on the reasoning so we gained respondent validation about their preference. After AS we learnt that the questionnaires would have assisted us a lot if we asked opened ended questions. We ended up altering few questions. The results helped us identify our target audience for an action trailer so we included it into our planning enabling us to adhere to it.

What secondary research was undertaken? To gain awareness on what types of audience watch certain genres, we looked at Pearl and Dean website that included statistical data. It was informative about the kind of films that appealed to the audience. We used the same method in A2 because of the credibility of the source which identified the general audience our action trailer would target. 

We used Google to create a mood board with images of the locations, costume and other conventions, giving us a basic plan so we don’t divert away from the firm idea when we begin filming. 

Using YouTube was effective when it came to editing since we all lacked experience so watching the videos about the Adobe Premier Element 10 editing program made improvement to our opening scenes visually since the cuts from the clips were much smoother. Due to the advance knowledge in A2 we found it easy to use sound clips, building up tension and pace for the trailer to grab the audience’s attention. There were issues with downloading copyright music but we overcame this problem by visiting a royalty free music website that had similar sound clips to give the opening scene an impact. We developed our skills and knowledge on the features Adobe included therefore we were able to split the video audio, changing the levels and overlaying the royalty free music on the footage.  

•         How did it inform the production?

What is the effectiveness of these kinds of research? The initial location was the city centre; we researched for the setting that followed the convention by picking some images through Google. We thought busy location e.g. New York, London looked suitable visually. This informed our production, as we actually planned before visiting the area. We were able to film in different location, which gave our trailer a high production value. 

We found that creating a mood board was helpful when it to finding the appropriate costume was particularly easy since we tried to follow the convention of a spy theme e.g. suits. 

Using the questionnaire previously used in AS we copied the same format, the questions involved aspect of the setting and location since it’s key in an action film.  

Overall the research in A2 was detailed because we planned before filming so we got broad ideas of our plan. We experimented with different types of shots and scenes then cut or choose ones that fitted the genre well.   

•         What quantitative and qualitative analysis methods were employed?

In AS we used interview with opens ended questions to gain qualitative data to get in-depth information about our opening scene. We wanted to follow the similar structure in A2. This gave us a in-depth analysis about what our action trailer was going to be about. 

We have also written film diary to make it seem like the reader is going through a journey to our final production. It included a detailed record about everything we did during the filming sessions. 

Questionnaires gave us a quantitative because we mostly used closed questions so the data provided us percentages. This method was effective in identifying what people look for in action genre.

•         How did the results from these inform the production?

•         What is the effectiveness of these kinds of research? The results from these researches had an impact on the outcome of our production especially the plot of the opening scene as it was changed once we got the response from the audience. We conformed to the participant’s opinions and suggestions to be appealing.  In A2 we were aware of the effectiveness of conducting those researches was the importance of participant’s opinion, as we were more mindful of their interest.

•         How effectively was storyboards/shot lists/script followed?

•           How have you developed these skills at A2? We found that a script was very useful and effective because in AS we had to re-film some of our preliminary scene because we were unable to remember our dialogues once the camera started without any hesitation. We wrote an outline of what our script was, it gave us flexibility because whilst the production continues we could choose to add or remove certain dialogues or add more sound effects depending on whether we feel it create enough suspense. 

During AS the storyboard was simple drawing without any details with little information. Our story board in A2 developed as it was hand drawn, making it effective since it gave us a visual overview/plan to what our opening scene could potentially look like. We singularly took picture of each drawing and combined it in order to create an animatic video. We also used the paper version whilst filming so we didn’t divert away from our initial idea. The shot list became wider, allowing us to capture the moments from different angles, which let us portray different aspects of our scene.

•          

•          Post-production

• What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Audiences told us they liked the tacking shots of our female character as she entered the woods as the shot showed clearly her transition from civilisation to isolation. The quick appearance of the antagonist added with loud booms to emphasise his entry added to the fear factor of the trailer and made the audience more fearful of this man. They said the conversation at the beginning conformed to stereotypes and followed filming rules (180, rule of thirds) but seemed rushed and is a reflection of the lack of time we had in our opening and how we maybe should have tried to fit less in and focused on what was needed. This is something we tried to remember at A2 – don’t rush scenes and focus on dialogue and make it seems prominent in the trailer and not rushed.

