Q1: In what ways does your media product, use, develop or challenge forms and conventions?

Final Product: Insanity

 

 

I AM OMOLARA LAWAL: 7913

I WORKED WITH;

 

FATMA MUSTAFA: 7107

SUWEDA SHIRE: 7128

MOHYADIN HASSAN: 6070 

 

INSANITY

 

Q7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Preliminary Task

A preliminary task is a quick shooting and edit of a short film, typically under one minute. There are a few aims of the procedure of this, including it allows you to demonstrate film skills such as acting and camera operating, then see it reflected in the final result. It's also a chance for the cast & crew to work together practically for the first time. Preliminary Tasks are intended to be of a low quality so you are able to identify how you have improved once your final movie is created. The disadvantages of a preliminary task may be that the deliberate low quality could be discouraging to edit. Also, typically more footage that allowed will be filmed, so it's tricky to pick with parts to get rid of, whilst keeping all of the informative sections. These decisions could lead to disagreements within the group.

Our preliminary task is approximately thirty seconds. To achieve this, we had to cut out some of the footage using Final Cut Pro.

The plot is based on two school friends arranging a date on the isolated stairs of Oasis Hadley.

Since the preliminary task was made, we've moved onto a professional production using high-tech programmes, tripods, storyboards, and more. There are four key things revolving around filming and editing, that as a group we feel more confident in performance.

1. Filming - We learnt different shots, when before we struggled to shoot a variety. An example is over the shoulder to allow the audience some key information (what the Professor is so intrigued by).
2. Filming - We learnt how to use the tripod more efficiently. This is reflected in the angles we have included like a high angle on the unstable state of Lara, to emphasise her vulnerability.
3. Editing - We learnt how to transition well so the narrative flows. For the flashbacks, we used a white fade to colour, as this is the conventional transition of time jumps in films.
4. Editing - After doing our secondary research we learnt how to single out all the edit techniques conventional to our particular genre which is a thriller. To make Ivy look more scary and foreboding, we lowered the lighting and included effects such as Bad TV.



1. Over the shoulder - gives the audience info



 

2. Tripod - high angle makes her seem defenceless

3. Transition - fade to white as she gets killed



4. Thriller convention - dark lighting

 

 

Using Final Cut Pro again, we created our final product. There are even more distinct differences in the quality of work which are explained using these three comparisons.

 

1. Our camera framing has improved. This means that the space on either side of the subject is even. In the preliminary, as shown below, there is too much unnecessary space next to Suweda - the staircase doesn't need to be visible. Also to our disadvantage that caused someone on the stair to be captured. Whereas in the final product, as Fatima approaches Lara, there is just as much white wall on her left side as on her right.
 

2. We learnt how to film on action. In the preliminary, the shots start before the actors start acting, causing pauses and delays that shouldn't be there. For the final product, we cropped each scene so it transitions into the narrative. LEFT: you can see Suweda standing and waiting for Mohyadin to talk rather than opening the door - RIGHT: I'm up and throwing the chair, which follows conventions; it's unexpected which was the intended structure of our narrative.

 

3. Our effects improved, or rather became considered, as in the preliminary we had none. Though it was supposed to be a rough idea of a narrative, the effect still does manage to make the clip look a lot more interesting, engaging, and sets certain moods, attitudes, feelings, etc. Without an effect, as shown on the left, it seems like a regular documentary - when added, it becomes a real movie which will earn a big profit.

 

 Our planning consisted of the following:

 

 

 

PERSONAL RELFECTION

 

Did you make a successful thriller and why? Yes, because our aims were to: create an interesting plot, distribute it professionally, while sticking to thriller conventions. I think we achieved all of these goals as our plot is a mixture of various thrillers such as Psycho, Se7en and The Butterfly Effect. We made final touches and changes using professional programmes such as Final Cut Pro, Logic, Garageband, and throughout we kept evaluating ourselves using platforms like Soundcloud and YouTube. It was easy to maintain the thriller aspect in our opening because before we started we did secondary research, which involved looking at other thriller clips on YouTube, analysing their camera tricks, narrative, acting (and more), to become familiar with the genre.

