Final Thriller Opening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFFS8x2HFQ

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

Preliminary Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J28XtqpaNpM

Final Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFFS8x2HFQ

Overall, comparing the two videos that I was part of creating I can automatically see both similarities and differences with both. The reason the final video is different is because I was able to learn a few things from the preliminary task that helped in the adaptation of what I did for the final video to make it better.

Camera Equipment: 

The equipment that was used was a Tripod and Camera

The first thing learnt from the preliminary task was about using the equipment. The set up of the equipment took longer than anticipated. 

Initially we needed to get used to the equipment we were using. This took a while for us and caused problems for the filming we were wanting to get done at the beginning. This was in order to stay on track and affected the rest of the filming time we had as a group and the editing time was therefore compromised. 

The main thing that I learnt from this was the idea behind the use of the camera that I was using. The reason for this is that each camera worked differently and that if I was going to be taking it home to use then I was not going to have any one to ask questions to about the camera.

By asking questions before it meant that the time I was using it didn't get affected as if a problem was to occur with the camera then I had a better chance of figuring out how to fix it. This meant that also when I had got the camera I could use the whole time to film, rather than having to teach myself how to use the equipment as the time you have to film is very valuable and you have little of it.

Location: 

Prelim Task Location - Black Studio Room 

Final Video Location - House and Street 

Another thing that I was able to learn from the preliminary task was the idea behind the location. When filming the preliminary task we just picked any room and filmed in there because as a group we just wanted to make sure that we got the task done. 

Advancing on from this in the filming stage of the final video, I knew that the location needed to be put into account and a lot more thought needed to be involved. The reason for this is the location is what makes the whole film feel realistic and makes the whole narrative work. 

For example if the narrative was about a school and then the location of a prison was used, it would confuse the audience and change the whole way that the film is being viewed. For the location I ended up choosing a street that was isolated and gave a sense of suspense. I feel that overall this worked well and fitted with the final video.

Titles: 

A title could of been added at this point but wasn't. 

Final Video Film Title 

Titles have been a big thing that I learnt from the preliminary task, the main thing I learnt from this was the idea that I needed to actually add them into my final video. When creating the preliminary task the idea of including titles was not really a big deal and we did not think much of including them. However in the final video it changes the whole view of it, as it has gone from a thriller to an opening of a thriller with a few added titles. By not including the titles it meant that the final video was already a step ahead of the preliminary task and was at a stage where it automatically looked like an opening sequence. 

Characters/Actors: 

Preliminary task - Characters

Preliminary task - Characters

Final Video - Characters

Final Video - Characters

The next thing that I was able to learn from the preliminary task, is the idea behind the actors that are being used. During the preliminary video, the people in my group all took part and we all had a different role. The reason that we all took part was because it was easier than finding other actors and then everyone got to be apart of the preliminary task with each stage. 

Learning from this it allowed us to gain the knowledge that a lot more thought needed to be taken into account for who was going to represent each character. Instead of just picking someone from my media class I had to think carefully about the different things that needed to be included to make the final video look realistic and more professional.

The actors I ended up going with were a bit older, this meant that the characters looked realistic for their part. As adults they were more likely to be in the situations than a teen, as well as the idea that they had more life experience to help with the acting side of things.

Overall: 

Prelim

Truth

Overall I think that after the creating process of the preliminary task I was able to learn a lot of things, a few of which helped me in the final video.  These things helped me realise what I was going to want to avoid in the end. The few pieces of knowledge that were helpful were; how to use the equipment properly, how to use the editing software and how to get the perfect lighting. 

However the final video was also advanced as I added titles, as there were none in the preliminary video. The actors I used for my final video looked more of the normal age that the person in the situation would be and they looked more realistic compared to the preliminary video. As the character I represented in the preliminary video looked out of place to be using the gun and to actually be a hit man.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

What I did to attract the audience: 

When considering the narrative of the opening sequence, that I was going to create. One thing that was important in the decision making was including typical conventions of a thriller. The reason for taking these into account was due to the idea that the opening sequence, could then change from a simple opening with credits to something that then fits the specific criteria. By doing this little thing to the opening sequence it then allowed myself to know that this would mean that the audience is more likely to be attracted to the thriller opening that I am creating, as the thriller would convey the aspects that they are expecting to see throughout the thriller and can be a reason why the audience may want to watch it. A few of the conventions that were included in the thriller were the ideas of suspense, tension and mystery. The reason for trying to include these is because of the idea that these three conventions would keep the audience interested in what was happening during the opening sequence, and would mean that they are more likely to want to carry on and watch the rest of the film. 

