Thursday, 2 May 2013
Final Magazine Cover
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
We have taken pictures of us with the camera and tripod which is the main equipment we used to film our trailer.
Throughout our trailer we relied on the tripod as we had many different locations and for some of our scenes in London and in the park the ground was uneven but the tripod ensured our shots were still and straight. We didn't use it throughout completely for example in the car chase scene, as we thought the handheld camera effect was more effective as by having it slightly shaky it indicated the high paced scene and the action genre.
We used Adobe photoshop to make our magazine cover and film poster. Initially we struggled with how to insert images and how to make them backgrounds and inserting texts as neither of us had used photoshop before. Although it took a while we figured out how photoshop layered different parts of the pictures and in order to edit or insert something new you had to ensure you were on the correct layer. Despite this being difficult the software had many different tools which allowed us to make our magazine cover and poster look professional. We could also make our text fit the conventions of our genre as we could use the same font we used in our trailer and the same colour which created a link between the three products.
We used Adobe premiere elements to edit all of our footage for our trailer. We hadn't used this before as we used Windows Movie Maker last year this meant that it took us a while to familiarize ourselves with the software. We used fade to blacks frequently throughout as this is a common convention of action trailers and also helped to build the tension throughout. Adobe allowed us to adjust our sound levels and we could also have different sound layers, this meant we could have our voiceover playing and still have the music in the background. This ensured continuity in our trailer and kept the audiences attention. We could also make the sound fade in and out which meant that the transitions between changes in volumes were smooth and made our trailer seem more professional.
We used blogger and YouTube to record our research throughout our planning, research and production stages for our trailer. Blogger was easy to use and we could put all of our pictures on here, we could also easily embed YouTube videos into posts which meant we could use both websites together. YouTube was good for our film diary so we could track all of our filming throughout and then post it on blogger. YouTube was also good because it was easy to use and we could easily put any footage on it, it was also a useful way to receive audience feedback as we could easily show our trailer to friends by just sending them the link.
We used social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, to receive audience feedback from our target audience. As our target audience is 15 - 24 social networking sites are a good way to get audience feedback as the main target audience for Facebook and Twitter is teenagers and young adults. This allowed us to make sure that our trailer was up to a good standard as people aged from 15 - 24 will often go to the cinema so are used to seeing high budget professional films so could give us feedback bearing in mind their high expectations for films.
Throughout our trailer we relied on the tripod as we had many different locations and for some of our scenes in London and in the park the ground was uneven but the tripod ensured our shots were still and straight. We didn't use it throughout completely for example in the car chase scene, as we thought the handheld camera effect was more effective as by having it slightly shaky it indicated the high paced scene and the action genre.
We used Adobe photoshop to make our magazine cover and film poster. Initially we struggled with how to insert images and how to make them backgrounds and inserting texts as neither of us had used photoshop before. Although it took a while we figured out how photoshop layered different parts of the pictures and in order to edit or insert something new you had to ensure you were on the correct layer. Despite this being difficult the software had many different tools which allowed us to make our magazine cover and poster look professional. We could also make our text fit the conventions of our genre as we could use the same font we used in our trailer and the same colour which created a link between the three products.
We used Adobe premiere elements to edit all of our footage for our trailer. We hadn't used this before as we used Windows Movie Maker last year this meant that it took us a while to familiarize ourselves with the software. We used fade to blacks frequently throughout as this is a common convention of action trailers and also helped to build the tension throughout. Adobe allowed us to adjust our sound levels and we could also have different sound layers, this meant we could have our voiceover playing and still have the music in the background. This ensured continuity in our trailer and kept the audiences attention. We could also make the sound fade in and out which meant that the transitions between changes in volumes were smooth and made our trailer seem more professional.
We used blogger and YouTube to record our research throughout our planning, research and production stages for our trailer. Blogger was easy to use and we could put all of our pictures on here, we could also easily embed YouTube videos into posts which meant we could use both websites together. YouTube was good for our film diary so we could track all of our filming throughout and then post it on blogger. YouTube was also good because it was easy to use and we could easily put any footage on it, it was also a useful way to receive audience feedback as we could easily show our trailer to friends by just sending them the link.
We used social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, to receive audience feedback from our target audience. As our target audience is 15 - 24 social networking sites are a good way to get audience feedback as the main target audience for Facebook and Twitter is teenagers and young adults. This allowed us to make sure that our trailer was up to a good standard as people aged from 15 - 24 will often go to the cinema so are used to seeing high budget professional films so could give us feedback bearing in mind their high expectations for films.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Sunday, 21 April 2013
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
We showed a group of people our media trailer in order to see whether our trailer followed the conventions of other trailers, we also found out what they thought went well and what we could have improved on.
