Q.6 Evaluation

Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

In constructing our product I used a lot of technologies. The first piece of technology I used was a Cannon camera xAHI this piece of equipment is the most important in making a film, without it you couldn’t record any pictures.  The quality of the camera is of a high standard I really enjoyed using it because it is compact, portable and reasonably easy to operate. The downfall to this piece of equipment is that the battery life is not great, in that it dies easily. Also the camera movement is not smoothest and it can be difficult to keep up with human movement so we began to line up the shots so the actor can walk into the space of the camera, which made it easier to catch the actor’s movement. We learnt to use this piece of technology in lessons and through our Preliminary task where we made a short scene. We also used a clapper board which is not very hi-Tec but it is very helpful in making a film. The main role of a clapper board is to act like a bookmark, so when it comes to editing you don’t have go through hours of film just look at the start of a scene and see if it was a good take or not. It is pretty easy to use these pieces of equipment you just have to write what shot, scene and take it is on the board and hold it up in view of the camera, and clap it after every shot. The only real negative I found was that it is tiring, and a boring job. For sound we used a windshield system which is a container used for the microphone when filming, it is also used as form protection from wind for the microphone. Attached to this a boompole which is used to hold the microphone it is nice, long, and handy to collect the slightest forms of sound with out being in the picture. It is very easy to use but it is tiring to have to hold it up and keep it still for long periods of time. In the windshield system is a Seinsheise microphone which is used to magnify sound while recording. There are many benefits of using a microphone such as it gives you clearer sound, and it picks up even little pieces of sound. The only real negative is that it picks up sounds you don’t want but are beyond your control. For the positing of the camera we used a          lipec sl200 tripod which is like a triangular based pole. It is good and crucial in making a film because you have to set your spirit level which means your camera is level when filming. A tripod gives you steady pictures, which your hands couldn’t give you. It is easy to position and it left me more time to think about the technical side of boxing, than worry if I’m holding the camera still. It is a great piece of technology but it becomes annoying when you have to keep packing it down, then putting it back up and also then checking the spirit level.

When it came to the post production the editing software I used was Adobe premier c54, and Adobe aftereffects. Adobe premier was the piece of editing software I used. I had been taught through previous lessons and our Preliminary task how to use the software so I was accustomed to it. I needed to use this software because I needed to edit, editing is very important  it gives you a chance to add special effects, titles, and music and without out film is just a bunch of rushes that are not necessary in order or make sense. The benefits of this software are that there are a lot of effects and it is relatively easy to operate. The only real negative is that the editing on this software is time consuming, but I feel that’s with all film editing software. I have learnt that editing is very frustrating and that it is always good to have a break every 45minutes to refresh your brain and take your mind off it.  The only other editing software I used was an Adobe aftereffect which was used in making my production name which is ‘FaithFilms’. 

The filming techniques I have learnt during this production are endless; I learnt things like shot reverse shots to show reactions which are useful while filming conversations, panning shots to establish things or to show something to a deeper depth for longer. I also learnt about the over the shoulder shot, reaction shots, and the purpose of cut away’ s in a film which is to stop the viewers from getting board of watching one thing, tilts for more interesting angles and positions, low angle to create power in a actor/actress or thing and the necessity of having total shot of every scene.

The editing techniques I have learnt are to a cut and clips and put them into order, I have learnt how to use and apply different to a film and the benefits they give. I also know how to raise and lower different the elements of sound via sound mixer. I also know how to use the black and white effect which is one the effects we used in our film, I used this to make our film look scarier, depressing, and boring. I learnt how to add in and take out shots and graphics in my film, which I did a lot in my production especially when I inserted my production name which was done on another piece of software (Adobe After effects). I also learnt how to digitize clips and put them unto the computer software, throughout this task I have learnt and acquired bundles of skills and techniques.

The key lessons I have learnt while using the technology and equipment are that at times as good as technology is it can its problems and at times it can be temperamental, for example the camera could just not turn, and the spirit level can just feel impossible to set, or the tripod could be jammed and when filming this could possibly hinder your performance. Also I have learnt that you should always try your equipment out perform you go off site to perform because if you are missing something, or something is not working properly, you probably waste time in going back to get the equipment or change equipment which again may waste valuable time.