•         What editing decisions were made? How did they inform the production? We had to cut a lot of footage from our opening two minutes as the original product was over four minutes long whereas the brief stated it needed to be around the two minute mark. This was a hard task but developed our editing skills as we had to be very precise with the shots we chose as we had such a limited amount of time. Overall I think this helped develop our product to a higher standard as every shot had been specifically picked and was trimmed down to just the parts that were necessary.

•         What particular editing tools were used and to what effect? In Adobe cut was our main tool as we wanted to keep things simple and focus on the shots rather than any fancy editing, trimmer was helpful tool that I found later on as I was editing and was good to cut down clips to only the necessary parts I needed. Sony Vegas was used to create our production credits which were better as I knew more about the software as I had used it before and could therefore produce a higher quality production title. In Sony Vegas trimmer was also used as well as cookie cutter and green screen edit to get an effective blood splatter and the text tool to add “aspire productions” onto the top of it.

•         How did the post-production process enhance the overall production? We were able to make a clean cut opening and incorporate the best shots into our opening, by having the tools like trimmer at our disposal to cut down and remove shots we were able to make sure every shot was crucial to our opening and keep the fear factor up throughout.

•         How have you developed these skills at A2? At A2 we built on from the skills learnt in Adobe and were able to cut together multiple shots in quick sequences making sure the tempo of the trailer was kept up throughout, we were also able to use Sony Vegas again to use cookie cutter and text to create a production title and added in a black and white and zoom effect to create another one that was of industry standard quality. After using Adobe and Sony Vegas at AS I knew how to use its features more effectively at A2 and could therefore produce a higher quality trailer. 

•          Using conventions from real media texts

•         In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Our opening two minutes conformed to the horror genre as it included dark lighting, eerie suspenseful music and an antagonist. Our location was the biggest indication to our genre as it was set in the woods which are very common among this genre.

•         In what ways have your productions used or developed conventions from real media products? In our planning stage of AS we would analyse many horror openings, picking out and explaining key areas which we felt made it special, by then we had a handful of effective features that we applied to our production making sure it included all the typical conventions such a music, lighting and characters. The openings we took most inspiration from were Cabin in the Woods and The Women in Black.

•         In what ways have your products challenged or played with conventions? Our main area in which we challenged the genre conventions was the lighting, as our apparatus wasn’t up to a high standard if we filmed too late in the evening the quality wasn’t good enough, therefore our lighting was slightly brighter compared to other horror openings.  

•         Is your work generic or experimental, or both? We have areas of both generic and experimental work, although our opening is more generic as it was our first production therefore it is easier to follow that typical conventions, experimental parts of our production include certain dynamic shots, for example our running point of view shot which was used very effectively to create a feeling or worry and fear.

•         Have you developed a style? Yes, I would say our style that we developed was using camera angles and shots to put the audience in the shoes of our main character, causing them to feel more connected to our opening, resulting in a lasting impact on the audience as they are exposed to the fear and horror experienced.

•         Have you been influenced by the work of specific directors etc.? Drew Goddard directed Cabin in the woods which we admired many features used, also Alfred Hitchcock directed many horror classics therefore we felt his experience in the genre was good to analyse, therefore I would say these two directors and their work has influenced our production.

•         How have you developed these skills at A2? At A2 in producing a trailer, we understood that the shot and editing had to become quicker as conventions of a trailer include fast pace exciting shots. Therefore certain skills from AS such as range and diversity of shots we transferred over to A2 but we also included more shots such a tracking shot. We also used our analytical skills to investigate into the features of the action genre using other cinematic trailers as inspiration.

Audience Feedback - International Trailer

                    

Audience Feedback

                       


This is our audience film feedback of our peers post watching our International trailer picking out areas of editing and camera angles, which were effective as well as what could be improved, in our evaluation task 3 we analysed this feedback further.

Presenting Our International Trailer

Evaluation Task 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of teaser trailers/poster/magazines)

International Trailer

Setting/Location: The establishing shot of our trailer is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, USA so immediately gives our trailer a professional feel as this is a foreign setting and would realistically cost a lot of money to fly out and shoot at - thankfully for us it was just part of a school trip so cost us nothing at all. One of the opening shots that follows in our trailer is outside "The Lincoln Memorial" which was actually St Pauls which stood in for the Washington memorial as although we were visiting it in February we doubted whether we would have enough time to get all the desired shots. Therefore on a trip up to London we stopped off at the cathedral as it was one of the few places in the local area that had steps outside that could pose as the Lincoln Memorial. By managing to get a good establishing shot and then cut to our character sat on the steps it gave our film an expensive, professional feel to it.