Another thing that I took into account when trying to attract the audience was through the camera angels. The way that this could of been done was by including a various amount of different shot types such as Close Ups, Long Shots and Mid Shots to portray what was happening in the shot and also allowed the importance of the image in the shot to be shown to the audience. The main reason that I used different camera angels was due to the idea that if the they were quick clips that changed a lot it would then keep the audience interested with the story line and they would not mind sitting there watching the thriller as it would then be more engaging and interesting for them. 

Audience Feedback: 

When getting my audience feedback, there was two different ways that this was collected. One was by asking a questionnaire and the other was filming peoples opinions. Overall I managed to collect people thoughts and the ideas. Adding on to this I also think that the best way for this was the questionnaire as it went into more detail, which gave for better feedback. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXTZyuV-rtA

Responses

Q1) Overall, did you enjoy the opening sequence?

• YES, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE
• Loved it, very interesting and unique
• Yes I found it to be full of mystery and to be suspenseful 
• Yes, I think it was intriguing and interesting as well as unique 
• Yes 
• Yes, It was very suspenseful 
• Yes 

Q2) Do you thing any thriller conventions were used, and if so what are they?

• SUSPENSE, low toned lighting, suspenseful music, mysterious narrative
• Yes, mystery, social realism etc.
• Low-key lighting, suspense
• Yes, Mystery, Darkness, Maybe even Crime? 
• Mystery, Kidnapping 
• Mystery, Kidnapping 
• I think many thriller conventions are met, especially crime and women in trouble 

Q3) When watching the opening sequence, What improvements are needed?

• The titles at the beginning are not clear with the colours
• Maybe add more shot types, not essential
• Maybe more steady camera work in the car? Understood that its difficult
• A few more camera shots 
• -------------------------
• The sound could be improved slightly 
• I feel like it ends very suddenly 

Q4) What are your thoughts on the use of Mise-en-scene in the opening sequence?

• The mise-en-scene is clearly thought about and the lighting and props combine together to create lots of tension and verisimilitude.
• Very interesting, well thought-out  
• Very good 
• I think many props were used sufficiently and costumes were planned out well 
• Good use of props (Vodka, Dog)
• Very effective 
• The props are appropriate and intriguing 

Q5) Out of 10, How likely are you to watch the full length film?

• 6/10
• 9/10
• 7/10
• 9/10 
• 8/10
• 8/10 
• 6/10 

Q6) What are your thoughts on the sound being used in the opening sequence?

• Sounds worked affectively
• Very interesting, well thought-out  
• Creates tension and suspense 
• The sound was used well as well as using intense music 
• Very suspenseful, built up the atmosphere
• Very suspenseful and mysterious 
• The dialogue works well, suspenseful 

Q7) What are your thoughts on the lighting in the opening sequence?

• The low tone lighting contesting with bright lights works well
• Very well lit conveying the mood of the scene
• Good
• It was good lighting which worked well with the film 
• Good, not too bright
• Good as they looked authentic 
• They are distractingly uneven sometimes but not a big issue 

Q8) Were the camera angles effective and did they work well?

• Very
• Yes could be more varied
• I think they worked very well 
• Yes, you used a variety 
• I liked the close ups, expressed characters emotions 
• Yes 
• Yes

Q9) Do you feel the costumes in the opening, worked well for each character?

• Yes, it works to help the representation OF THEM
• Yes added to verisimilitude
• Yes
• Yes they worked well for each character 
• Yes 
• Yes 
• Yes 

Q10) What are your thoughts on the characters in the opening sequence?

• The characters are demonstrated clear and the audience are able to understand what is happening to each. 
• Very realistic, representations are effective
• I thing they all work well to fit in with the typical conventions of a thriller 
• They were clear and each character was represented differently
• I liked how the identity was left a mystery of the kidnapper 
• Good as they were not revealing of a characters intentions 
• Intriguing 

Overall, looking through the audience's feedback I can see that most people had pretty much a very similar opinion on my media product, and the improvements were all things that I noticed and if i was to have had a bit longer on the media product, I think they would of been the next things that I would of tried to adapt. By getting this feedback, it gives my self the knowledge on what my target audience enjoy and how I can improve it in the long run to allow them to enjoy the film even more. 

When creating my media product, I had a thought that maybe people would not understand the idea of what is happening, However after looking at the audience feedback in question 2 it gives away the idea that they can understand what is happening throughout and it allows myself the understanding that this is not just a lot of clips put together, people have seen some sort of narrative from it. 