Positives
The audience felt that they were drawn in from the start and that the initial connection with the characters in the film was well established.
They liked that we had the clips at the beginning in the style of a home video and felt this was a good convention of action trailers and helped establish relationships between the characters.
The music contrasts with the clips but makes it more emotive and highlights the emotions the characters are experiencing.
The titles that were used were conventional of an action trailer as they stood out and went well with the music as there were fades to black. They titles were also conventional as they directly addressed the audience involving them in the trailer.
They liked the use of location as being filmed in London was more interesting and added to the dramatic feel of the trailer as a child being taken in London would make it harder to find them. There were also a variety of places which made it more interesting and the search more dramatic.
Negatives
From where we had recorded the videos we used at the beginning you could see the light which had reflected onto the TV into the corner which made it look less professional.
We had two characters fighting which had no place in the storyline as we had not introduced them or did not develop their places after.
At the end of one of the clips you can hear the camera being put down which could have been avoided if we had just clipped that little bit off.
Our voiceover explained the storyline however we did not develop this visually which we could have done more.
How is it like other trailers?
The use of the home video clips and inter titles throughout the clip help to build tension as this is a convention of action trailers. They felt the music used gave an insight into how the character felt and this is similar to other action trailers.
A variety of locations were used and this is typical of action trailers.
What we would do differently next time
The sound could have been better throughout, not just the clip of the camera being put down but we struggled with making the music quieter then louder again to go with the talking and at times this transition wasn't particularly smooth. We would also make sure that all characters we showed were relevant to the plot and developed throughout. We also could have included more footage of the kidnappers as this would have established the fight between them and the dad better.
We also uploaded the clip onto twitter and Facebook so that we could get further feedback from a larger variety of people. We also thought that the majority of people are aged 15 and over which is our target audience so it would be useful to put them on these social networking sites. Our feedback from the social networking sites was very positive. Everyone who watched the trailer said they would be interested in seeing the film but, similar to our other audience feedback they were confused by the fight scene as they didn't understand who the characters were. Everyone found the music and the home video style clips at the start very effective and we feel that this is a strong point in our trailer.
Positives
The audience felt that they were drawn in from the start and that the initial connection with the characters in the film was well established.
They liked that we had the clips at the beginning in the style of a home video and felt this was a good convention of action trailers and helped establish relationships between the characters.
The music contrasts with the clips but makes it more emotive and highlights the emotions the characters are experiencing.
The titles that were used were conventional of an action trailer as they stood out and went well with the music as there were fades to black. They titles were also conventional as they directly addressed the audience involving them in the trailer.
They liked the use of location as being filmed in London was more interesting and added to the dramatic feel of the trailer as a child being taken in London would make it harder to find them. There were also a variety of places which made it more interesting and the search more dramatic.
Negatives
From where we had recorded the videos we used at the beginning you could see the light which had reflected onto the TV into the corner which made it look less professional.
We had two characters fighting which had no place in the storyline as we had not introduced them or did not develop their places after.
At the end of one of the clips you can hear the camera being put down which could have been avoided if we had just clipped that little bit off.
Our voiceover explained the storyline however we did not develop this visually which we could have done more.
How is it like other trailers?
The use of the home video clips and inter titles throughout the clip help to build tension as this is a convention of action trailers. They felt the music used gave an insight into how the character felt and this is similar to other action trailers.
A variety of locations were used and this is typical of action trailers.
What we would do differently next time
The sound could have been better throughout, not just the clip of the camera being put down but we struggled with making the music quieter then louder again to go with the talking and at times this transition wasn't particularly smooth. We would also make sure that all characters we showed were relevant to the plot and developed throughout. We also could have included more footage of the kidnappers as this would have established the fight between them and the dad better.
We also uploaded the clip onto twitter and Facebook so that we could get further feedback from a larger variety of people. We also thought that the majority of people are aged 15 and over which is our target audience so it would be useful to put them on these social networking sites. Our feedback from the social networking sites was very positive. Everyone who watched the trailer said they would be interested in seeing the film but, similar to our other audience feedback they were confused by the fight scene as they didn't understand who the characters were. Everyone found the music and the home video style clips at the start very effective and we feel that this is a strong point in our trailer.