Setting/Location: We shot a few later scenes in the trailer in and outside our school, although this wasn't ideal it was the best we could do in the short amount of time we had the actors for, they had jobs and social plans and so it was a struggle to find a time when cast and crew could make it to a location to film these few crucial scenes. Therefore we realised school was actually a good idea as it had stairs and a large foyer bit for the two brothers to walk out of, with the shots being so short although you can notice it is shot in a school/college this is not important as you realise its supposed to be a courthouse of such. 

Camera-work/Editing: The low angle shots of the feet symbolise the important aspect of these shots, the antagonists getting away but are also helpful to hide the background to make it less obvious it was shot in a school and give it a more professional feel to it.

Camera-work/Editing: The shots outside of the car are some of my favourite in the trailer as the low angle shows the brothers to be in a dominant position having just escaped from serving prison time. These shots are inter cut with a phone conversation of our protagonist and edited with booms to emphasise their quick getaway and the pain Miller (the protagonist) must feel about them getting away yet again. The beats can emphasise metaphorical punches in the stomach as the news hits her hard, the beats also add to the drama of the scene and help build the tempo of the opening part of the trailer.

Story/How the trailer sets this up: These scenes are also quite crucial in setting up the story of the film and establishes good vs bad and lets the audience know who we should be rooting for. Miller is introduced as someone we are supposed to like and someone who we want to see succeed whilst the brothers are seen to be "evil" - we don't yet know what they were accused of or why she wants to catch them but the basic of the story has been set out.

Setting/Location: Again taking advantage of the time we had in America, whilst up the Empire State Building and when on the streets of New York we got some shots which aren't very long but help our trailer look more expensive. 

Genre and how it conforms to it: Establishing shots of big, recognisable cities are conventional and especially the aerial shot of NYC shot from the top of the ESB, as well as the ones shot from the top of the shard in London, gives the trailer a really grand feel to it and helps make our trailer look like a real one.

Title: With settings like these as well it makes our trailer look more professional and is most important as it helps explain the title of our film - International. By getting shots of Washington, NY and London audiences can begin to understand and guess why we called our film this but also have lots of questions, our title acts as an enigma that can draw audiences in.

Settings/Location: Living so close to London we knew by picking an action trailer we could really use this to our advantage, just like NYC it is big, recognisable and grand and makes our trailer seem more professional. A boat party at our college worked perfectly to double as a party on land that our protagonist Miller attends when she arrives back in London. This was really good for our trailer as although its only a few seconds long shot to have created this in real life would have cost a fair amount of money so again helps with making our trailer feel big budget.

Genre and how trailer suggests this: All these shots also help signify what genre the trailer is, big city shots could have been confused with a romance or thriller but the dance-floor/club scene is something fairly common in action movies as where the antagonists hang out. Therefore helps guide the audience to realise it is an action, especially after such a clear establishing of good vs bad in the first 20 seconds.

Costumes and Props: This is the second time the phone is used as a prop as was our most valuable asset during this shoot as it allowed us to have conversations with people we didn't need to cast and find settings for - although if we did this trailer again I would maybe have included scenes where we saw the person on the other end of the line I don't think it is necessary and by using a phone call it keeps the focus on Miller and her location. 

Camera-work/Editing: The match on action on the phone not only allowed us to show some of our filming techniques in a production that was hard to include them but also reinforces the idea Miller is an agent as she is contacted by a fellow agent. The high angle shot was a spur of the day decision made by our director who thought by looking down on her it foreshadows how she is unlikely to capture these brothers - at least this time anyway. It also shows her from a weak angle suggesting the brothers have the power and she's got an uphill battle to catch them.

Settings/Location: Again making the use of London whilst up there on a day trip we got some good shots of Waterloo Station, by going to the upstairs balcony we were able to get some impressive looking shots that showed a large span of the station and instantly made it recognisable. We even managed to get a few shots of trains leaving but these were actually shot in a different location later in the day. 

