After re-watching and making small changes to the clips. We have now finished our film opening.
QUICK EVALUATION
The whole making of the process was new and exciting. As myself was able to learn about editing and made use of what I've learned in media classes throughout the year. Personally, I really enjoyed the practical part where I and Nana went out and looked for location and taking footage. One of the struggles I faced was the editing part, as I wasn't familiar with premiere and after effects but after getting to watched youtube tutorials I've learned the basic and how some of the tools work.
Codes and Conventions - understanding of thriller conventions, credit structure and what to expect from a film opening. At the start, I've only just watched films without really realizing the convention only being able to interpret the meaning from it. After learning in class and knowing about conventions, I start to recognize the convention and by watching many thriller movie clips it develops my understanding of thriller convention. For example, after watching the opening for Women in black, I've identified that the key expectation of the audience is that the tone of the film is established.
What we then apply to our film opening is that we set the tone of our film by using music that sounded magical creates a sense of mystery. What we then apply to our film opening is that we set the tone of our film by using music that sounded magical but at the same time creates a feeling of suspense and a sense of thrill. We also kept the idea of the sound of a music box, because it is often used in thriller or horror movies as a convention for creating tension and the feeling of uncanny. As the music suggest the idea of something is going on but you don't know when it will end. Planning & Organisation - ability to organise actors, locations, props for a efficient and effective film shoot. Ability to hit deadlines. The first time we went out to film, we did plan out before hand but we wasn't as prepared as the second time we went to film. The reason being the second time we're able to bring equipment that was needed on the first went out. Also, it was the first time for me to go out and shoot a film therefore I didn't really know what to bring. This was improved by communication between me and Nana, we made the aim clear and list down equipment needed. To conclude that by learning through mistake, we found that having to short list equipment needed or the aim before heading out to film is an important thing to do in order to make it effective. Camera Work - confidence in building composition and using different shot types. Taking photograph is one of my hobbies, therefore I have some level of knowledge in the composition of objects. However, I've noticed that in a cinematic composition of characters are much more complex and there are certain rules to follow, which I wasn't aware of. After studying films, I've gained more knowledge on camera angel and how to make use of them. One thing that I've learned is that meaning can be created by using different shot types - for instance, a birds eye shot that we included near the end of our opening, is to establish the feeling of isolated of casper which couldn't be portrayed just through a shot from DSLR camera. Moreover, a technique we included in the short siding that was used by David Fincher. We used it in the near the start of the opening, to emphasis the idea of the character being isolated from the surrounding. Visual effects - realizing ideas using digital software, using credits in an interesting way. I wasn't familiar with the program like after effect and premier pro, I've only heard of it and watched a few tutorials. However, through the course work, I've downloaded the programs and starting to spend time practically making animations. Which made me gain more understanding on how the program works and some special effects you could do with these programs. By following the tutorials that I've search on YouTube for our film opening animation, I've learned that to create an animation involve a fairly large amount of time and effort. As you need to consider when to set the keyframe and learn about what you could do with setting keyframe. The things that I've taken out of the making process, the order of the layer is very important and that setting the timing of the keyframe that fits with your animation. The progress I made, is that by doing this I start to understand the basic, making it easier to follow the youtube video. One thing I've learned is that before you start any tutorial, make sure to check if they provide any component or any download that you will need to make the tutorials. Or else it will be a waste of time when you reach the point that requires that specific tools and you don't have it. Editing - making meaning through editing. Making the narrative sense for the audience At the start of the course, my knowledge on editing wasn't as detailed compared to now. The reason being, by learning the course, I've understood that meaning can be created through editing. If you want to emphasis an importance detail to your audience, you often give a much longer screen time. For example in our opening, we wanted to convey the idea of the character feels lonely and wanted interaction as we editing a long screen time when the boy is holding the toy like a precious treasure. I've learned to identify some editing techniques and made use of it for our rough cut, such as match on action. We also included this in our film opening when the character is climbing the stairs. Our initial editing sequence is following our storyboard. After getting some reviews back on our rough cut we had to add and remove scene, which changed the editing around. I've understood that we need to plan out our clips sequence in order to let the audience make sense of the storyline. One of the feedback was that the scene where the boy is tying the sticks together the screen time was too long, it loses it's meaning, therefore, we then cut down the screen time. Creative confidence- thinking of interesting ideas and making them happen. I've took IGCSE Drama as a subject, which I've gain some understanding of possible composition and scene you could use to illustrate meaning. However, getting to watch and analyze film that are more similar to my film opening combining with my further understanding of convention and camera work, I think I've develop in the creative part of producing interesting scene and are more able to create meaning through cinematography. Also, it is the first time I've get to produced a film opening. I've learn how do research on ideas and to contribute into creating a piece of film.
How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as...Research on target audience..
HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF OUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
Q2-
After identifying our target audience and knowing that our film is not a mainstream film but rather an individual film. We then hope to target a niche market of more educated young people that might be interested in exploring new types of films.
We annotated our film opening according to our target audience, please have read on the annotations.
Due to us being individual film it might be hard for us to compete with other films if we release it in cinema, so we thought of putting it on platforms such as Netflix. The advantage of putting it on Netflix is that it is well known for a platform for independent films which is easier for us to reach our target audience. Secondly, the audience can have access to our film without having to travel to a cinema, which might be appealing to an audience who might not have that much spare time. Also, we have a potential 93.8million user subscribing to Netflix in 2016, which is fairly high user base platform. However, it would require high-speed internet in order to watch it without it consistently rendering which might put off some people. Most of all, by going to the cinema, it gives a different experience to the audience as the sound system might be better and you get it to watch the film on a bigger screen. In some sense, watching films in cinema makes the film more rewarding that watch a film on our own TV or PC screen.
