Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I have progressed a lot since the preliminary task and looking back I new very little and hadn’t considered how much more there was to learn. Since then I have learnt a valuable lesson in a lot of different categories. I have learnt how to structure my filming and how important it is. On the day of filming we didn’t have a shooting schedule which I realised would have structured the day a lot and wouldn’t have wasted time. A shooting schedule is vital especially when there’s a deadline involved or your filming depends on lighting (sun) as we had trouble with that at the end of the day but replaced the “natural” light by big lights outside the window. I have learnt it’s important to be organised and prepared for your day of shooting with all costumes and props ready to use and informing the cast what they need to do and how to prepare for it. On the day of shooting discipline from everyone which included the cast, camera men and people in charge of lighting, monitoring continuity etc is vital. Without discipline on set nothing can get done and you waste time. We structured our day badly at the beginning but as we got through the day we got better and things were taken more seriously. We managed to get the make done in good timing which meant there was no hanging around getting ready for them and realised when shooting it’s a race against time. The more you get done in a short amount of time the more time there is for editing and improving the scene so you have a wider variety of shots to choose from and you are not limited. I have learnt all the vital and necessary things you need to consider and remember when constructing a product like this one.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have been able to learn a lot about technologies from the process of constructing this product during the filming and editing. There are many aspects to filming which I did not consider before I began constructing this product and have been taken by surprise the amount of work which is involved in making a high quality and believable film. Issues you have to consider when filming includes: Unwanted sounds that you want to dub over, the quality of the picture and how the shots will look on the big screen etc.
I discovered that the most important part of the process was the editing. I discovered the there is a lot more to film making than just filming but all the editing which is long and gruelling but pays off at the end. I learnt how to edit my film. This meant I was able to cut sections of film and put them together with either a delay of black between them to show the cut or straight after one another or even better put a few special transitions in there e.g. Dissolve In and out. As well as learning how to cut the film in to lots of different sections I was able to dub or change the sounds that went over the film. On the software you are able to either use the same sound that was used when filming or by dubbing over it. A benefit of dubbing over it is that it will sound more realistic and believable and so it can be heard easily. Unfortunately in our product we had to edit out a few objects that shouldn’t have been in view e.g. someone walking in the back ground. Before I began editing I thought this was going to be a huge problem and we were going to have to film it again but with the after effects software we were able to edit her out. This was time consuming but it was manageable and unnoticeable. I had never considered all the software that was needed and what was available on the computer to create a decent film.
I discovered that the most important part of the process was the editing. I discovered the there is a lot more to film making than just filming but all the editing which is long and gruelling but pays off at the end. I learnt how to edit my film. This meant I was able to cut sections of film and put them together with either a delay of black between them to show the cut or straight after one another or even better put a few special transitions in there e.g. Dissolve In and out. As well as learning how to cut the film in to lots of different sections I was able to dub or change the sounds that went over the film. On the software you are able to either use the same sound that was used when filming or by dubbing over it. A benefit of dubbing over it is that it will sound more realistic and believable and so it can be heard easily. Unfortunately in our product we had to edit out a few objects that shouldn’t have been in view e.g. someone walking in the back ground. Before I began editing I thought this was going to be a huge problem and we were going to have to film it again but with the after effects software we were able to edit her out. This was time consuming but it was manageable and unnoticeable. I had never considered all the software that was needed and what was available on the computer to create a decent film.
How does your media product represent particular social groups – age and/or gender?
Our media product represents a stereotypical divorced family finding a new place to live though with a horror twist. However it wouldn’t have been seen as stereotypical due to the broken family with wife not being present making the film unbalanced but however more realistic to our society now. The daughter should be acting as a daughter to the dad and a sister to the brother but changes this stereotypical role and acts like a “motherly” figure to the daughter. In some ways many people can relate to this who are watching as in society now far more people are having a divorcements or parents are so many people imagine being in this situation which can make it scarier and more realistic and what happens in our media could happen to them. The son is represented as a keen, over-excited, hyper stereotypical 5 year old like the father who is represented as the head of the house hold and the one with the most power. The age of the son and father can be identified well due to their costumes and the way they act. The son is enthusiastic and annoying which a 5 year old is usually presented. The father is caring and wants to involve everyone showing he’s trying to act his role and make everyone happy witch is both stereotypical and they way we want to see a father act. The age of daughter however cant be as easily identified as she attempts to act a lot older than she is as she attempts to act like the mother of the family due to the absent of a motherly figure.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The narrative of our media product is a typical horror film with a thrilling story line, shocking and disturbing images and an ambiguous twist. However we are not filming our media product in a typical way which adds an edge to the film. We have been influenced by films such as clover field and have discovered using a hand held camera to film makes the film more realistic and individual. With this is mind we have decided to film our film like this, with the Dad holding the hand held camera filming the “moving in” of the family. Our whole media product will be viewed through the dads camera which will make the whole situation and story more believable but possibly harder to film. During the film we will be viewing what’s going on in several different ways as the dad forgets to turn the camera off when he thinks he has so we see things and images we shouldn’t see. This creates tension and suspense for the viewers which we want as they know something the people in the film don’t.