Q.5 Evaluation

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

My film ‘FORSAKEN’ is a very sad and dramatic and is for a younger target audience 15-25 years of age. If we had advertising posters the posters would be on the side of buses in popular areas where there are a lot of secondary schools to grab the attention of my primary target audience. Since my film is very urban and street related I would also put my advertising posters where a lot of young people go like outside big shopping malls such as Lakeside and Westfield. Also I would put out outside stores like Footlocker and JD because a lot of young people go there to shop, from the same target audience as my own so this will be a suitable place for my poster.  Due to the fact that Blackberry’s are so popular among youth today I would send posters to every contact through the Blackberry services to catch there attention, I would also do this on Facebook for the same reasons.

My film ‘FORSAKEN’ has many elements which attract my target audience and they go as followed:

• In the first of my opening sequence we see a pan shot, in this motion my production name ‘Faith Films’ appears. It fades into the shot which adds a mystery effect to this shot which leaves audience thinking what’s going to happen next.
• In the next shot we see a female walking down the stairs; the camera actually follows her so for audience it feels like they are walking behind the actress. This effect makes the audience feel as if they are a part of the film, so the audience will find it easier to connect with the film.
• In the next shot will maintain the element of disguise by not showing the actress’s face, this makes the audience want to watch on so they can discover who the actress is. I feel the shadow on the floor caused by lighting also adds a mystery affect because you can only see a figure on the floor. This shot is very dramatic in that it leaves the audience guessing, and questioning.
• The mise en scene of the surroundings of the character, it is very dirty and unhygienic which makes the opening sequence more exciting and different, if the place was neat and tidy it would be in the ordinary. Also the surroundings make us question why she is in this dingy looking building, and her motives for being there.
• I feel the title shot creates pictures in the viewers head of the word forsaken, it attracts the audience because nearly everyone has been forsaken, so everyone can conjure up there memory of when they were forsaken. It was written in talcum powder which I feel is very original and is done in a cheap everyday product, which links with our film because our film is far from flashy and so is our title.
• The black and white effect added in post production puts a dark feel to the film, and gives a vision of how dark and depressing the world of the character is in. I feel many of the target audience can relate to the similar feelings and emotions in the film, which makes it suitable for them.
• The shots of the drug taking are very dramatic and sad to most viewers which makes my film very attractive because people like it when there emotions are tampered with, the close-ups bring the viewers closer to the action which makes them feel as id they are apart of the film. Also the prop of the baby picture really the sequence more depressing and upsetting because of the purity and naivety of a child who has died. The highlighted pictures of the child show that it is significant in the storyline. The sounds of the baby represent the cry of Lauren’s late daughter, which is significant because it subsequently push the Lauren to suicide; this will attract mothers because they share the same motherly love.
•  The slow pan up the mothers are builds tension because the audience are questioning themselves on is she dead or not, but as shot goes up the arm reality is setting in that the character Lauren is dead, this bit tension makes the film more compelling and makes the film more complex then just sad but exciting as well.
• The flat line at the end signifies the end of Lauren’s life, it is probably not what the audience wanted but it does give a good example of the harshness of life and I feel that is what the primary audience and secondary audience will like most about the sequence, especially the secondary because they probably don’t see these types of issues first hand perhaps only through media outlets.
• The costume of the main character Lauren Ealing in the opening sequence is very urban, and it is the types of clothes that many young adults 13 – 19 were today. So this sort of clothing will invite young adults to watch it because they feel comfortable with what the character is wearing, and also the audience will be more able to connect with the main character.

I feel the prior knowledge my primary target audience will have on a genre is drama, because drama is based around realism and I feel they will like reality more than anything else because of there lifestyles. In saying this I also feel they will enjoy comedy just like must people but in drama a small percentage of comedy lies. I feel they will know the basic codes and conventions of a drama such as depression, heartache, relationships, happiness, and love. From this I have put these codes and conventions in my film such as love between the mother Lauren and her daughter Cheryl, there is depression throughout the opening sequence from Lauren due to the death of her daughter. There is an obvious relationship between Lauren and Cheryl mother and daughters, so in my opening sequence I feel I gave my primary target audience what they expect from a drama.

