FILM TRAILER

My third of 3 final pieces, my trailer for "Deceased Grave" -

FILM MAGAZINE COVER

My second of final 3 pieces, my magazine cover "Exposure" -

FILM POSTER

My first of my final 3 pieces, my film poster for "Deceased Grave" -

Evaluation Question 4

Throughout my A2 Media projects I have used a range of software and hardware in order to complete my tasks. During research and when creating my ideas into forms I have used a mixture of both.

RESEARCH

IMDB - I found this site great when researching into films of the genre of my own and even others. It allowed me to research into different directors and actors, while providing me with the films they have starred in or directed. After that I could see their styles in film which influenced my own. I could do this all on IMDB as most films have the trailer attached on the page and actors profile pages have many of the trailers of films they star in helping me with ideas for my own trailer.

Graphic Narratives - At the start of our research we looked at how characters are portrayed in not just film but graphic narratives. I found this as a really heavy influence, I found that in graphic narratives, character profiles are really over looked as it's assumed that a comic book panel really limits the amount of views/emotion a character can express. This is the absolute opposite, the amount of emotion, stories and character types expressed in graphic narratives is huge, which really made me want to create some interesting characters for my own film. From the more slightly more easy going first half of my film trailer I took ideas from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and films such as Shaun Of The Dead, while the second half the graphic narrative and TV series The Walking Dead. I felt TWD graphic narratives show such a wide range of character types and create even more fear than the TV series which was a great help to my own projects. Since researching in graphic narratives I have bought many of my own which I feel seeing all the different artworks and types of them have really added to my Media knowledge and really allowed me to think of new abstract ideas.

 

Wikipedia - I have used Wikipedia to research into profiles on people such as Propp, Todorov and Claude Levi Strauss. These are all people who have written ideas on narrative theories. Learning information on this has allowed me to not base my own projects on one of their own but use little ideas from each.

Google - In order to find the websites that provided me with the information I needed, I used the search engine Google. 

Magazines/On-line Magazines - I looked at hundreds of magazines, many film related  in order to help me create my own magazine cover. With the progression of technology I was able to access many magazine covers on-line instead of having to buy/burrow related ones.

Gaming - I have taken quite a few ideas mainly from one game which I researched a lot into called The Undead Nightmare, on PS3. The zombie based game set in 1800's America was a great Postmodern mix of different time periods which really interested me. It was also really entertaining which is generally what you want the audience to feel when releasing a form of media. 

CREATING

SOFTWARE -

Blogger - From the very start of the Media A2 I have blogged every bit of progress towards my end project. I feel it shows a really good timeline from when I knew little about creating my own trailer, the Horror genre and many other things in the Media areas. I'm also extremely happy with how Blogger offers the technology to make every post exciting in comparison to a blog which could just be reels of text without photos, presentations etc to accompany it. 

Prezi - From my AS level I have always enjoyed expressing my ideas on Prezi rather than just typing out loads in a post. For one this is a lot more enjoyable for myself but even more so for the viewer, where they can take the information in a more dynamic viewing rather than getting lost in boredom of continuous writing. I can then embed my presentations straight into my Blogger post making it extremely easy for the viewer to enjoy. 

Photoshop - While creating my film magazine cover and poster I used Photoshop. I'm really used to this program now allowing me to create a really good quality piece of work and easily allowing me to adapt to various tasks such as magazine covers to film posters. It offers editing in changing levels of the photo and is great for designing such as adding text etc. 

Sony Vegas - From using this program last year I have really got to grips with it and can use it to a high level now. After using it last year, it was extremely easy to use this time. Mixing animation to real shots, using fades, quick cuts, reversed shots, increased velocity of shots were few of many things I feel I have used even better than I did last time. 

HARDWARE - 

Panasonic Lumix Camera - I used this camera to film my trailer. I found it easy to use, the quality was great for filming in comparison to others I tested. I also took the photo for my film poster of the camera. Being used to many cameras through photography I found this quite difficult to use. I couldn't quite achieve the right light by aperture and shutter speed through the camera, but I was able to move it to more what I wanted through editing it on Photoshop. 

Tripod - In my film trailer I used a range of still shots supported by the tripod and handheld shots. I used my own tripod, I had no trouble with it having used it a lot for photography and filming in the past. 

