Question 7

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

Throughout the preliminary task I feel that I have progressed from the start to the end. I have learnt a lot of practical techniques whilst filming, such as camera use, editing and acting. I have also progressed and learnt to work better in a team.

The main thing that I have learnt, which is entirely new to me, is facts about the film industry. I have looked into how an opening sequence is the most important part of the film as it is the first thing that a person sees, it is what makes the first impression and what makes the audience want to continue to watch it. I have also learnt that the target audience is very important as it influences how the film is advertised and possibly what month the film is released. I have then progressed more and learnt about conversions and synergy, I have realised that when McDonalds happy meals include toys of a new film, this is called synergy. Also, when Film companies such as Film4 have different TV channels and a website, this is called conversions. Learning all of this has made me progress in media as my knowledge of the subject is now wider than it was at the beginning of the course.

Synergy:

Conversion:
















Overall, I am very glad that i chose media as a subject, as it has helped me to progress as a person, as well as progressing in the media subject itself. I have learnt to be more confident and less shy in front of the camera and i have also learnt a lot of new facts about the media industry and different film companies.

Question 6

Question 4 and 5

This is a video of me answering the questions;

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Question 3

Question 2

Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Effect	Scene	Evidence
Use of Narrative		The opening shot for our film is a publishing company opening. We chose this film company as it sets the mood for our film straight away, the dark red barbed wire with the dagger slamming into the middle of the production name connotes the feeling of death or murder, this starts off our film with the feeling that their may be death involved. This opening will attract our audience, over 18 year olds, due to horror thriller movies being popular through out the age group. The film company opening then fades into a black and white shot of a young girls legs as she is playing, there is also the non diegetic sound of a nursery rhyme being played. All this adds to create tension in the opening scene, the music, which is a young girl singing, creates an eerie feel which sets the scene of a horror thriller film and draws the audience in. I believe that our film attracts our audience as follows the Levi Strous theory or bad versus good which is a popular theme for our audience.
Mise-en-Scene		We have set our film in a typical sixthform student bedroom, stylish with big wardrobes with mirrors. We did this so that most of our film would be shot in one place, this would be easier so that unpredictable weather did not interrupt our filming, we also needed floor length mirrors for the part where Saskia us summoned  We did most of our filming in the day and then for the part where Saskia arrives, we filmed that in the night. We decided on this as the darkness visible through the widow would create suspense as its believed that most supernatural elements come out at night.  For our outside filming, to create a creepy feel to the outside location we decided to film Saskia, the ghost playing before she died, this acts as a flashback from her childhood. She is playing alone during the filming so this creates an isolated feel as she is not with other children, this could create an insight to why she committed suicide. To do this we used chalk to draw out a hop scotch on our location, a local roundabout. For the costumes of all the actors, we decided that the group of friends were to use what they wear on an average day, this would then promote a more stereotypical teenage group.  For the ghost, we decided that we would like for me to dress as a stereotypical ghost, as we believe it would create a more horror thriller feel to our film. After looking at The Grudge we decided that I should Wear a plain white night gown with bare feet. For my make up we put black all around my eyes and then wet my hair and pulled it over my face. This created a dirty, unkept look which added to the scary effect of my character.  We only have one prop in the film and that is a phone with a flash light app on it. This is used to light up the room when the lights go off, it is then dropped on the floor and used as a light to be able to see Saskia in the frame as she crawls out from under the bed.
Editing Techniques		We have edited our film in a lot of different ways. We have included black and white shots, slow motion, shot reverse shot, cross cutting and sound editing. Our opening begins with a black and white shot of me, Saskia, playing hop scotch, to show that this is a flash back, we used lack of colour, slowed the scene down and added a sound bridge of me singing a nursery rhyme. This all adds to the effect of it being a flashback and creates an edge to the start of our film, drawing people in to want to know who the flash back is about.
Use of Camera		We used a lot of different camera techniques in our film and a lot of times we had to improvise to achieve a good shot.  We used a two persaon shot whislt one of the friends was keaving the room to show that they are more dominant at the start of our film. The try and peer presure their friend into summoning the ghost, the camera shot is on a slight angle looking down on them to show that they are soon to become vulnerable.  Once in our film we included a long shot at a high angle. This is used as the less dominant friend leaves the house, we have taken the shot looking down at her out of a window to show how vulnerable she is, even with her friends, as she is subject to peer pressure. This is stereotypical through out teenage friends as there is always one who is the weakest out of the group.   Towards the end of our film we used a close up of a door trying to be opened. The shot includes one of the actors arm, hand and the door handle. We decided to use this shot as we feel that it creates a feeling of isolation as the two friends are trapped with in the room with Saskia with no way to escape, as the door is locked.  When reaching to the end of our short film we have an eye level shot on the floor. We created this by putting the camera on the floor as I, Saskia, crawled towards it. We did this as we thought it would look good as the camera is placed where the phone was dropped, it also creates suspense as I slowly crawl in a disembodied way.
Special Effects Characters		We used a few special effects in the editing of our film such as titles and flashbacks. For the opening credits we cut out the boring parts of the dialogue and added in titles. To do this we separated the scene with black fade ins with the titles sliding in, at speed, from both sides, they then fade out in the opposite direction and the black screen fades away, back to the scene. In our film we have quite stereotypical characters, our ghost, who is an antagonist, is a stereotypical young female with a white gown on. Then we have a stereotypical group of friends, Keira, the girl who leaves early, is the protagonist at the start as she is peer pressured into leaving. The protagonist element is then switched and transferred onto the remaining two characters as they are then subject to Saskia's abuse.