Edgar - Children's film evaluation

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

Our product has taken a lot from conventional films in the way that we used our shot types and how we sequenced them. We told a story by mainly switching between two subjects in even order to keep the audience aware of both groups throughout. This was also a good tool to project suspense when needed. We also have the usual “Good guy + Bad guy” scenario, where one or more antagonists are conspiring against one or more protagonists. The genre of our product was based on the holiday of the time, being Halloween. It was initially meant to be somewhat creepier to fit with the theme, but in the end it was more of a generic children’s film, without any particular theme. Our camera work was based more on common knowledge of how things in our product should be displayed rather than direct influence from conventional films. It may be that our perception of what is a sensible camera angle or shot choice is derived from a life of exposure to conventional media. The sound part of our editing, I don’t think was very specifically thought through. We chose a fitting soundtrack to cover the whole sequence, and made sure any dialogue was at optimal optimal voice projection. There wasn’t any real influence there. We used no special effects for our product. The only kind of screen editing we did was the titles moving across the screen. The conventions of an opening sequence in films are generally to give the audience a brief insight into the rest of the film and make them want to watch more by drawing them into the story. We have done this by clearly identifying the characters and their intent. And also showing the surroundings and environment to show where the film will mainly be based. We’ve also used the opening to show the general mood of the film, which is light hearted and not serious, this is also useful for showing who the film will be appropriate for. Another way it could possibly challenge conventions would be that we didn’t include any outside sounds apart from one clip; We only added synthetic outdoors sounds where the music stopped. The music continued through the majority of the sequence with nothing else.

Ways we could have improved this include representing the antagonists and protagonist better visually. By showing the characters in a certain way from the start by clothing or appearance through things like makeup, we could have made it easier for the younger audience to identify straight away who is doing what, or who they should like.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

All of the characters in our product are male and of the same age, so in a way we are representing the young male social group. The effect of this might be that in the rest of the film, males would be identified as malevolent or mischievous like the boys in the opening because they would be affiliated with them. Our characters are represented this way by their clear intent in the sequence, which is to pull a trick on Max.

A way we could have improved this is by separating the protagonist and antagonists in a way that they represent separate social groups. This could be done with things like clothing, having them talk about each other to show who they like and don’t like, or facial appearances with makeup.

What kind of media institution would you distribute your media production?

I wouldn’t label our product for any particular company, although I wouldn’t say it was a traditional theme, so maybe not something like Disney or Warnerbrothers.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our product is going to be rated U, and the target audience will be for children, possibly aged 6-16. I can’t think of any similar products to our own. I wouldn’t say it’s completely unique but it doesn’t resemble anything I’ve seen before.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I think the main way we attracted our audience to continue watching was the build up created by our building sequence; people would want to know what comes next, or if the protagonist escapes. Clues about the narrative aren’t numerous, apart from how we’re introduced to the protagonist and the antagonists, and how it is set in the woods.

What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing your product?

The product has introduced me to several different types of technologies. The first would be the camera and how it is used and set up. Another is the editing software such as final cut and garage band to customise the clip length and sort out the audio.

For example, I learned how to crop video clips with the razor tool in final cut, and how to rise and lower the sound of a clip by raising the slider at the top of the clip rectangle. Specifically, I learnt how to migrate projects from one programme to another, like from Final Cut to Garage band when we wanted to add the audio. There is also learning how to access the student blog on the Long Road website. It took me a little longer to grasp, but now I’m confident I can submit homework to the blog from anywhere.

Ways we could improve the editing process would be to revise how to import files from one programme to another to save time. For example, at one point we were stuck for about 10 minutes because we couldn’t figure out how to move our file from garage band to final cut.

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

The second preliminary task was very helpful practice for our opening sequence. Because we only had experience of using the stop motion tools and software, we needed another project that introduced us to camera work and our first look at the editing software as well. Specifically, we learned how to cut up clips and put other clips into them, making for a more intricate scene. It also gave us an idea of our limitations in terms of conversation and dialogue, because in the prelim’, we hadn’t produced a script to use, so when it came to producing the same scene again, we had great difficulties reinacting it accurately. Another technique we gained from the preliminary task was the ability to chose appropriate shots and angles, like the close up on the door handle or the end scene when the camera pans over the classroom.

The Final Film

Here is our final film. Enjoy! :)

Personal Contribution - Edgar Pugh

I feel that through the individual abilities of everyone in the group, we have produced a very unique and well made opening sequence.

 Things that I feel I have contributed to include:

• Storyboard production
• Camera shot ideas
• Certain ideas during editing/soundtrack

 Through the addition of each persons' ideas, we have created something I think we are all agreed upon.

Planning and Production - Edgar Pugh

The planning and production process so far has been intuitive and straightforward. I would say the most difficult part of the process would be coming up with initial ideas like scenario and themes. Once you have come up with those two, you can sit with your group and ideas flow onward, each one a link to the next idea. Deciding things like what kind of shot a scene was fairly straightfoward, there were never any disputes in our group on how a shot should look, because the ideas were mostly mutual because they simply looked the best.