The main themes in my film ‘FORSAKEN’ are love, depression, drug abuse, heartache, and suicide. These themes attract my audience because it is interesting in that we viewers like to see bad things happen to others for a thrill, and also because it is things which are going on in reality today. My primary audience mostly come from the same social class as the main characters in my film so they can relate to some of there predicaments and troubles the characters are encountering. Some of the successful films which incur the same themes are films like ‘TRAINSPOTTING’, ‘THE WIRE’, and ‘HUSTLE AND FLOW’, these are a few successful films which incur the same themes as my film ‘FORSAKEN.

Q.4 Evaluation

 Q4. Who would be the audience for your media?

In my production ‘FORSAKEN’ my main target audience is from 15 – 25 year olds from around the U.K. It is equally targeted for males and females because the main character is a female, and because drug related are made mostly for males. I wouldn’t say my film has one specific ethnicity it, it varies for all races. I feel the social status from the majority of our viewers will be from the working class and lower class because it is mostly about these classes. People from the lower class and working class will want to know how they are perceived by other people this film will probably interest them. My main target audience will also be dependant on the state, or working many jobs due to there social class and the economic times where there is not a lot a lot of many in the country. Watching films in the cinema will not be a frequent affair for them due to there financial predicament, they would probably go 6 times a year where someone who is better off may go 12 times a year. I

 I made a film like this because I wanted to target the working class and lower class and I know this is a type of film they would watch because it’s mainly about their class. I also found inspiration for a film like mine from UNIVERSAL studios that normally make films for a large target audience such as ‘2 FAST 2 FURIOUS’, ‘HULK’, ‘ROBIN HOOD’, and even ‘NANNY McPHEE’.

The films that i feel my target audience would view are things life ‘KIDULTHOOD’ another urban film based in London dealing with the same sorts of issues as ‘FORSAKEN’, also ‘NOUTOURIOUS’ a George Tilman film, this is something they would watch because it is related to drugs based around a very famous urban person and because it based on someone black.

My secondary target audience would be the slightly older generation from the ages of 35 – 50 year olds. I feel they would be interested in a film like mine because they hear and read about the negativity of youth in lower class societies, but they don’t actually know the details behind it, also they can’t go to the streets and experience first hand but watching it behind the screen perhaps in a cinema, or in the comfort o f there own will be an educational experience and an enjoyable one. The types of social classes my secondary target audience will be from are the upper class, and middle class. They will most likely be from predominately wealthy areas such as central London, West London, and East Essex.  Also I feel many young women with children will be interested in my film, more due to the narrative because Lauren Ealing losses her child, so this type of issue will affect them and therefore perhaps make these young women want to view the film. The age range would be from 16- 24 year olds from lower classes, and from a black ethnic background due to the fact that the main actor is from a ethnic background.

Q.2 Evaluation

Q2. How does your opening sequence represent particular social groups?

My media production deals with one main social group which is lower class- poverty, although my film also deals with upper class and working class social groups.

My main character:

• Lauren Ealing
• Is a young British black female.
• Aged 18.
• Has no real occupation but sells drugs.
• Born and raised in Canning town in a 5 bedroom house, at the age of 14 she ran away to escape her parents rules and boundaries. She moved into a foster home in the slums of Stratford and became heavily involved in drugs.
• She was a mother until her child died.
• A victim of abuse.
• She suffers from epileptic fits.
• Had a very troubled childhood in that she was on the run for along time, and moved from foster home to foster home.
• From the opening sequence you can see that Lauren is a drug addict from the way she is walking, and how she is handling the use of drugs. She looks experienced and in a sense comfortable. But the audience later finds out that she is depressed at the loss of her daughter. Due to this she is now suicidal and is on the brink of death.