Evaluation Question 3

After completing my main 3 tasks for my A2 Media, I have devised different sets of questions to ask various age groups across both genders in order to receive sufficient audience feedback. I think it's great to receive feedback from those other than yourself in order to add/change for the next project you conduct so you can make it to appeal to a specific group or an even wider range of audiences.

MAGAZINE COVER

Male 15-20 -

• Most males quickly associated the genre of the magazine with it being a Horror/Action by the pose of the main image. It was clear there was some action/fighting in the film with the main character being stained in blood, the mallet as a weapon and the shot gun shells on the floor. This promise of action attracted males in this age group a lot. Secondly, the mention of famous series "Walking Dead" interested them as the success of the series made them curious to see something along the same lines. Those who were also familiar with designing/photography were also quick to comment it looked like an actual magazine which I was extremely pleased about. In my audience feedback everybody recognised the QS barcode, which they thought was a great idea. Even those who weren't 100% what it was questioned it and liked the idea of scanning it to take them directly to the site/hidden extras.

Female 15-20 - 

• Females at this age saw the Horror associated cover lines such as "Blood, fear and death" and "The Walking Dead", associating it with the Horror genre. Some were put off by this as they weren't a fan of the Horror genre. Others were interested being more enthusiastic about the genre. Others that perhaps weren't as interested in the film liked the main image and complimented the lay out of the magazine. A few in this group recognised the series The Walking Dead and similarly to the male group at this age were interested to see what a British version of a similar idea could be like.

Male 40-50 - 

• Not all males in this age group were interested in the Horror genre, but when they saw aspects of the Action genre would be incorporated into it, more were interested. They liked the sense of action with the mallet being used as a weapon (a few just outside the age group predicted the film may be a bit gory for them). They also noticed the cover line including a review on films at the Oscars which they were interested in.

Female 40-50 - 

• Most in this group focused more on how the magazine was laid out. They complimented it looking like an actual magazine and liked the design. Towards the contents of the magazine they showed less interest, most saying they weren't a fan of the Horror genre plus the expected violent from expecting aspects of the Action genre. 

FILM POSTER

Male 15-20 -

• All groups immediately liked the way I used the same costumes in both the magazine cover and the film poster. On the other hand they felt the magazine cover was more of a success in comparison to the film poster on terms such as designing. They felt the title was suitable for a film of that genre and continued to show interest in the film.

Female 15-20 - 

• Females in this group noted how they liked the photo, perfecting the lighting of the shot and using the sunset well. One liked the tag line of "The real apocalypse is just beginning" and said they'd be interested in comparing it to similar movies which they were disappointed by such as 2012.

Male 40-50 - 

• Said very similar comments to the Male 15-20 group. They liked the photo used.

FILM TRAILER

Male 15-20 - 

• In this group males commented more on the second half of the trailer. They liked the way it cut quickly between the animated part and the quick shots of the zombies plus titles, not showing the zombies long enough to get a good view of them, therefore reinforcing the feeling of not quite knowing what the main character is running from. They felt the rock music went well with the part of the trailer where the main character is running creating an action feel with a shared fear of what he is running from. They said that there should perhaps be a bit more action in the trailer rather than it all being a mystery. 

Female 15-20 - 

• In this group they found it interesting that I started the trailer in just a normal household, where as I think they were expecting it to be more of a scary, bloodbath style trailer where as it does incorporate aspects from genres such as Drama and Action. They liked the bits where I'd reversed the shots near the end of the first half of the trailer and also commented on the quick cut scenes in the middle like the male age group. 

Male 40-50 - 

• In this group they liked the contrast between the 2 songs used in the contrast and liked the contrast between what happens in each half of the trailer. Quite a few were interested and commented on how they like to see more British independent films being recognised. 

Female 40-50 -

• This group showed the least interest, quite a lot said that they enjoyed seeing a no budget film being put together but thought the film wouldn't be for them. 

Evaluation Question 2

I have answered Evaluation Question 2 by creating a Prezi -

Evaluation Question 1

I have answered Evaluation Question 1 by creating a Prezi -

Soundtrack Choice

For my trailer I wanted 2 really contrasting pieces of music. For the start of my trailer, I want it to seem calm as it's just filmed indoors, showing parts of a daily routine. The other half of the trailer I wanted a more heavy, upbeat piece of music to reinforce the quick movements, fast cuts and add to a feeling of panic.