 

What did you most enjoy? I was editor, and it was fun playing around with things; even better, very satisfying when a shot or transition finally worked the way I wanted it to (as the programme is really specific thus frustrating). Playing back the movie over and over got tedious, though when watching for changes you've just made, it becomes twice as better to see.

 

What could be improved? There was no action that I could describe as wrong or not good enough, though our teamwork wasn't always up to standard. I think that the camerawork of some shots could be improved, as we had to crop certain scenes due to unexpected jolts of the camera or shaky filming. This is because the amount of work produced between members wasn't even, so more was piled onto others which lead to more frustration and panic over getting everything done. Next time I'd really like to work in a fair team, so there's enough potential time and energy for every aspect of the production; someone doing too much could result in one thing worthy of an A and one thing worthy of a D.

 

What are the main things you have learnt over the whole process? I realised that everything that exists starts from scratch - the hard way, because when we were filming, all I could do was worry about how I'd sort it into a timeline perfectly. When editing, if I had to change something temporarily in order to make another change, I felt as though the whole thing is ruined. so I learnt to take my time and accept any mistake made, because anything can be redone. Practically I got better at using the internet and it's different platforms - another realisation that hit me is that YouTube, Blogger and everything else isn't just for entertainment purposes. These websites offer an opportunity to do some work, be creative and make things, which is where the embed tool comes in handy as everything you do can be merged one way or another.

 

Q6: What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of contructing this media product?

Q5: How did you attract/address your target audience?

Q5: How did you attract/address your target audience?

It is important to carry out secondary research, before attempting to produce a film, in terms of the target audience. This includes drawing up information on other existing movies of your genre; consisting of things such as their target audience, their actual audience, and how they achieved it. Compulsory to filmmaking – every producer needs inspiration for concepts and ideas as well as improvements later on. Getting in tune with how the film world works around different audiences is beneficial to the creation of your own content. Every film needs a target audience because ultimately the profit providers are the general public.

Before producing any kind of product intended for the entertainment of the public, there needs to be a general idea of the target audience. For instance, a thriller movie typically attracts people either aged 15 and over or 18 and over, with an interest in the actual genre. There are more personalised opinions from people about thrillers, rather than just if they like that kind of movie or not. This is why a questionnaire is relevant towards everything about the production of a movie, including finding out about the use of its conventions, connotations and symbolism. Those are just a few subjects which you can carefully embed into a questionnaire through some interesting thriller-related questions. These results are necessary because the potential viewers of your final creation will most likely be more or less the same ones who answered the questions. There is no point in making something for the public if there is no notion on what they want, don't want and what they generally expect. Everything that gets collected from a questionnaire is primary research and beneficial to the adjustments you make to your production, based on what your audience wants.

As a part of my planning, I created my own research into different aspects of my thriller that I was unsure about – sure as the structure in question 20 (they had to pick ‘chronological’ or ‘unexpected’ and explain why). It starts off with the generic demographics and leads into broad questions about what they would want/expect from any new kind of thriller. Then I ask more specific questions to get an idea of how I should make my opening conventional. In addition, some questions focus on the comfort of the viewer, for example being asked about what may offend them.

 What is your name? _________________________________________

2.        Are you a MALE or a FEMALE?

3.        How old are you? 10-15 | 16-22 | 23-27 | 28+

4.        Are you a STUDENT or EMPLOYED or RETIRED?

5.        Do you enjoy watching thrillers? YES | NO

6.        Do you prefer a 15 or an 18 thriller?

7.        If a new thriller were to be made, what would you want? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8.        What would you expect? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.        Do you get a chilling response when you watch a thriller? YES | NO

10.     What do you think is the most common dilemma in thriller movies? __________________________________________________________________________________

11.     Do any of these thriller aspects offend you?  RELIGION or SEX & NUDITY or DRUGS or PARANORMAL ACTIVITY or CONTROVERSY or CULTURE or VIOLENCE or RAPE

