ShootingSchedule

We will/have abide(d) by this shooting schedule, although we missed out the fact that we will be needing the sound recorded for some of the days and also possibly may have one extra day of shooting to get some filler shots and establishing shots, however, this may not require all of us to be there.

ConstructionPost - Name

We finally decided on a name for our film. We will be using the name "The Game Never Ends". This symbolises how the teens have almost no control and that they will be going through various challenges or games.

We decided to add the "|" symbols to either side to make it look slightly better.

ConstructionPost - First Filming Session

ConstructionPost - Filming Our Shots

ConstructionPost - Whip Pan

Whip Pan
Definition - A camera panning movement fast enough to give a blurred picture.

We decided early on that we wanted a whip pan in our sequence, we got our inspiration from watching a previous AS opening sequence that used one. After we decided to use this technique, i immediately started looking for films that use them and example shots.

Now, looking back i think we should have watched some sort of tutorial, or asking for assistance. I think this because it took us multiple attempts to get a decent looking shot, even then, we had to do some editing. To do this type of shot you have to rapidly spin or move the camera. In our first attempt we tried to spin the camera on the tripod, but it was tightened too much, meaning that the camera moved too slow. After that, on our second attempt, we loosened it too much meaning that i wasn't spinning fully horizontal (This was the way we wanted it because it flows into the next shot).

This Was the final product ↓

ConstructionPost - JumpCuts

Jump Cuts
A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

I was given feedback on my work and told to make it more fluid, and also to make the walking in the sequence over quicker. To do this i decided to attempt to use jump cuts at ever beat in the music. As every beat hit the characters would jump forward into a new area. For me to achieve this style of editing i watched a few edits that were made in a similar way and instantly knew that this style of editing would achieve these targets set to me. 

Initially, i found it hard to fit in the cuts to suit the length of each beat. I also found that you have to pay close attention to the position of the characters feet before you make the cut, because if you make the cut when their foot os down and then cut back to when it is also down, it looks odd and makes the scene look weird. This is similar to match in action, as you have to pay attention to the characters previous position before you make the shot.

Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

The Comparison
When comparing the two, you can clearly see that the preliminary task was extremely basic and many simple mistakes were made. I think this is partly to do with the fact that this was the first time I had had exposure to creating a media product and had not yet gained any real life, practical experience. Comparing them now I can see that we have used a wider variety of shots and everything looks more professional. I think that we in some way underestimated what we could do with the equipment we were given, however looking mow at the final piece I believe that I have improved a lot since then.

Camerawork/Editing
When editing the prelim, we knew that it would only require basic skills like cutting. All this was very simple and cannot be compared to the editing we did in our final project. Although we did try adding an element of colour correction in after effects, however, it was not as advanced as the colour correction in the final piece.
Also the prelim did not feature titles, whereas the final sequence does, lots of work go into editing and placing the titles, for example when they appear, how long they stay on the screen for, what font, what colour etc.

Sound
Sound in the preliminary project was non-diegetic and also some dialogue. The sound used in this prelim cannot nearly amount to the amount and quality of our final piece's sound.

180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot.
In the making or our preliminary project, one of our tasks was to abide by the 180 degree rule. This basically meant that we cannot switch what side we are filming from. If we wanted to switch sides, we would have to use a technique in which you move the camera from one side to another in one swift motion. In our opening sequence, we did not really have to worry about the 180 degree rule as there was no real dialogue in our piece.
Match on action and shot reverse shot were used allot in our piece as it was very fast paced. We have improved allot since the preliminary project, in our first piece you can clearly see that the footage is not flowing. Constantly throughout the opening sequence we needed to use match on action, and later on we used shot reverse shot for 

Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Construction technologies 



During the creation of the opening sequence we were exposed to editing software such as premier pro and after effects. I had previous knowledge of how to use these software, so it didn't take very long for me to remind myself. We also used youtube, Vimeo and photoshop. The main things i learnt that i didn't already know is the colour correction tools and parts of the 3D mode.

During the filming sector of the project I was introduced to many new technologies and things I had to learn. One of the main things that I had to learn was how to use the camera, as I had not used one previously. I also learnt how to use other technologies such as the fig rig, sound recorder and tripod. The fig rig enabled us to record sequences that required the camera to move, it reduces the shaking and makes it look smoother. The tripod does a similar thing but is not made to be moved around. The sound recorder really helps when recording dialogue. If we had recorded the dialogue with the built in sound recorder on the camera it would be very unclear and would probably have horrible background noise.