Usually I would write or ask permission to use a piece of music from a friend but I couldn't find anything suitable to fit my trailer. I went on website live.freeplaymusic.com which had a wide range of copyright free music which I could use for my trailer. I would still credit the original artists in my actual film. From the site I was able to download 2 songs that fitted perfectly with my footage. One song being from a Jazz genre and the other more of a Rock/Metal feel.

Film Problems

In the process of filming my trailer I've already faced problems. The camera I've been using hasn't produced the picture I quite aimed for. As it's made for taking photos not videos, the quality isn't quite what I thought it would be, making it quite grainy and pix-elated  Also, in the process of editing it has cut down the size of the picture from what I think is just the video settings on the camera.

On the upside, it has provided me with the plans of the exact shots I will need to repeat and also the way in which I will edit them on Sony Vegas. It has allowed me to advance with using the program and will make it a lot easier to just replace the old shots with new ones.

I have uploaded my first bit of progress towards the trailer just so it can be compared to the final piece -

Setting Choice

Last week I chose the setting for parts of my film. During my film trailer I wanted the perfect woods setting (described in a previous post). I've taken photos for future reference to the spots I wanted to use in the woods and evidence of research -

Walking Dead Video Game (2012)

As part of the Media A2 exam, I've been studying representations and analyzing different forms of media such as video games. The Walking Dead Video Game (2012) links in  well with the genre and ideas of my own film.

The genre is the main link between the game and my film, following similar themes such as the zombie apocalypse idea. The Walking Dead game is based upon the comic book, where it follows groups of human survivors fighting against the infected population of zombies. The video game shows the same story, including various characters from the comic book/TV series.

You play the game as ex-university professor and convicted murderer Lee Everett. I really liked the characterisation immediately of Lee because it pushes stereotypes to the side in many cases. Lee's profession was a university professor, clearly an important and highly achieved job role. On the other hand, the game starts with him in the back of a police car, quickly learning he has been convicted of murder. However, throughout the game, Lee is very open with confessing to people of his past which makes  him more trust worthy to your group of survivors. The first character you meet playing as Lee is a young girl named Clementine. During the game Lee takes on the responsibility of looking after Clementine as if she was his own daughter. Clementine quickly places her trust in Lee and the group see's him as a caring character.

In The Walking Dead video game, comic book and TV series I really admire the range of character personality buildings, with a huge range of ages, ethnicities and genders being included in the series. In some cases we see some stereotypical character in types but in many other cases Robert Kirkman displays some of the most un-stereotypical character types seen.

I will be aiming to take some of these ideas into my characterisation in my own film.

 

Updated Synopsis

I feel that if my film follows the lives of scientists in a zombie/virus outbreak, the causes of it will be uncovered early on. Therefore, I will be changing it to following the lives of everyday people, the main character just being a college student. I feel that this will add so much more drama and action into the film, as college students and everyday families will have never had to fend for their lives and have no clue in how the outbreak has been caused. Also, not revealing how the virus has been caused will leave more questions open for the audience, maintaining their interest and allowing them to feel a part of the film, discovering clues and information at the same pace as the characters.

Filming Settings

On Tuesday, I wanted to finalize where I would be shooting parts of my trailer when I required a forest/woods setting. St. Helen's Wood's was the most local idea for myself so I took some sample photos and looked to see if it would be suitable for my trailer. I found the mix of public tracks and untouched forest would be a great mix to shoot in as it didn't look like a public park, such as Alexander Park, where the the forest effect wouldn't have been as easily achieved. From the hour and a half of being there, there were only a handful of people walking past possible settings, which would make filming a lot easier for me and there would me little disturbance for the public. The amount of large trees blocked out quite a lot of light which I found positive as I want to shoot in the day time, but still create a dark and fearful mood which is harder to achieve without something shielding the sun. Sample photos have been taken to remember the settings I chose and for future reference, I will upload them in the next few days.

Break

After studying more for the exam in Media Studies, I will now continue to blog my progress in my coursework and finish the project. I have arranged to burrow the camera I usually use for my filming and will be using it over the half term.