Another social group which is in my film is upper class. Lauren Ealing is from an upper class background. Her parents own a very successful business but are very strict. Her mother Sharon has problems of her own, and never paid much attention to her daughter due to her business which takes up most of her time. Her father Owen is cheating on his wife with a younger female and pays most of his attention on pleasing his wife so she doesn’t suspect his wrong doings. Lauren runs away from home, and now she has become independent but dependant on drugs, just like her street friends whom know better.

My opening sequence represents particular social groups through location. The location of the sequence is in a broken down basement. I used this sort of place because I thought it would be a great way to show someone from under the poverty line, living in a run down basement. This shows the grittiness and the harshness of the situation of Lauren and some of the people in the lower class. Also if we used an ordinary bedroom it would’ve been harder for the audience to grasp a feel of what kind of life Lauren is living and would take some reality from the film and the opening sequences. The costume of the main character Lauren Ealing is very urban and street orientated, the look of her appearance is that of someone who doesn’t care for themselves, someone from the lower class. Lauren is from the lower class and this is why I went with this costume choice. When making the film, I put a black and white effect over it. I thought this would be a great way to show the darkness and grittiness of the situation in hand. It would also show the social group Lauren is in because you wouldn’t associate this kind of predicament with someone from the upper class; because people tend to believe the wealthier you are the fewer problems you will have and the happier you will be.

The other key characters in my film are Lauren’s best friend Tanisha, a drug dealer Big Boss, and her social worker Tim. The drug dealer Big Boss is very aggressive, overpowering, and a very dangerous man. He is feared by many and Lauren buys drugs and sells for him. He is from the same social class as Lauren is in now. This character represents someone from the lower class because he is illegally selling drugs for an income, and you can assume that only someone who is from that class which means they are so desperate money they would put his/her freedom on the line to make some cash. I got this perception of a gangster and drug dealer from Quentin Tarantino’s‘PULP FICTION’. I feel the actor Ving Rhames played out a gangster really well and that where I got my inspiration from. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/

When casting the role of Lauren Ealing I found the right actress first time round through auditions. There were know problems, but a few things I had to alter in making the character right for playing the role of  a drug addict this came in the form of appearance, costume and facial expressions. The things I  was looking in an ideal actor was someone who was willing to act like a drug addict weeks before filming, so they could get in the mindset of  a drug addict. And also someone who is willing to get hair and make-up applied in what ever way necessary, and I found this person.

Overall I feel my opening sequence in’ FORSAKEN’ represents social groups through factors like hair and make-up, costume, location etc. These things make my production my opening sequence very effective.

Q.1 Evaluation

Q1. In what ways dose your media product USE, DEVELOP, or CHALLENGE forms and convention of real media products?

My film is about a young female which is addicted to drugs since a very young age; at the tender age of 18 she had a child. She loved her child dearly but she couldn’t obtain the responsibilities of a mother. Her daughter died at the age of two due to an accident on the mother’s part, which has led her into deep depression and her at the brink of suicide. She later kills herself. The main genre of my film is drama. The codes and conventions within my film which conspire with those of a drama are normally drug use, relationships, love, disappointment, happiness, even realism or some sort of dilemma etc. The aspects of the genre drama that my film includes are drug use throughout my film and the opening sequence, also the relationship between the mother and daughter, the dilemma is in that this girl has been addicted to drugs since a very young age and is now having detrimental effects on her life, also in my film there is sense of realism how this women is a drug addict and is depressed theses sorts of things happen in real life but maybe not to this extent. So I feel my film follows the codes and conventions of a drama, more specifically dramas about drug use.

In my film FORSAKEN the main themes are drug use, a loss of a loved one, depression, heartache, suicide, abuse, a bad child hood and many others. From my opening sequence you can gather these themes. The heavy use of drugs suggests they person had a bad childhood because if they didn’t they would probably know the implication of heavy drug use. The character within the sequence also looked comfortable with the environment which leads you to think this is not the first time she has taken drugs. The whole sequence points to suicide in the sense of her surroundings, and the amount of drugs and drug related objects on the table. Although the fact that she actually kills her self as she overdoses supports my suggestion of suicide as a theme. A loss of a love one is another theme related to my film, from an aural point of view you can hear crying through most points of the film which suggest there is a baby involved. As the actress goes to kill herself we see pictures of a child, which links in with the noise of a baby. Also at the most vital part of the sequence where the actress is in the process of killing herself we see pictures of the baby which means the baby is very significant and important. So you can gather that the child has died because she is not with her mother and because the mother commits suicide.