                                                                                                

The music used in the opening sequence is royalty free, meaning that it is legal to use without having to ask/pay the creator of the music. The music used in the opening sequence was cut and edited in after effects to fit the cuts in the sequence, this was another skill I learnt. 

During the evaluation stage I have not learnt many new skills as they have all been learnt in the previous stages, however I have user media terminology throughout and made more developed and well rounded answers.

Another skill i have learnt through the process of making this opening sequence is Mac OS. Before this sequence i had never used a mac before and had to learn how to use it. I found it difficult to pick it up straight away as I am very proficient in windows and linux operating systems. The main thing i had to get used to was the scrolling being reversed and also how the folder structure works.

Research/planning Technologies


During the process of making this opening sequence I have developed a wide range of skills, some that I had already known and some completely new.During the planning and the research phase I used and have been exposed to new ways of presenting information. Some examples of software I used are Prezi, EMAZE, Piktochart, Powerpoint, Tubechop, and lots of other online presenting sites. By using these presentation softwares, it has allowed my blog to be visual and accurately represent media and the creativity associated with it. It also meant that you can interact with allot of the elements and keep your attention going.

Another form of presentation i used was PowToon, this site lets t=you create a presentation, and then they will add transitions and animations to your text, making it flow and look very professional and visual.
When planning our initial opening sequence, we decided to set up a public survey that people our age can answer. To do this we used survey monkey; we inputted all the questions we would need and then made the questionnaire live for people to answer. This information that we gained really helped us decide what would happen in our sequence. This was a new skill that i have gained, and i can how confidently create and publish my own surveys.

Evaluation

In the evaluation, i used many of the presentation software that i did in planning. Accompanied by lots of images and text the evaluation has come together as a visual set of posts.

`I think that in the evaluation, my most successful use of alternative presentation software was my question 5, in which i used pikto chart to create a perfect audience example. I think have effectively used my new skills gained to create a very visual and well made example portfolio.

Question 5 - How did you attract/address the audience?

Question 4 - Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product

Question 3 - What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why?

https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/e9xFw4hcnwL/?mode=movie#/

Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The typical stereotype for teenagers is that they are antisocial and are separated from normal society. This is represented by teenagers spending lots of time alone playing games, but also teenagers fashion choices, dialogue, body language etc. 

One film that follows this stereotype is attack the block:

This image alone starts to show how these stereotypes are active, for example his style of clothing, he is wearing a hooded jacket, hat and a bandana.

 This clip shows how body language is used to make these teenagers look threatening, also the fact that they are all wearing clothes that do not stand out and make them look larger than they actually are. They also have weapons on them to make them seem more violent and antisocial. We have followed this stereotype in our piece as me and Michael are walking with our hoods up. Also we walk with more of a stride, showing that we are stereotypical teenagers with attitude and lack of care.

Question 1 - How does your media product support, develop or challenge the conventions of other media texts?

The horror genre has a very unique style partially due to its conventions. One first convention of the horror slasher genre is the low key lighting, the low key lighting is often made by one spot light which is usually dimmed and has no filler light as it creates more shadows. this allows for the audiences imagination to create visions which might not actually be there but also it just creates a cold and dark tone. This is prominent in the vast majority of horrors as it means the 'killer' can lurk and hide among the shadows. Finally, it also creates a unwanted mood that could make the audience un-comfortable as it looks cold, dark and a little hazy which gives off a bad atmosphere. 

This is from the new Martyrs remake.

Saw IV opening.

extremely low key lighting used in paranormal activity.

the next convention that is frequently used in Horror is there is a lot of blood and gore often just to hint at danger or death but then sometimes lots of blood as it is off putting for a lot of people. it is also used to enhance the brutality of the killer and situation.

There is a lot of blood used in piranha to scare the audience.

Scream 4

You're Next

A lot of horrors are based in or around an eerie setting. This is because it automatically links to a creepy atmosphere which his off putting for the viewer. additionally, horror films often have relatable setting such as a house but it will be made creepy due to the openness of the house leaving lots of hiding spots or corners to turn. Additionally it allows for the audience to connect to the setting and relate situations back to them such as a clown at a theme park. Directors also like to have the setting isolated as it gives the sense of loneliness and helplessness.

The cabin in the woods is a classic example of an isolated setting.

Chernobyl Diaries shows a fully derelict and lifeless urban area.