12.     What is your opinion on oppression/discrimination/persecution within thrillers? __________________________________________________________________________________

13.     Is censorship important & what would you like to be censored? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.     Should there be any languages other than English spoken in the newest thriller? Specify. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15.     What particular genre of music would you like on a thriller soundtrack? POP or ROCK or INDIE or SOUL or JAZZ or SCREAMO or ALTERNATIVE

16.     Does the plot of a thriller seem more appealing when distributed in an INDOOR area or an OUTDOOR area?

17.     At the beginning of a thriller, do you prefer NORMALITY or DISRUPTION?

18.     At the end of a thriller, do you prefer a SOLUTION or a CLIFFHANGER?

19.     Which of these personalised character themes would you be most interested in?  DEPRESSION or MADNESS or SEXUALITY

20.     What kind of a structure suits a thriller – CHRONOLOGICAL or UNEXPECTED? Elaborate why. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21.     Should the main character be GOOD or EVIL?

22.     Should the main character be MALE or FEMALE?

23.     Are the victims of thrillers usually MALE or FEMALE?

24.     How many friends or family members do you know that watch thrillers?  0-5 | 6-9 | 

Some specific results caught my eye in which I chose to include when making decisions, such as two ’20. What kind of a structure suits a thriller - CHRONOLOGICAL or UNEXPECTED? Elaborate why.’

·         “I think an unexpected storyline would be best, the whole point of a thriller is to build up to some kind of scenario that we’re not going to expect. It’s alright to have some confusion as everything gets revealed in or near the end.”

·         “I’d say it depends on the plot but really, generally, in the thriller genre there are a lot of jumps and ‘whodunit?’ which of course has to be accompanied by something beyond our imagination. Audiences gets manipulated but we love it.”

On the whole, the people asked settled for unexpected over chronological. It seems like a very specific question, but when put to the test practically, it shapes the way a whole film flows. This is why I place importance on these answers as I am willing to agree. Certain keywords such as ‘best’, ‘we love it’, and ‘generally’, tell me that others would also go for the same option, hence enough reason to stick with unexpected as the typical fan of thrillers appreciates this.

This research of questionnaires has been beneficial to me because previously I could not see the importance of collecting data on a person's opinion, but now I understand that if you collect the right feedback from an intended audience, the outcome of the production is most likely going to be better than it previously would have; without any notion of what the audience, the ones with the money, would or wouldn’t waste time on.  But making my own questionnaire has taught me that it's a massive teamwork between you and the public, the decisions are a mixture of everyone's wants & needs. I think my questionnaire helped me developed my ideas because being new to the entire thriller sector of film world, I had but a vague idea on what the conventions are and which the audiences prefer. My aim was to make a typically conventional opening; so the general opinion has been very useful.

After collecting my results, I analysed the majority of them, I created graphs to represent the data and feedback I received. I talked about why I asked a question and how this relates to my groups’ ideas on the same topic - this is important because both the public and the makers of a production should be satisfied, so a balanced preference on both sides is most ideal.

To the right is an illustration of some of the feedback I collected. On display are questions 5, 6, 9 and 11. Each question has a graph representing the data collected from that question, and an explanation on why I asked, what I found and how it’s impacted my groups’ decisions.

This research thoroughly helped me determine what I would actually do within my production - specifically and generally. For example, generally, a 15 thriller would strike up lots of anticipation. Specifically, members of the audience will sub-consciously feel more in tune with the main character if they are a female. These assumptions are based on questions from my own research.

Overall, analysing the feedback of my questionnaire gave me a stronger awareness on what the thriller audiences’ wants consist of. To my benefits, most of the conclusions matched up to my initial ideas – for example, in question 11, the most offensive aspect was voted paranormal activity. This helps me because in my plan I had formed the idea of a demented woman in an asylum experiencing flashbacks with unstable reactions. Generally, from my research, this theme is liked, so I continued it into my film-making. Next time, I would like to ask a wider range of people (as this questionnaire was handed to only twenty people), and ask more in-depth questions.

Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Q2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?