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

1. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media products?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF8m0o0WTgs

Final Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFFS8x2HFQ

Editing 2

In the time I had today I used this time to take on some more of the editing to try and get a little more done before the final deadline. The main reason for doing this allows me to know that I have tried to complete everything that is necessary in the time frame of which has been specified. 

Adding on to this the editing of which took place was for the title sequence and the production company that is included at the very beginning of the extract. The editing that was put into place with this was the transitions of the titles appearing and disappearing as well as adding sound. A sound effect was added to go along side due to silence not being very good for the viewing audience. This changed the whole view and how people feel from the first two seconds. 

Refilming

When it came to refilming I thought that the shots of the characters used in the draft and when reediting were very similar to each other. This is why I decided to make a change to them and added a few different ones. 

The shot types I have added and filmed today were a phone conversation of the older character which had already been added from when I filmed before. However I did not like the angles of the conversation that were being included as it did not show that I have the ability to edit these parts together.

As well as the idea of being able to use the camera in different angles and cross between the view points of the character during the phone conversation. In addition to the previous idea this can also be thought to look a lot more interesting view for the audience eyes. Encouraging the audience to want to carry on and watch what else is going to be happening.

The idea of one straight cut of angles looked a lot more blotchy before as it was static due to the pauses that needed to be edited out, so the angle change may of flowed better and if it does not when editing then I can always change it back. 

Production Company Update

Before:

After:

At the beginning of the opening sequence, the extract is starting with a production company which is known as the group of people who put in the time and effort into editing the whole video and making the clips fit well together. 

At the beginning of the creation of the opening sequence I started of using a static image as the production company due to it being something easier and could be worked with and shown in a better way. 

However I decided to use a video clip instead as it makes this feel a lot more part of the whole video instead of starting with the picture and then goes straight into the video which is very different. 

The reason for changing this is because it could not be easily seen to be the production company to start with. The idea that the image was not flowing properly with what I was trying to create. A slight change of the image and name of the production company made it easier to work with.

Editing

 

Today I spent the time doing more editing to get the video towards the stage where it was able to be handed in. The more specific editing that I have taken on is the editing of the video clips which were going through what was needed and what would work well. 

At this point I had to get rid of the videos of the older woman character in bed and replace them after the re-filming of them. Furthering on with this I then was able to add shots together which lead to myself being able to see what else was needed to be done and if I was going to need to film anything more. 

After adding the shots to the video I added the whole clips and then went through more specifically to see which parts that I actually needed. I needed to understand if this would fit with what I was trying to create for the opening sequence as well as having the more specific clips added to the opening. 

I was then editing the beginning of the clip which was the production company and the house to start off with to allow the opening to be set and show more of the location as well as flowing throughout the clips a lot easier.

Filming: Take 2

When evaluating the first draft of the video I can automatically tell that the filming was rushed and needed to be re-filmed. The main reason for this was because I was wanting to try and hand something in and meet the deadline which meant I was willing to hand in footage that was not up to a good enough standard.

The shots of the younger character and man are a few of the shots that needed to be refilmed due to the poor lighting situation as in the winter it gets darker a lot earlier which I did not take into account when I was planning to film. 

Adding on to this I also had to re-film the shots with the older woman because the shots before are very same old same old and I thought it would both get a bit boring for the audience and it would work a lot better if it was including some dialogue to show the characters doing something, more than just a static shots. Furthering on this idea it is also allowing myself to link the two characters to one another a bit easier and will help the audience understand a bit more what is actually happening, and they may have different questions to ask when watching, making them still feel the need to carry on wanting to watch the extract. 

The more specific shots I filmed was: 
       - The steering wheel and the gear shift
       - The younger girl leaving the house and walking
       - The older woman in bed --> Adding more shots like the phone conversation. 

Things that stayed the same:

Things that have stayed the same: 

• Actors/Characters:
• Libby - Character 1
• Louise - Character 2
• Phil - Character 3

• Location: 

• The location is still the same, which is including the bedroom in the house and the same outside space that is a very long path near a space of grass. 