A similar setting to cabin in the woods is where Before i wake is set in, a big house with 2 people living there in the middle of no where!

The characters that we follow through the whole film are also a convention of a horror film as there is often the first victim, the leader who stays alive until the end, the girlfriend who is either taken or is left the only one standing and these are used so that the audience has a clear understanding of the situation and can relate.

The Purge shows a vulnerable woman which is typical however even though she has a gun we are scared for her showing how weak she is.

Goodnight mommy shows vulnerable children.

Typical teenagers as the main protagonists. 

How we used conventions in our opening sequence:

We have used conventions of an opening sequence to make it seem more realistic. At the beginning of the opening sequence establishing shots have been used to introduce the setting. The very first shot is the characters walking through the gates of the graveyard, this creates an eerie atmosphere because graveyards are associated with death and being creepy. When the audience first see the gates of the graveyard and the characters walking through them they are left to question why are the characters there? and what are they going to do?We have also used establishing shots throughout the opening sequence to create more of a tense atmosphere such as a pan of the graveyard in the middle, this creates a tense atmosphere because the audience have yet to find put why the characters are in the graveyard. The establishing shots of the gates and ones of the graves are used to introduce the steering to the audience. 

Another convention we have used is the use of logos and titles, throughout the opening sequence titles appear on screen interrupting the opening sequence. The titles have been put in the correct order as you would usually see them in an opening sequence. This is to make it seem more professional and to make it more of a typical opening sequence.  Even though we have used this convention we have also challenged it because the titles are bold and striking instead of being simple and small, we have done this because it fits well with our target audience which is young adults as it makes it more interesting. This is to make our opening sequence stand out and to show it isn't a mainstream horror. 

We have also included the distribution and production company at the beginning which are a  typical convention of an opening sequence. The distribution company is an independent company which shows the opening sequence won't be mainstream and a typical horror, this also links in with our titles because they are unique which goes with the company. The production company is a horror based company which shows how the opening sequence will be a horror and will be different to the others. This draws in the audience because they can tell it will be unique. 

Another convention we have challenged is the use of slow paced editing instead we have used fast paced editing. We have used a lot of jump cuts to cut between different shots, we have done this because it fits with our target audience as it draws their attention in. The use of jump cuts also creates suspense because we are jumping from different charters not yet knowing which one will be killed. We have also done this because it creates more suspense for the audience as they don't know when something is about to happen. 

Furthermore, another convention we have used is the use of close ups, we have included these because it shows the audience how the characters are feeling. Towards the end of the opening sequence close ups have been used on the three characters who have lost their friend to show how scared they are and anxious about finding their friend. Close ups have also been used to introduce the characters and for the audience to get to know them. For example when there is a close up of the girls we can tell that they are slightly more on edge and when we see a close up of the boys we can tell that they are more laid back and carefree. Close ups are typical to an opening sequence because they introduce the characters and tell the audience more about them. 

Another convention we have used is introducing the mood. This is shown through the camera shots, when the three characters are walking into the shed a hand held shot is used to show the characters through the killers eyes which creates a creepy atmosphere because the audience can tell something is about to happen. Right at the beginning of the opening sequence a sombre mood is created because we are introduced to the graveyard which is associated with death and sadness. Another shot that helps set the mood is the shots behind the graves because we are focused on them instead of the characters because they give of an scary atmosphere. This moods helps set the overall mood of the opening sequence which is dangerous and scary because we know that a death may occur and the characters will be scared. 

Examples of conventions that we used linked with our genre (horror):

The first convention we used to do with our genre is blood. We use blood near the end of our opening sequence, to create tension and allow the audience to want to carry on watching. Blood is typically used in horror films to create a sense of fear and to add more of an insight to the storyline. It also allows the audience to feel more involved by allowing them to create the rest of the story in their head, making them feel more connected to the characters and the storyline in general.

We also use eerie music such as, crow and a ringtone sound effect to create tension and to make the audience feel on the edge of their seat. The sound effects allow the audience to feel more involved as they can actually feel like their at the setting of the graveyard. Sound effects are typically used in horror movies to create a creepy feel to the storyline and add more suspense, because if the opening sequence was just quiet without any music, it would be boring and wouldn't have the same creepy effect as it does with sound effects added. The soundtrack we used throughout the whole opening sequence is quite simple but also consists of 'jumps' throughout the whole soundtrack, allowing our sequence to have more effect on the audience. Our opening sequence breaks continuity when the 'jumps' happen in the soundtrack, this allows our sequence and the soundtrack to fit well together, allowing everything to flow.