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms ad conventions of real media products?
I have taken 9 screenshots from our trailer to show how our trailer conforms to conventions of an action trailer. The first screenshot is from the titles we used throughout the trailer, these are typical not just of action trailers, but most trailers, as they build the tension as the plot develops throughout the trailer. We have conformed to the conventions of action trailers through our font and our use of questions. The silver font on a black background features in many action films and we used this as we think it is effective and it is also simple and stands out against the black engaging the audience. The use of questions is also typical of action films as it sets up the plot of the film and indicates what the big fight in the film will be about. This is also effective in drawing the audience in as it directly addresses them.
The second screenshot is of one of our main characters being taught how to ride a bike by her dad, this establishes the relationship between the character and allows the audience to associate themselves with them. This also allows the audience to become more emotionally attached to the characters which then goes onto create tension throughout the trailer as the two characters are shown more. This shot is in the format of a home video which furthermore adds a more personal touch to the trailer emotionally involving the audience more. Although this is not a typical convention of trailers, a relationship between characters is usually established, however we decided to do it through the use of home videos as we thought it was more effective in engaging the audience, especially as the character was young.
The third screen shot shows the moment when the daughter goes missing with the shot of the empty swing and the mum. This is shown after the home video clips which creates a strong contrast, this keeps the audience engaged. Quick changes in the atmosphere is common in trailers as it keeps the audiences attention and keeps them watching which is why we used this quick pace change in our trailer. The setting is also a convention of trailers as it is a recognizable and relatable place for the audience from when they were younger, therefore creating more of an emotional impact on the audience when she goes missing.
The next screenshot is an establishing shot of Trafalgar square in London, it is a long shot showing the National Gallery in the background and highlighting the crowds in the area. We also have the dad in the shot dressed in a suit indicating he has come from work. This setting makes the trailer more realistic and builds tension as we have the voiceover playing over the shot and the business makes the task of finding his daughter even more difficult. A setting in a city is a common convention of action films as almost all action cities are set in big cities as they often use lots of fast cars and big fight scenes which appear more dramatic in big cities. We chose London for this reason but we also thought that by setting a film in a place which is a big tourist attraction it not only attracts an English audience but an international one also.
The fifth screen shot is a high angle shot of the dad walking down the steps in Trafalgar Square again, this shows the audience that this is a vulnerable character. However we did it through the railings which suggests to the audience he is being watched by somebody. This further demonstrates the storyline to the audience and establishes the genre as action as this scene indicates there will be a stereotypical fight/chase scene. This scene is also conforming to the conventions of action trailers as it increases the tension therefore starting to build the suspense in the trailer which is a key feature action trailers rely on.
The sixth screen shot is a different shot of the stereotypical car chase scene which we experimented with. We decided to do the shot of the wing mirror of the car as we thought it was different which then draws in the audience as it stands out. This is conforming to the conventions of action trailers as it increases the pace of the trailer and also indicates to the audience that the trailer will include the stereotypical things which are in action films.
The seventh screen shot is a low angle shot of the dad being chased back in London. He has changed his clothes which demonstrates to the audience that this is a different day which in a way increases the pace of the trailer as it indicates how the dad has now started the fight for his daughter. We used a low angle shot of the chase scene as it makes the man chasing the dad seem more intimidating which increases the tension in the trailer. This scene conforms to conventions of action trailers as it is towards the end of the trailer which is usually when the pace picks up which we have done through this stereotypical chase scene. This draws the audience in and keeps the engaged as the faster paced shots indicate the action genre.
The next screenshot is of the title of our film "Playing With Fire" which we put at the end of the trailer before our last scene, although typically it would be the last title of the trailer we had seen the title of the film placed here in action trailers and thought it was effective. We used bold white font in capitals as this a convention of action film titles, we also think it is effective as it stands out against the black background. We decided to have the word "fire" in orange as it made it stand out and just further demonstrates the danger the characters experience.
The last screenshot is of Rebecca tied up, we showed her whole body before showing a close up in order to highlight how she has been kidnapped. We also used quite a plain setting in order to emphasise the sense of isolation. We put this scene after the titles which is a convention some trailers used in order to make the audience remember important scenes or to surprise them, we think that this scene was unexpected and effective.
Throughout our trailer we used fade to blacks between most scenes as it is a common convention used in action trailers in order to build tension and suspense. They are also effective in making the transitions between scenes better as the trailer is not in chronological order.
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