Evaluation Part 7

I feel that the end product of the opening 2 minutes of "I do?" was a success. I feel that I have grasped both the filming and the editing side to producing a film well. However, I do feel that if I was to create another film I would make changes - 

• During filming the Preliminary Scene, there were mistakes made such as continuity errors and scenes that didn't fit the brief. Therefore, I had to film a new scene. In this scene, it fitted the brief but I still felt there were errors such as people in the back ground being in a shot, but when the camera next returns to that person of focus, the people in the background were different. However, I did feel there was an improvement between the first Preliminary scene filmed and the second in the camera shots and movement. This is a lot like the comparrison between the Preliminary Scene and the final opening 2 minutes. I feel that the quality of shots, camera movement and picture quality is a lot greater in the final piece. 
• If I was to film another opening 2 minutes, I feel like I'd want to experiment with a different genre. I enjoyed the jokes of the Rom-Com styled film, but found at some stages it being too immature and hard to concentrate on filming. 
• I feel more confident with the editing process now and if I was given a set of shots to fit together and flow perfectly, I feel like I could do this successfully. 
• During the filming, I think that some of the acting doesn't seem natural. I think that it was down to both myself and other actors were under a time pressure and that if we were to do it in our own personal time, we could fit into roles and seem more natural.

MY PRELIMINARY SCENE

THE OPENING 2 MINUTES TO "I DO?"

Evaluation Part 6

During completing my media product I have had to use various bits of hardware and software. Some of these included a learning process which I had to grasp throughout completing my coursework. These included - 

• Lumix Camera by Panasonic - This is the camera I filmed "I do?" with. I burrowed it from a friend but had no difficulty in using it at any point in time. It was a lot like my camera and allowed me to create the best quality picture achievable. As I arranged a practice run through of the shots we would film, it allowed me to get used to the camera as even with a good understanding of cameras, there are always minor differences. 

 

• Tripod - The tripod I used was a standard style. I was able to get used to how to adjust the angles and height of it during my first experience of filming at the start of the year and in my preliminary scene. One problem I had in the early stages was having problems with shots that panned horizontally as the tripod was stiff, therefore, the movement would be jumpy. It didn't take long to correct as it just needed to be adjusted on the tripod to allow a better movement but not too loose as such forces as the wind could move it or the picture could be panned quicker than desired. 

 

• College Computers - I used the computers at college (Dell) in my Media lessons. I already have a good knowledge of computers, therefore it was simple to access. It allowed me to blog and upload footage onto which was essential. Also, all computers allowed me to edit my film on and 2 computers were just for Media students. These had a large hard drive space to save footage on and had the editing program installed on - Sony Vegas. I learnt that on the other computers, when I finished editing my film and went to render it, the computer would freeze and crash because it had insufficient space to carry out the process. This simply meant I had to render it on the allocated Media computers.

• My Personal Computer - I would use my personal computer a lot for mainly blogging at home. I also used it for research and creating ways of presenting my data. My computer had all the same programs plus more compared to the college ones (without Sony Vegas) and had a larger hard drive allowing a quicker working process and often a better internet connection. 

• Blogger - www.blogger.com was the site I used to update my progress on my coursework. I found it simple and effective to use. One great bonus of the site is that you can link it and insert media from else where onto it such as own images, videos and presentations rather than just links to other websites. It also allowed me to change the themes and colours to make it more interesting and feel more personal to myself. It was also easy for my teachers to track my progress and guide me even when I wasn't in the class room. 

MY BLOG - SAM DIXON

• Prezi - I found that www.prezi.com was a brilliant way to present some of my posts rather than typing them out every time. This made them more attractive for both myself and any one viewing them. I personally found Prezi really easy to use and produced great results, creating a total of 8 presentations. To start with I was simply pasting links onto my blog posts which would take those who clicked to my prezi site. But I discovered that you could embed the presentation on to the post my copying the html code from the prezi into the "Edit html" tab when writing a post. This allowed the viewers to play the prezi without leaving my blog.

• Bubbl.us.com - This site allowed me to create mind maps which I could import onto my posts rather than making a long list. It was extremely simple to use. I had to create an account which took less than a minute and it saves up to 3 mind maps to edit at a later stage. I had no problems with this site at all. 

• You Tube - I have been using You Tube previously before my Media coursework, so it was easy to find what I wanted and upload my footage. I used it to research into other film openings and link them to my posts. This was great because it allowed me to study and take ideas with out having to set up a dvd. I used the site to upload my footage, both the preliminary task and the final product, and then imported it onto my Blogger. 

• Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum - I had never used an editing program before the start of the course but I have learnt the basics plus more of Sony Vegas and find it a brilliant program. I started by watching all the basic tutorials. These were extremely helpful as they were interactive, allowing you to do the actions as they tell you to. The program allowed me to put each separate shot together in the order they needed to be in. If a shot needed to be cropped it would allow me to do that so that each shot would flow into each other. If that's not what I wanted, there are many effects that could be used such as fading 2 shots together. Sony Vegas also allowed me to add my titles to the film, having full control over the font, size, style details and how long they appeared for. I found that when adding my sound track I did not want the whole song. For example, there is a long intro in the song, so the program allowed me to zoom in far enough to crop parts of the song to make it just 4 bars long before going into the verse. The danger of doing this could make the song sound disjointed, but the program allowed myself to cut at an exact moment, therefore to any viewer watching the film before reading this, would have no idea that there has been a part cut out. When I had finished editing my film, I was able to render my footage into a format suitable to play on computers and one that would be able to upload onto You Tube. It was also of a sensible memory and quality size. I had little problems using Sony Vegas. However, if I did find myself unable to do something, I would simply follow one of the tutorials. In one case, where I was learning how to add titles and how to use them to their full extent, I found the tutorial hard to understand. I simply typed it in on You Tube and found a great tutorial on there which allowed me to add the titles and complete my film. 

   

 

• Memory Stick - I used my memory stick to transport all my footage, photos and documents from computer to computer. I found it had sufficient space and it never crashed or had any problems with it. It's potential capacity is 4GB.

Evaluation Part 5

I have created a prezi on how I attracted and addressed my audience - 

How I Attracted & Addressed My Audience on Prezi

Evaluation Part 4

I have created a Prezi on the different types of audiences that would watch "I do?" - 

Audiences For My Film - "I do?" on Prezi

Audience Responses

• I showed the opening 2 minutes of "I do?" to various audiences. This gave me an idea of both seeing if the film was enjoyable to a general audience but to also see if it was successful as a Romantic Comedy to specific audiences that would usually watch that type of film. 
• I firstly showed my opening to students at Parkwood Sixth Form aged between 16 and 18. I found that males enjoyed the opening 2 minutes and were interested to see more of the rude gags similar to the few beginning to occur in the opening. Females were less amused by the jokes, but were still interested to see more. They also commented on the fact that it was set in Hastings and would look forward to seeing how it was portrayed later in the film as famous other Rom-Coms are set in larger cities or in America.
• I then showed my opening 2 minutes to a few married couples ranging between 28 - 32. They related to the rush and pressure of getting married that happens in the film and were also amused by the events that create the comedy. On a more serious side, they commented on the fact that some people do not realise the full commitments of marriage and rush into it too quickly, which I also had already noted at a previous stage that this is represented in my film. One couple said it was nice to see a Rom-Com being made in a different setting but on the other hand thought that the content of the comedy may be a bit immature for them. 
• Out of those 2 age groups the males generally seemed more interested in the comedy in the film while females more interested in the Romantic side, the story line and the way Hastings was going to be portrayed in the film.

Evaluation Part 3

My film "I do" was of a low budget making it an independent film. It would be unlikely that any distributing companies would touch upon it, therefore I would distribute it myself with my created company - Horizon Pictures. I have created a mind map to display the ways I could distribute my product - 

From the past research I have done on Distributing companies, the following would perhaps touch upon my film - 

• Optimum Releasing - Submarine - An independent comedy.
• The above also distributed Four Lions - A low budget independent film. 

Evaluation Part 2

My media product "I do?" represents an age a bit older than us as my main storyline is based around a marriage. An estimate of an age would be between 22-26 as they're young and that reinforces the idea of being unsure about marriage. It represents males and perhaps suggests that some do not understand the full commitments of marriage until the final day falling to the pressure. It could also represent the theme of a young love, questioning whether it's really truthful or just a rush into marriage. "I do?" could also be said to represent Hastings and Brighton in a more youthful and energetic way through the scenes of night life.  

Evaluation Part 1

I have created a Prezi to show how my final product uses, develops and challenges the conventions of typical Comedy films. 

Challenging Conventions Of A Typical Comedy on Prezi

• I also want to add that my film finishes with a happy ending, a lot like other Comedies.

• Other characters also fit into typical Comedy roles such as Sam being the dominant character, Arron the "careless but harmless" character, Jonny being the sensible character and Jonathan the carefree and sometimes irresponsible character. 

Camera

During filming the opening of "I do?", I used a camera from the Panasonic Lumix range - 

 

The camera was burrowed from Jonny Cloke, it is very similar to those I have used before and own personally. It took a clear picture and I felt it was of a good quality to use for my film. It also meant there was no need to pay a deposit for burrowing equipment from the college. 