 Creating a storyboard was key to a well organised production, and it came pretty naturally to the group what should happen and how the shots would be. Once that was drawn up we had something to refer to during filming. All of our main ideas came when we created the storyboard, so filming was straightforward. Before each shot we took a small time to discuss possible techniques or camera possition, before confidentally acting out the frame in the storyboard and moving onto the next one. Some ideas that weren't in the storyboard appeared as well, or modifacations to ideas that we couldn't perform, but the production closely stuck to our initial ideas.

 Problems we have encountered so far included things like materials for props, for example it was originally planned to have three traps, but we had to settle for one. Another issue was finding the right spot, because in the storyboard it was planned for three of us to hide behind a bush, but being in a thin woodland we had to settle for a nearby trench. I think a problem in the future will be in the editing process in terms of the soundtrack, because we aren't allowed to use copywrited music, so creating our own will be a definate challenge.

 After half-term we will begin the editing process, which includes putting all the clips together in the desired order and splicing them up to the desired length or arrangement. It will also include the soundtrack and music, which I think will be a big challenge for us because we have to use only original sounds or music. We may also have to work on some dialogue, as it is inaudiable on camera, we can do this by re-recording the speech and dubbing the clip.
 
 The order we will edit in will be arranging and editing the clips first, so we have something to work with when it comes to the music and soundtrack.

Storyboard

Here is the Storyboard for our Film Opening.

Written up "Back to the Future" storyboard

Clocks are ticking on the wall, this could perhaps suggest that the owner of this house is very interested in the time, the subject of the film is to do with time, or, as could be suggested later, the owner of the house is an inventor.

The latter could be suggested by the makeshift radio, dog food can-opener, coffee machine & robotic arm, which follows the clock scene. This sequence of scenes instils a happy sense of creativity & practicality in the viewer, often making them wonder what happened next and whether anymore wacky inventions come from the owner of the house.

We then meet a teenaged boy with a skateboard letting himself in using a key from under the door mat, to which he repeats “Doc?... Doc?!” this gives us an indication that the owner of the house is a doctor and is known well by the boy. After seeing the dog food slopped in the dog bowl and reacting negatively, his skateboard slides along the floor, colliding with the missing plutonium that was mentioned in the new report on the television. This gives us the first sinister bit of the film; however, this keeps the viewer interested and wanting more information.

Intended Target Audience for our film

For our film, we were aiming for children as our target market, so for this, we tried to make our film as easy to understand as possible, and to have as much childish humour as we could. (slapstick)

However, our target audience was aimed at the children too, because we would then rely on the children to use their persuasive habits to make the parents pay to take the children to the cinema.

We believe the film would mostly be for children, including theme & general setting of the film. The age of the children this film is aimed as would most probably be between 6-13 years of age, all of which will need Parental Guidance (PG). The gender of the children does not matter, as we have no preference; there are no particular scenes where being male or female is of any relevence.

BBFC task - Edgar Pugh

For this task we had to make a poster on the regulations on U rated films presented by the BBFC. Using the Long Road film studies website we checked the regulations that restrict U rated films’ contence.

After studying the web page, we put together a poster clearly showing the BBFC’s regulations.

Back to the Future storyboarding task - Edgar Pugh

For this task we were shown the opening to the film ‘Back to the Future’ twice. The first time we just watched and thought about the camera shots ect. The second time we took notes on all the camerawork and shots, explaining what they do, where and why it’s appropriate.

We were then put into pairs and created a storyboard of the opening sequence based on our notes. In each tile we had to show what kind of movement is happening and where the camera is, and give a small analysis on it. 

Children's film analysis: Edgar Pugh

Film Details

Camerawork
We will be using a variety of different shots in order to make our film as interesting as we can. If all the shots were of a similar framing, the film would get boring after a while. We will be using:

• Extreme Long shots
• Long Shots
• Close ups
• Medium long shots
• Medium close ups
• Over the shoulder shots
• and various different angles

Sound

We will be using little dialogue, mainly using the sounds of the forest. We will be making our own music on Garageband to feature in the background of the action. 

Editing

We will use Final Cut to edit our film. We will use transitions such as fades in order to create a slightly creepy feeling for the film, but combine this with the comical action in order to create irony.

Special Effects

We are not using special effects as we don't feel it is necessary as we are trying to make the film look as real as possible as it is set in the real world. 

Mise-en-Scene

At the start, we will focus heavily on the forest in order to establish the location. The location will be the main device we use to create an eerie atmosphere. 

Props

We are using bin-bags, string and "scream mask"s, all used to create the traps. These are the only props we will use.

Costume

We will be wearing ordinary clothes, as we are setting the film as if it is on a regular day.

Color/Lighting

The film will have a dull colour scheme, as it will be lit by natural light and the colours will be dark as we are filming in a shady area.

These are photographs of our brainstorm and a diagram of our "trap" idea. This shows what our basic plot will be and how we will create our traps.

Preliminary Task (Video)

This is the film we created for our Preliminary Task. We feel it went reasonably well and it helped us learn to use the equipment and editing software.

Classification

Storyboards

Storyboard Lesson. The first is by James and Edgar, and the second is by Tom and Max.