My film FORSAKEN challenges the codes and conventions of a drama, in the choice of gender for the main character Lauren, which is heavily involved with drugs from a very young age, is a female. In most films this kind of character is normally played by a male. Like in the film 1 DAY which is also a drama, Dylan Duffers one of the main actors is a drug dealer and user. Or in another British drama Adulthood directed by Noel Clark, Adam Deacon is also a drug dealer which proves that our character personal challenges the codes and conventions of a drama. In this production there is a young child, who dies due to lack of care by her mother, but in most dramas the child wouldn’t die but in our film the baby dose, this challenges the codes and conventions of a drama.

Our film starts from the end and then goes back to the beginning, the form of my opening sequence is of most films it begins with the production name, then it goes on to the establishing shots, thirdly the actress/actor is introduced and the basic narrative, finally we then see the credits and the producers name. An example of this is in ‘WATCHMEN’ a Warner Bros and Paramount production; it follows the basic form of an opening sequence.

In my production the main actor Reka Samuel is a drug addict. In drama’s to keep with the dramatic themes most directors have there actors exaggerated in there roles. We followed this convention in that my actress’s character was over exaggerated in the sense of her clothing, facial features, and hair to make her more believable and fit the role of a drug addict. In the film ‘TAKERS’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste played a role similar to this a drug addict, this is how I perceived my actress Reka Samuel as. Mrs Baptiste character is much exaggerated. Through this acting she made the film more of a success, and her character was really interesting, and I feel this is due to the exaggeration of her character. My film ‘FORSAKEN’ challenges the codes and convention of a drama in that the main actress is a mother and you wouldn’t really associate mothers with drugs, because a stereotypical views of a mother is someone who’s neutering and a provider, but in this case she is a young defenceless mother whom is addicted to drugs. In addition to this you would assume a drug addict would be contemplating on her next fix and funding her drug habit, not harbouring a juvenile.

The format of a narrative normally starts with a equilibrium, then disruption, followed by resolution, and then finally the new equilibrium. But our film is very different, from the beginning of the narrative disruption occurs throughout. Our film is also very different in that it is in a non linear format, because the ending is the beginning the film and then it flows back from there. This is similar to Quiento Tarrintino’s famous ‘KILL BILL’ in how it is constructed, and it is why we had the confidence to portray our story like this, especially in that ‘KILL BILL’ was such a so success.

We used many sounds in our film such as the backing track, natural sounds, and special sound effects such as a baby crying and a flat line monitor. In drama genre related films and programmes you get a lot of dramatic sound effects such as flat line monitors because there are a lot fights and accident that keep us interested, which may lead in going to a hospital where subsequently you might here such sounds such as in drams like Eastenders and Holby city, and also in films like Kill Bill were Cameron Diaz in a hospital bed. A baby’s cry in a drama is a symbolism of exaggerated realism so babies cry is very drama related and follows the codes and conventions of a drama.

Regarding Mise en scene I followed the conventions of a urban/drama in how I used the black and white effect for the majority of the sequence, but then put highlights on the photographs of the child to show the importance of the photo and how pivotal this character is the main characters life Lauren Ealing .I also made sure the viewers couldn’t see the whole of the actress’s face to create mystery and enigma one famous example of enigma was in Queintin Trarrintino’s Pulp Fiction with the golden breifcase. This is a very common drama based technique to create mystery in a scene. It is also used in soap opera’s like Eastenders. My opening sequence also challenges the conventions of a drama through Mise en scene because there children’s toys on the table of the basement. You would normally find children’s toys in family films and fantasy films but in this case it is in an urban/drama.

To conclude my media production ‘FORSAKEN’ mostly uses the codes and convention of a drama in how we presented the main character, and how we used dramatic sound effects such as a flat line monitor. Although it also challenges the codes and conventions because I used a female actor instead of a male and also we used a lot of children toys which would traditionally used in fantasy’s and family films.