Final Piece

This is the final edited version of the opening 2 minutes to my film - "I do?". 

Edited Preliminary Scene

This is my Preliminary Scene filmed with Arron North. I have made a list of the dialogue and various shots in a previous post. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kImfcy2PDIQ&feature=youtu.be 

Film Name

I will be calling my film "I do?"

• It relates to the wedding with the common vows "I do"
• It also suggests the drama in the film due to the question mark.
• Creates confusion and attracts audience. 
• Short and one to remember.

Titles Of A Rom-Com Genre Film - Juno

Juno (2007)


1. Fox Searchlight Pictures Present
2. A Mandate Pictures Mr.Mudd Production
3. A Jason Reitman Film
3. Juno
4. Ellen Page
5.Michael Cera
6. Jennifer garner
7. Jason Bateman
8. Alison Janney
9. JK Simmons
10. Olivia Thirlby
11. Casting by Mindy Murin
12. Costume by Monique Prudhomme
13. Music by Mateo Messia
14. Songs by Kimya Dawson
15. Music Supervisors Peter Afterman and Maragreta Yen
16. Co Producers Jim Miller- Kelli Kohar- Brad Arragon
17. Film Editor - Kanna Glauberman
18. Production Designer Steve Saklad
19. Director of Photography - Eric Steelboy
20. Executive Producers - Joe Drate - Nathan Kahane - Daniel Dubleki
21. Produced by Lianne Halfon- John Malkovich - Mason Novick - Russel Smith
23. Written by Piable Cody
24. Directed by Jason Neitman  



I like the way the titles perfectly fit around the picture and avoid getting in the way of whats happening. They act as like a subtitle which is really similar to my film. However, the opening of Juno quite quickly turns into a cartoon (An effect added in editing) which wouldn't be suitable for my own film as I have too much happening in the opening 2 minutes. I will also not need to mention people such as "Costume designers" as I asked simply for actors to wear there own clothes but in a situation of a wedding. Some costumes I wanted specific items but I didn't design any of them. The titles are also in a bold font with a lot of thick edging and shadow like mine. I think that it is important for these titles to stand out and credit all people who contributed towards the making of the film.


Juno On Art Of The Title

Storyboard Of The Improved Preliminary Shooting

• Mid Shot of Arron walking towards camera and into building though sliding doors. Camera pans from left to right following his movement.
• Mid Shot as if you were in the lobby area behind the sliding doors. Arron walks through and opens next door. Camera pans from left to right following his movement.
• Mid Shot on the other side of the second door watching Arron walk through. Camera follows his movement as he walks in panning right to left. He sits down and you can see Sam (Myself) sitting opposite. 
• Close Shot on Arron and speech: "I'm feeling really nervous" 
• Close Shot on Sam and speech: "Man up mate, you can do this"
• Close Shot on Arron and speech: "Hmmm, I'm not sure if this is what I really want?"

I will upload the Preliminary Scene at college as I do not have Sony Vegas software and it needs converting into a suitable format so it can be watched online.

Advertising My Film

I have designed a mind map with different types of advertising I would use for my film.

Advertising on Television would be extremely hard as an independent producer and with a low budget. Therefore, making it a poor choice of advertising. However, if I did have more experience and a large budget, it would be most effective to advertise on channels such as Sky Movies Drama and Romance or Sky Movies Comedy. Advertising online on sites such as Facebook would be a great way to attract an audience as the adverts on the side of Facebook are related to the pages that you "like", therefore, Facebook users that "like" Rom-Com related pages will be more likely to see and be interested in my advertisement. I also thought of advertising on Dating Websites as the thought of love would obviously appeal to them. I also thought it's giving them ideas for "dates" and an easy going Rom-Com would be perfect. Printing posters can be expensive but can be seen by the general public so creating the right divide between enough posters and not over spending would need to be thought about.

My Genre - Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedies (Rom-Coms) are a new hybrid genre of Romantic films with Comedy films. They are often stereotyped more towards a female appeal. This shows development in my choice of how I've created the film as it is written to appeal to both genders. Some of the most successful Rom-Coms include "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "What Women Want". These films often base around a romantic narrative plot but often events go wrong or there are obstacles creating the comedy side to it also. It is also common that Rom-Coms end with the 2 lovers being united creating a "Happily Ever After" feel.


       

Storyboard Of My Opening 2 Minutes

I have designed a Prezi storyboarding each shot in my opening 2 minutes.

Storyboard Of My Opening 2 Minutes on Prezi

Opening Titles To My Film

Opening Titles Prezi


I have designed a Prezi displaying each title that is displayed in my film.