Even though we do challenge forms and conventions of the real media products in the way we our filming out media product, our factors are stereotypical. In the way our storyline is based it is stereotypically horror cliché with an innocent, helpless family who have obviously had had family problems who are walking into a haunted house which will bring them even more issues and mystery. The family which consists of the dad, daughter and son are however not a stereotypical family as a wife is not present. Even though it’s not classically stereotypical, the daughter demonstrates “motherly” actions which some people can relate to in our society now. This makes our media product more personally, intimate and realistic to some of the viewers. They are dressed stereotypically to make it realistic also which makes the product scarier as people could see it happening to them.
Even though we do challenge forms and conventions of the real media products in the way we our filming out media product, our factors are stereotypical. In the way our storyline is based it is stereotypically horror cliché with an innocent, helpless family who have obviously had had family problems who are walking into a haunted house which will bring them even more issues and mystery. The family which consists of the dad, daughter and son are however not a stereotypical family as a wife is not present. Even though it’s not classically stereotypical, the daughter demonstrates “motherly” actions which some people can relate to in our society now. This makes our media product more personally, intimate and realistic to some of the viewers. They are dressed stereotypically to make it realistic also which makes the product scarier as people could see it happening to them.
Account of the shooting day
Before our shooting day we had to make sure we were prepared which meant organinsing our shooting scehdule, getting all our equipment, making sure we had a full cast, having plenty of scripts and making sure we had everything ready for the crucial day. We bought a straight jacket, mask and surgical tools from the interent which arrived just in the time and happened to be just what we wanted. We managed to equip Austin, someone who was talented and able to do our make up for us which involved cuts, scabs and blood.
On the day of our shoot we had to make sure we were equiped with all our probs and everything we need for the day. We collected the camera with the tape and microphone, a monitor which attacthed to the camera so it was easier to see what we were filming to check for continuity and faults in the film. A tripod was needed too for one section of our film but uneccessary for the othe other parts as was a hand held procuction. We bought lights along too too make sure the lighting was continous and if we had to film late when there was little light outside we would be able to provide "sunlight" which was neccassary by the end of the day. We managed to arrive we everything we needed which began the day on a good note.
When we arrvied at our location we spent a few hours discussing how to film the location and to figure out how to make the story as realistic as possible. This meant filming the house from the back as it looked too big to be a family house at the front. Changes began a few days before the shoot we were unable to film at the original location so had to change it to Beatrice Webb which we believed was actually a better choice in the long run. When we came into the house we had a few problems of shadows on the walls of us behind the camera with the monitor and seeing the lights in the room so we had to take lots of shots to get the perfect one.
Instead of going straight into the kitchen from showing a wide shot of the house we went into the dinning room where toby the son was playing the piano and where we see a "flash back" of blood on the wall above him. We had difficulty getting this to look effective and took an hour or so. We finally managed to come upwith a solution where we coveverd the wall in paper with blood prints on then covered that with another white sheet. This was so when we first came in to the room it would show just a plain white wal but then as the caemra focused on tody we would take down that white sheet which revealed the blood stains. We then panned across from tody to the wall then onto the door quite abruptly so what was on the wall could be seen but not clearly to add a sence of mystery and confusion.
We didnt change the kitchen scene but we did have trouble making it look realistic when we scanned over the surgical tools in the draws. The surgical tools had been dipped in fake blood and placed on a tray which was put into the draw when the camera was put down on the surface when James the dad looks for cuplery. However, we managed to come over a few problems here but was only discovered the day after in the editing suite. When we had placed the camera on the counter when James was meant to be searching for cuplery, someone in the house walked infront of the camera which was our choosen shot but we are able to edit her out with the proffessional editting system. We changed the ways we cut into each scene which included bringing the camera onto the our leg, closing the door onto the camera and walking right into the camera so it blacked out so we could cut into our choosen scene.