• The shot plan:
• The reason that the shot plan has stayed the same after all of the changes is because of the idea that the shots are very similar to the ones that were mentioned before, just not the exact same image in each shot

Adapted Titles:

Adapted Titles: 

• Siamese Studios
• In association with Littlewood Production's
• Directed By...
• Victoria Anne 
• Produced By...
• Siamese Studios
• Music By...
• Kevin Macleod
• Louise Carroll
• Phillip Steven
• Elizabeth Helen
• Katie Mary Louise
• Poppy Mabels
• Eleanor Francis
• TRUTH

The main thing that has been changed within the titles, is the production company names. The Siamese Studios and Littlewood Productions have switched round, as i feel they may work better in this order, when the improvement of the video clips have been included. Adding on to this the titles have also been adapted, in the idea of including a few extra names. The reason for adding three extra names is so that the titles can appear more frequently throughout the opening sequence without there being a massive gap of having no titles to the film title appearing at the end. 

Adapted Risk Assessment:

Adapted Prop List:

Adapted Prop List: 
The Props that will still be used are: 

• Car
• Phone
• Tape and Shovel 
• Laptop
• Bed
• Alcohol
• Coat and Gloves 
• The Dog
• Front Door

The props that have been added are:

• Photo Frame - The photo frame is added to the clips in the bedroom. The photo frame is a significant prop because of the idea that this prop is clutched on by the main character, and if they did not have the frame to hold then it would not make the same affect to the video clip. 
•  Cat - The cat is going to be used at the beginning of the clip in the new production company logo. The reason for using the cat is because the company is called 'Siamese Studios', and the word 'Siamese' is also a breed of cat. This is what is then linking the cat image to the company title. 

Planning Phone Conversation:

Planning Phone Conversation: 

The dialogue that is being used is in a monologue form. A monologue is a speech that is by one character.The monologue is being created because of the idea that the phone conversation is showing only one side of what is happening, as I am trying to keep the other character hidden away,like a brainteaser for the audience. The reason for wording it like a brainteaser is because of the idea that it is to make people want questions answering and throughout it is something that they have to work out, to try and see who this character is on the other end of the conversation. 

The way that the dialogue is going to be presented is in a way that shows the characters anger with what has happened with a hint of emotion coming through. The reason that the emotion is also being involved is because it will make the whole performance feel realistic and will make the connection of what has already happened, to the way that it is being conveyed in the dialogue at this point. 

Adapted Storyboard:

Improving the storyboard: 

After looking at the first draft that I created I can see that a lot needs changing. The things that I am going to be changing in my draft are the shots I already have included. The reason for changing these shots is because a few of the ones that I took were unusable due to lighting issues. The main issue that occurred was the idea that in the evenings it was the main time that could be used to film, however it is winter time which means that it gets dark a lot earlier in the day. Another thing that needs improving is the idea that the video clips are very similar throughout and do not include any dialogue. The reason for improving this is because of the idea that it may get boring for the audience and will mean that they are likely to loose interest in what they are watching. 

Looking at the storyboard the shots that I added and changed were: 

• The first shot type I added was a conversation of the older women on the phone. The phone call is being added, as it is adding the aspect of dialogue through the opening. As well as adding the dialogue it is also allowing mystery to be included. The mystery is being added through the idea that the audience does not who the character is talking to on the other end of the phone. The person on the other end of the phone could be the guy seen throughout the extract, or it could be someone completely different that the audience may not have met yet. 
• Another thing that is going to be changed after looking at the draft is the production company. The reason  for changing this is because of the idea that it is not noticeable that this even is included at the beginning of the opening. Adding on to this it is also just a static image that does not flow very well from that clip to the rest of the film. The way that I am going to change this is by filming something that matches with the production company title and adding the production company along side the clip to make it look like the other production company logos that have already been created. 
• After creating the storyboard the first time there was a lot of different shots that were incorporated in it that were not included in the draft due to the idea that shots were either not usable or they were on the sim card that changed the format of them. This will mean that if I am then able to add all of the shots that I missed in the draft and the few things that I am adding extra then it will overall hopefully improve my draft to make it a higher quality opening sequence that will be a lot more interesting for the audience to watch

Adapted Storyboard: 

• The first way that the storyboard has changed is through the production company. I have decided to use the other production company that I had an idea for. The reason for changing this is because of the idea that the production company does not really flow with the videos, and the static image did not look very nice on the screen when it appeared. 
• Another way that the idea has been adapted is the angles that have been used for the women character. When adding the phone conversation, I thought it maybe more interesting for the audience if they could see it from different angles as if they are seeing it from different peoples perspective. 
• After mentioning the different angles being added, the phone conversation has also been a major change to the storyboard. The reason for adding something like this into the opening sequence is to show that I have the ability to work with dialogue, and so that the extract can have something very different in it and so that it is not the same as the first draft. I was always planning to add dialogue, but I did not manage to add it to the first draft due to the reason of not having time to film and edit the video's. 
• The second shot of the house, was added into my storyboard the first time however the clip was never added into the first draft because of the idea that I could not manage to find the clip because of the reasons that the clips changed format and would not add to my video and the idea that a few clips were on a sim card that I could not find at one point. This shot is something that I want to incorporate into the opening sequence because it will allow the convention of the establishing shot, which is the setting up of the scene and location. 