Problems During Recording

• Getting used to the equipment (Video Camera and Tripod) - Sometimes I found the wrong button was pressed on the college video cameras and I occasionally struggled to get the correct lighting and condtions. During both the preliminary and main film recording I used my camera and Jonny C's camera to avoid making mistake and to get the best picture possible. I sometimes had difficulty with the tripod (Struggling to turn it during panning shots) but quickly grasped it and learnt how to improve the rotation by twisting the handle to loosen the grip. It was also somtimes hard to keep the tripod still even when on a tripod, therefore making some scenes a bit shakey and jerky.

• The Actors - Sometimes shooting scenes took longer than expected due to the attitude of the actors. For example, some funny scenes may have been ruined by an actor laughing and loosing there role. Therefore, shots would have to be re-filmed taking up extra time to create the perfect shot (As near possible). This was also some of our first time being filmed and therefore acting was a new challenge to some of us.

Props Used In My Film

• Car Key - Picked off the shelf and unlocks the car.
• Car - Gets inside.
• Sunglasses - Adds to Jonny C's character.
• Mobile Phone - Used to contact Jonathan S.
• Towel - Sam dries hands.
• Electric Razor - Used in scene.
• Jacket - Given to Jonathan S in the car.
• Hairbrush - Arron uses it in scene. (As a microphone)

Added Costume Choices

In my film both Jonny's are wearing a similar costume. This reinforces the theme of them having a "pair connection" and creating the role of them being "The 2 Jonnies". They both wear a black jacket, however, Jonathan S doesn't wear a tie suggesting he's the lazier one of the 2 and slacks in appearance, while Jonny is wearing a tie, sunglasses in one scene suggesting he's the smart and more sensible one of the 2. The black also could be related to other pairs such as "Men In Black" who wear the same costumes and create a sense of a pair realtionship.


Aaron's scenes show him wearing a smart white shirt, enforcing the fact of his wedding day. It also perhaps suggest his sense of innocence and purity. His tie is black which suggests his serious side towards the wedding and that he's sure that it's what he desires.

I wear grey trousers, a burgundy tie and a navy blue jacket. My costume is different to the other 3's which creates a new personality while not having 4 really similar characters.

I have not used make up in my film.

Film Distributors

I will use my own company to distribute my film therefore owning all rights and having maximum control over the film. If distributors were to show interest in my film (Which could be rare as it's my first film and I'm an un-experienced director) possibly companies such as Optimum releasing would touch my film. This company distributed films such as Submarine (Influenced my film) and Four Lions (An indpendent and low budget film). Other large companies would be unlikely to become involved as it could be considered a finnancial risk.

Soundtrack To My Film

I am not able to upload a sound file onto Blogger and I do not want to upload my soundtrack on to a site such as Soundcloud and then place a link on here as I have not released my track publicly as a band at this current date. The soundtrack will be available to hear when I upload my final Opening 2 minutes of the film.

Costumes

The opening 2 minutes of my film is based around getting ready for a wedding. Therefore, my choice of costumes included mainly Suits (Jackets, Ties, Shirts, Smart Trousers and Shoes etc.) and some nightwear based clothes were used as well. This example shows a guideline of what I wore in the opening 2 minutes - 

Music In My Opening 2 Minutes

I have made a mind map of the reasons why I used my soundtrack for my film and taken photos of it - 

Uses Of Sound In My Opening 2 Minutes

I have written and taken photos of the different types of sound I have used in my Opening 2 minutes and other types of sound techniques that I could have used. 

Film Schedule

I have created a Prezi on the schedule of every bit of planning and filming I have done in the process of filming my Preliminary Scene and the Opening 2 Minutes of my film.


FILM SCHEDULE PREZI

Film Schedule on Prezi

Film Editing

I have edited my Preliminary Film and my opening 2 minutes using software called Sony Vegas. When I first opened the program I watched the essential tutorial videos which gave me the basic editing techniques. I then practiced on it during free periods and lunch times with other footage I have. I also spent time using the software at a friends house who had downloaded the program. After importing all the footage, it was clear that it would last longer than 2 minutes, therefore, I had to use skills such as clipping and adding the appropriate clips in the right places on the timeline. I rarely had problems with the program and if I didn't know how to do something, the tutorials were extremely helpful and easy to use. The fact that the tutorials were interactive and allowed you to join in with the teaching, made it more memorable during the learning process. I have enjoyed learning how to add effects such as fades which makes my film flow a lot nicer than just each scene jumping from one to the next. I will be adding the finishing touches to my film and uploading the 2 minutes plus the Preliminary Film during the week.