Low-key lighting is also used in our opening sequence to add shadows and create more of a dark, scary atmosphere. If our opening sequence was bright and happy, it wouldn't have the creepy effect of being a horror opening sequence, so adding shadows and dark lighting makes it more sinister and eerie. Most horror films use low-key lighting and shadows, to create a sense of death and an extreme morbid atmosphere. 

Our titles challenge the conventions of a horror, because normally the titles are very subtle and quick. Whereas, in our opening sequence our titles are very bold and they stand out. We decided to challenge this convention of a horror because we wanted our titles to look a lot more noticeable and have more of an edgy effect to them, as we feel like this linked to our whole opening sequence a lot better. We also feel like, using bolder, darker titles will connect with our youth, as our opening sequence is targeted at teenagers, and stereotypically teenagers who hang out in graveyards have quite a dark personality, so we feel like the titles and characters, within our opening sequence link better this way.

One convention to do with horror films that we did develop was the use of typical characters. Stereotypically in horror films, they use a group of friends, normally mixed (boys and girls), and then the girls normally go off, without the boys, get chased by a serial killer and killed. We develop this, as we use two boys and two girls in our sequences, instead of using all girls/all boys, because it would have less of a scary effect if we used all the characters as the same gender. However, we challenge this convention because normally in a slasher horror, the girl goes off on her own and gets murdered, but in our sequence Aaron goes off and none of us know what happens to him. We ended on a cliffhanger like this to create tension and to make the audience to want to carry on watching. We decided to challenge this by sending Aaron away, instead of one of the girls to make our opening sequence more interesting and different, so its not like all of the other horror opening sequences that have been created.

Lastly, we developed the use of an eerie setting by filming in a graveyard. Normally horror films are set in a dark place to create suspense and with our genre being horror, we wanted to also communicate this when creating our opening sequence. Using a creepy setting such as a graveyard portrays the theme of death, which also links in with our storyline. Our setting also links in with our titles, music and characters allowing our whole opening sequence to flow together nicely.

Final Sequence

Final Sequence from Aaron Vincent-Powell on Vimeo.

StoryBoard

Animatic

This is our animatic. We received feedback on this animatic, that feedback was to add more filler shots that we could add the titles to. We acted on this feedback and made changes to our story board.

Travel Arrangements

Our travel arrangements are pretty simple as we are very close to the place we're filming.

We will be filming of Tuesday (09/02/2016) This is the weather forecast for that day.

This weather should be fine for our shooting as it looks like it isn't going to rain and the wind speed is not to high meaning the audio isn't going to be too messed up. the temperature is also bearable.

As our shooting locations is so close to the school, we will be walking to the cemetery.

Props - Photos

 This rucksack is used as a prop as it is very big, so that is can hold the other props, and it also looks worn out and well used, adding to the rebellious stereotype we are trying to portrait. 

 These bottles are used to show how the characters are drinking alcohol, adding to the display of the stereotypes. Also our characters are under the legal drinking age, so they are breaking the law. By using these props accompanied by the others, it is giving a clear idea that the characters are not good people, as a graveyard is a place of respect and should not have teenagers trashing it.

 These tick tacks are supposed to represent some kind of narcotics that the teenagers will be taking. By putting them in a tick tack container it shows how the teenagers are trying to conceal them and not get caught.

As with the other props this shows how they are all trying to break all the rules they can. This lighter will obviously be used to light come sort of drug or cigarette, or to burn things with. By having such a bland and disposable lighter it shows how the character may just throw it on the floor when he is done with it. Adding to the rebellious nature of the characters.

Costume - Photos

 My costume is showing the rebellious side/stereotype of people our age, shown by the bandana scarf and hood up. This can represent how he does not want his face to be seem and yet very laid back and not worrying who can see him.

Michael's character is seen throughout the whole opening sequence wearing a hood which shows how his characters is mysterious and likes to cause trouble. His character is also the one who wears the rucksack holding the bottles which shows how he is the leader of the group.

This character likes to dress more formal and she's the quiet one of the group who follows what the others are doing. The white shirt and black skirt is meant to show how simple the character is but still wants to stand out. 

Amy's costume is also very simple and plain which however because it has more colour it shows how her character is a little more outgoing and rebellious.