• The next image is the carrying on of the storyboard. The scenes that are being incorporated into the opening sequence, are very similar to the way that the opening sequence was before, however maybe ordered differently. 
• One shot that has been changed is the way that the camera is angled,as the view of the clips is at a high angle, looking down on the character. The character is feel sorry for there self at this moment in time and is drinking there feelings away. When the camera captures this it will be as if you can see through the bottom of the bottle. 
• A shot that has been added is the clutching of the picture frame. The picture in the frame is also unknown to the audience to keep the mystery alive and maybe advance the story line as there is also something else that is going on in the characters life. 
• The sounds in the opening are going to be very dramatic to allow it to be heard and will be exaggerated to show that it is there. 
• The types of sounds that will be included are: 
• Thriller music that will run along side with the videos
• The car engine
• The boot slamming shut
• The car door slamming shut
• Typing on the computer
• Phone ringing
• Sound effect when the production company image is on the screen. 
• Dialogue of the phone conversation. 

Evaluation: First Draft

Looking over what was created for the draft one of the opening sequence for the thriller, it allows me to see a rough outline of what I am trying to create and helps show the stages of improvements. In the first draft I can automatically tell that a lot of work is needed to advance the way it is looking, in the way that the video clips have been put together. 

What Went Well 

When looking at draft one, I can see that one thing that went well was the idea that when I was filming it was very dark, so a good thing was being able to get something from the video clips that I had filmed in that time. However I will still need to re-film as the lighting needs changing, to enable an improvement in the video as it will allow the video to work better. 

Another thing that went well in the first draft was the idea of using ambient sound. This is because there were a few clips where you could not hear anyone in the background over the ambient sound allowing the opening sequence to feel a lot more realistic when it comes to the sound that is being included. Further to this idea the ambient sound makes a big difference to the video due to  adding the car engine and dog barking to the videos background without hiding anything that has been happening. 

Improvements: 

By looking at this draft I can see automatically that a lot needs to be changed to make it work and look a lot better in the way that it has been edited. This is trying to say that the way it has been put together is very basic with editing techniques that are so similar for the flashbacks and none of the clips of the women in bed have any editing techniques used to make them flow better in the extract. The main reason for mentioning this is because I was trying to make sure that I had something to hand in for this deadline. Furthering on this idea it means that I already know that I am going to be needing to change the clips by refilming some of them and adding more and changing the editing of a few parts. 

Going on with the idea of what was said in the improvement before, one thing that needs changing is the video clips, as there is not a wide range of shot sizes being used. This means the idea is that I have included a lot of shots which are similar in the way that they have been filmed. An example of this in the opening sequence is when the women is in the bed crying. The shot types for this are either long shots or medium shots, which means that there is not a wide range of these included, lowering down the idea of being able to use the camera. The shots that have not been included very much are close ups, which work better in a thriller as it allows the audience to see specific images and will show the importance of the shot. Furthering on from this, close up shots are needed as well when it comes to the flashbacks of Libby as these clips are a lot more important to the extract. 



 Another improvement that needs to be added is the sound. The reason for mentioning sound is because of the idea of not including dialogue. By not including dialogue is reduces the idea of interest that maybe seen by the audience, due to the idea that the dialogue will interest the audience with the opening sequence and may make them want to carry on watching the opening sequence. 

The next thing that needs improving is the way that the flashbacks are being presented. This is because the video does not link together very well and does not show the change of time and how the younger actress is meant to be the older women in the past. This is an improvement that needs to be included as it will change the whole way that the opening sequence is being portrayed throughout and will help the audience to understand what is actually happening.   

When it comes to the first draft I could also do with changing the very beginning of the opening sequence so that the video does not go straight into the women crying in the bedroom. The change of this will allow the start to be a lot less in the face of the audience and will not be as over powering or confusing due to the questions being raised such as; 'Why is she crying?',  'Who is she?', 'How does this relate to the other clips?'. This means that this is changing what people think of the opening sequence and how it can be changed to make it easier for the audience to understand.  

Overall:
By adding the improvements from above to the first draft this will allow the opening sequence to look a lot better and will flow a lot more. These improvements will include a dramatic advance in the way the shots have been put together.