Our scene on the stairs didnt go aswell as planned when we watched it back. Harry was not lit well and looked very rehearsed however with the editing hopefully we will be able to make it look better. The the last 3 shots of which were the 2 patients and the childs room were most effectifve proabally due to our experience through out the day and we had planned it well. The shot of Harry on the chair sturggling to break free looked very effective and the light was perfect. We will dub over the sound and re-record him screaming to create a tense and haunting atmosphere. The bathroom scene wasnt as effective as we thought and took along time to set up due to the lack of sunlight. As there wasnt enough light we had to set up a light from outside which had to shine through the window which was time consuming but made it a huge difference and made it look like all one shot.
If i was able to change or do things differently in our shoot i would have first thoroughly planned the day and how it all worked as at the beginning of the day there was alot of confusion about the story line and how we were going to film it to make it look like a continous film. If we had sorted this out earlier we would have had more time to repeat the scenes to make them better and more realistic and would have had more to choose from instead of being so restricted now when reconstructing the story. I wouldnt have changed the actors or actresses as they acted well but would have made what they did and say more exciting and thrilling as looking back on the footage i feel its quite bland and boring. When we begin the editing however, we will edit it in way which will result in it being more thrilling and exciting. The editing will be a long but fundamental process in the making of this thriller which will create the tension and thrill or a real thriller.
On the day of our shoot we had to make sure we were equiped with all our probs and everything we need for the day. We collected the camera with the tape and microphone, a monitor which attacthed to the camera so it was easier to see what we were filming to check for continuity and faults in the film. A tripod was needed too for one section of our film but uneccessary for the othe other parts as was a hand held procuction. We bought lights along too too make sure the lighting was continous and if we had to film late when there was little light outside we would be able to provide "sunlight" which was neccassary by the end of the day. We managed to arrive we everything we needed which began the day on a good note.
When we arrvied at our location we spent a few hours discussing how to film the location and to figure out how to make the story as realistic as possible. This meant filming the house from the back as it looked too big to be a family house at the front. Changes began a few days before the shoot we were unable to film at the original location so had to change it to Beatrice Webb which we believed was actually a better choice in the long run. When we came into the house we had a few problems of shadows on the walls of us behind the camera with the monitor and seeing the lights in the room so we had to take lots of shots to get the perfect one.
Instead of going straight into the kitchen from showing a wide shot of the house we went into the dinning room where toby the son was playing the piano and where we see a "flash back" of blood on the wall above him. We had difficulty getting this to look effective and took an hour or so. We finally managed to come upwith a solution where we coveverd the wall in paper with blood prints on then covered that with another white sheet. This was so when we first came in to the room it would show just a plain white wal but then as the caemra focused on tody we would take down that white sheet which revealed the blood stains. We then panned across from tody to the wall then onto the door quite abruptly so what was on the wall could be seen but not clearly to add a sence of mystery and confusion.
We didnt change the kitchen scene but we did have trouble making it look realistic when we scanned over the surgical tools in the draws. The surgical tools had been dipped in fake blood and placed on a tray which was put into the draw when the camera was put down on the surface when James the dad looks for cuplery. However, we managed to come over a few problems here but was only discovered the day after in the editing suite. When we had placed the camera on the counter when James was meant to be searching for cuplery, someone in the house walked infront of the camera which was our choosen shot but we are able to edit her out with the proffessional editting system. We changed the ways we cut into each scene which included bringing the camera onto the our leg, closing the door onto the camera and walking right into the camera so it blacked out so we could cut into our choosen scene.
Our scene on the stairs didnt go aswell as planned when we watched it back. Harry was not lit well and looked very rehearsed however with the editing hopefully we will be able to make it look better. The the last 3 shots of which were the 2 patients and the childs room were most effectifve proabally due to our experience through out the day and we had planned it well. The shot of Harry on the chair sturggling to break free looked very effective and the light was perfect. We will dub over the sound and re-record him screaming to create a tense and haunting atmosphere. The bathroom scene wasnt as effective as we thought and took along time to set up due to the lack of sunlight. As there wasnt enough light we had to set up a light from outside which had to shine through the window which was time consuming but made it a huge difference and made it look like all one shot.
If i was able to change or do things differently in our shoot i would have first thoroughly planned the day and how it all worked as at the beginning of the day there was alot of confusion about the story line and how we were going to film it to make it look like a continous film. If we had sorted this out earlier we would have had more time to repeat the scenes to make them better and more realistic and would have had more to choose from instead of being so restricted now when reconstructing the story. I wouldnt have changed the actors or actresses as they acted well but would have made what they did and say more exciting and thrilling as looking back on the footage i feel its quite bland and boring. When we begin the editing however, we will edit it in way which will result in it being more thrilling and exciting. The editing will be a long but fundamental process in the making of this thriller which will create the tension and thrill or a real thriller.
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