Film Release Date

If I was to release my film officially, I would in the month of April. I would also submit it to the London Independent Film Festival 2012 which takes place on the 12-13th of April. This sort of small based festival would be a great opportunity for a low budget film like my own. 

Filming Location

I have chosen that my footage will be filmed at Jonathan Cloke's house. I have filmed it in a way that it isn't clear that all of the shots are in the same place as each takes place in different rooms. Only those who are familiar with the house would realize that it is the same house but different rooms. I have managed to screen shot a photo from Google Maps of the outside of the location but will add more photos in the following few days to show more detail. The house is modern which is well suited for my film.

The location on Sedlescombe Road North.

Production Company Logos



I have created a logo for a film production company. I have created a simplistic logo with a catchy name using an online logo designer. I have taken inspiration through briefly researching other company logos. 

The Fighter - Opening Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiYS93Rl-E0

• Simple opening credits - white, simple font.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is a low budget comedy film ($400,00), with a quirky and different opening.


"Saucy credits garnish high school foodstuff alongside screamingly mundane high school ephemera serving as cringe-worthy currency all the while inducing smile after smile. Aaron Ruell, who also plays Kipland "Kip" Ronald Dynamite, designed the opning credit sequence for Jared and Jershua Hess' "Napoleon Dynamite" with the White Stripes' "We're Going to be Friends" easing in childlike qualities."


Source - Art Of The Title


Napoleon Dynamite - AOTT

The Issues Faced In Genre Choice

Genres of a film are extremely important for both the director's reputation and the success of the film. I personally feel more pressure is placed on a director that has previously made a successful film. For example, if they have had a huge hit in a film of a comedy theme, audiences perhaps will expect another hilarious product from the director, possibly not a change in genre such as attempting to create a gory horror film. So the issues the director now faces - Do they change the genre of their next film and risk loosing audiences or do they continue along similar lines from their previous but risk creating a "samey" film? This mainstream audience behaviour almost forces producers into what they must create if they are to generate success and money. Directors and producers who break away from this and perhaps consider film making as more of a hobby and do not have the pressure of generating a lot of money, create the "Cult Films". These Cult creators aren't scared of failing the mainstream audience's taste and therefore the "Cult audience" is born. These new ideas feed into new genres and create different ideas in the filming world. These films perhaps will not be shown in large viewing franchises such as "Odeon" and "Cineworld" but at smaller independent cinemas such as "The Electric Palace" in Hastings Old Town. Casting is also different across the different types of films. While mainstream films are likely to include large actor/actress names as they have more confidence in it becoming a large success, Cult films are more of a risk. However, it is becoming more common for large reputation actors to star in Cult films. The mix of these genres and success creates sub-genres (As I have mentioned earlier) and "hybrid ideas", these new inventions include "Zom-Coms" - the mix of a zombie/horror related film with comedy aspects.

Camera Shots

While filming I like to use a range of camera shots. I have created a mind map with various shots that can be used - 

I'd also like to add other shots that I use such as "Over The Shoulder" shots.

Film Actors

Today I created a Prezi on why I chose certain actors to be in my film - 

Film Actors Prezi

Film Actors on Prezi

Film Genres

I have created mind maps for different types of film genres. As you can see I have listed the main ones in the first map and the sub genres in the second. I have found that the genres can be combined even more, for example, the themes of my film (both comedy gags and the themes of friendship and love) suggest that it could mix the Comedy genre and the Romance sub genre. This creates the new term "Rom-Com" or "Romantic Comedy". Other deeper mixes of genres include "Action Adventure", "Teen Dramas" and "Gangster Films".

Film Classification

After researching into film classifications using the British Board of Film Classification website, I think that my film would be rated a 15 due to the language used while creating the comedy in the film. 





A rated 15 film therefore means no one under the age of 15 may view it at a cinema or buy/rent from a store. 


Rated 15 films contain elements such as - 

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuc k’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘cun t’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

My Film Synopsis

It's as if it's an end of an era as 1 of 4 close friends becomes engaged. The loud, out-going and typically "laddish" gang finally accept it's possibly time to grow up, or do they? After pre-marriage nerves get to Arron, the groom goes missing and looses all forms of contact, it's up to the remaining trio to search the streets of Hastings to the back alleys of London for clues towards the disappearance. Time is limited before the big day... Will they see this as the solution to stay young forever as the wild 4 they once were or do everything in their power to make both the bride's and Arron's perfect day in this thrilling, gross-out comedy with hints of true friendship and romance.

Film Influences

FILM INFLUENCES PREZI

Film Influences on Prezi