Camera-work/Editing: We shot the train leaving at Earls Court station as it allowed us to get the high angle shot we wanted which we couldn't get at Waterloo. The high angle shots of Waterloo Station show the people to be really small and implies how hard these brothers are going to be to catch, they could be any of these people, they're all moving quickly and they all look the same. It reasserts Millers foreshadowed doom from earlier - she hasn't got much chance of catching them. On the ground shots reinforce the madness, panic and chaos at this station and really put the audience there with her at the station. Another reason why these point of view shots were used was because it was hard to get a shot of Miller running or walking through the station - although if we did the trailer again this is definitely something I would change, as well as including a scene of her running onto camera as the train pulls away to reiterate the fact she has lost them.

Sound: At this point in the trailer there's a music change and the tempo is kicked up a notch, as the trailer begins the music is slow and suspensfull, matched with dramatic beats as the brothers escape, it then changes to dance music as the trailer switches to the club in London and the music changes yet again to less upbeat and more tension filled music as the audience anticipates whether Miller will catch the brothers before they get on the train. The music falls before a loud boom hits the audience and increases the drama - adding to the impression that is is an action trailer. The music build quickly in tempo before another fall in music to add the the suspense and get the audience asking questions.

Story/how trailer sets it up: This middle section of the trailer is arguably the most mundane but is necessary to try and educated audiences what this film will be about, engaging a larger audience than just the teen boys who want to see guns and chases. This was something which we found the hardest when making this trailer, reducing speaking scenes as these felt too structured and fake last year but having enough background info on the story that people are engaged and want to watch the film for its plot rather than just its guns, girls, cars and chases (which also need to feature in the trailer). We also get to see more of the antagonists in this part of the trailer, they could have featured more in the trailer but due to their busy schedules it was hard to find a time when both of them and the crew were available to shoot. Never the less by seeing them in this point and including them in the early scenes and end montage they are established well enough and negatively enough for audiences to know they're the "bad guys".

Camera-work/Editing: These four shots are from the montage at the end of our trailer which is by the far the part we are most proud of, with over 20 different shots, fast paced, exciting music and some really professional looking titles we feel it feels like an actual trailer. We were lucky that two of us in our group could drive meaning we were able to get some good shots of cars as they drove along, we were also able to get some good fighting scenes, some solo shots of our protagonist and some shots from in a garage giving it an action/gangster feel. One of my favourite shots of the whole trailer is a low angle shot when Miller throws papers off a table as it felt really dramatic and helps raise the tempo of the trailer even higher. I'm also impressed by the montage as it showcases how our editing has improved and how were able to create something that gets you excited and sat on the edge of your seat.

Genre and how trailer suggests this: The fast paced montage also conforms to the action genre as it has fighting, cars, chases, guns and is generally very high paced and aggressive. The music also conforms to the genre as it is loud and fast paced and raises the tempo making the audiences on edge and excited to see this film.

Camera-work/Editing: The end sequence that finishes the montage is another great part of the trailer as the high angle shows how Miller has finally caught these two brothers and has them in an isolated location with just them and her. They are both shown from a high angle suggesting they both have something to lose and are finally on equal ground. The final shot is of Miller as we are positioned to be stood behind her reinforcing one last that we are on her side and are rooting for her to win.

Story/How the trailer sets it up: How the trailer was going to end was actually one of the first things we decided on and one of the things we were adamant to keep the same even if we had to lose/change other aspects of the trailer. We were really happy with how it ended up  and how the trailer cuts to black on a dramatic beat before a bullet shatters the title - foreshadowing that one of them gets shot.

Evaluation Targets

I know you have been working on your responses - make sure they are uploaded as and when so I can support you further!

In your responses to your final production make sure you are clearly referring to choices and outcomes in an evaluative way - make sure you are addressing the areas outlined by me below:

What did you do? Explain a transition or effect you opted for in the editing process.  What effect did you achieve?  Explain how the choice you made was intended to make the target audience think or feel.  How does this show progression in your use of skills? Explain how this is better than your AS production's outcomes by linking to what you did in your portfolio last year.

These choices are really important for you to reflect on to show you fully understand how you have developed your skills - and make sure you evaluate the comments made by the test audience (the class) using specialist terminology.

We do not have long until the deadline for this final stage of your portfolio - so make sure you are pushing yourself and achieving the marks your efforts this year deserve!

Media Film Trailer - International