To raise awareness, we might get our film to enter film festival to earn a possible chance of getting an award or reviews on our film. From critics groups like National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle. Another way is to submit our film on websites such as Filmfreeway, in order to raise awareness of our target audience. Another way to raise awareness, we can upload our film opening to youtube that can potentially be shared through the social media such as Facebook.
By discussing a release date, as our film genre is psychological thriller which would preferably to release during Halloween. However, because it’s not a mainstream film releasing the film during this period would make it hard to compete with the larger production companies such as Alliance Films (Insidious) and 20th Century Fox Film (Hide and Seek)that is well known to the crowd and have much more budget to market its film. To avoid this, we thought it might be better to release it during the film festival. After a search for this year key date, the National Board of Review will be on 5th January Therefore, we think we should release our film around November time. The reason is that we might not want it to be during December because it is near Christmas, as by that holiday season our genre might put off people in some section of the market. Moreover, it would past the Halloween as well. An alternative date will be early in January becauseOscar will be on 26th of February. An example we looked at is the "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Which also had the same theme with Casper. It is released on the 20th of January in the USA. Which we could also consider this by releasing our film near the film award festival and by nominated could potentially raise our awareness.
1)How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
Our film opening challenged the convention of thriller opening as we didn't really show a specific threat that causes the disequilibrium, in another word it isn't clear that an enigma is created. However, our film is more like an introduction of introducing the character and setting the mood of psychological part of our opening, the idea of having imaginary friend.
As a psychological thriller, the conventions are mostly patient with mental disorder, people who are put into a large amount of pressure or who didn't know how to interact with the outside world. To create the convention, our story line illustrates a boy being isolated from the society. Which after being isolated for such a long time, he crave for human interaction and with the loneliness he went through he had develop the idea of having someone to play with. However, whether the imaginary friend is a threat or not isn't really showed in our opening.
The character we created, he did fit into the convention of weak vulnerable victim. As him being a child and is living all by him self in an abandonded place. However, because the threat wasn't really shown making it hard to convey the idea of our character being vulnerable.
The introduction animation took me quite a while to finish as I wasn't familiar with after effects and what I can do using the program. However, the hard work paid off and I've finished my animation. To make it more cinematic, I've put a soundtrack over the text animation by using premiere pro. I've searched the suspense soundtrack on youtube and found this. Also to make it matched with my animation, I've looked through the clip and choose one that I think it fits best.
At first, we were thinking of something that might represent the imaginary friend. Words such as shadow, follower or whisperer came up but we think that it is too cliche and mainstream. So then we think of our theme and genre of psychological thriller and words such as deception but then again we still don't feel it fits with our opening. We then ask for some opinions from people who had seen our film and based on having some conversation we then thought of having it as the name of the imaginary friend. We started thinking of names which didn't really clicked so we then kept on searching. (We didn't think that coming up with a name is this difficult.) Finally, we came up with the name of Casper, inspired from Casper the friendly ghost. We got this idea by seeing the shirt the character is wearing, that coincidentally happen to have an image of Casper the friendly ghost. We then decided this is the name we will be using as the name have made a link to the imaginary friend that hint the audience about the story.
Today I worked on the credit for our film opening.
The font I choose is this following font. Which isn't too thin or too thick, and it has an worn out style to it. Inspired from the font of the opening of the movie Se7en. Coming up with the names for our credits, I used the random name generator to come up with the names.
After coming up with the name, I then start to put the credits in our opening by using after effects.
I used the text behind motion effect that I've learned previously. It took me really long to mask each frame and make changes as I had to continuously freeze and unfreeze which took some time.
I started off by adding new footage to the old rough cut.
After having the rough cut I started adding music into it. As the old background music that we used is said to bit "too dramatic" and doesn't fit with the character. I went back to the music search I did and decided to use the "come out and play music box". The drone shot had to be colour graded to fit the previous scene. To do that I made changes the colour by going to the colour panel and adjust the colour wheel and curve.
At the very end of the drone scene, I decided to change the music by removing the instrumental. Which I did a search on youtube of "old music box." As I think that it creates a more peaceful tone to the zooming out of the scene.
I'm helping out on the adding the credit part of our film opening. I did more research on the font.
As in the film, the character uses brick as a writing tool, so I think that using this crayon like effect font can be related to the film. However, this font maybe too thick.
Also, considering that handwriting font is what we want and the previous font that I've found are too thin which can't be clearly seen. This font is thicker and the fact that we don't want it to be neat perfect writing, this font gives a worn out feeling.
The opening started out with an establishing shot, showing the setting. Which is in a wild forest. Which we know the setting is isolated, as the father mention "not a soul in sight for hundred of miles just the stars to guide us." It is supported by the use of mise en scene by showing the word adventure in a close-up shot tells us about the upcoming plot, which creates a sense of danger ahead. Moreover, the car in the wide shot is position at the corner of the scene, which also suggests isolation. Also, the parent's face aren't fully showed which suggested the idea of lost. However, the color palette uses warm color creating a very warming feeling.
(This use of cinematography of car crash is also used in the opening of babadook)
Using close up shot of destroyed children's toy convey the idea of destruction and that he's childhood is distributed by the tragic of the car crash. The use of close up shot of the title of the book suggested the upcoming plot.
The use of mid shot and the use of short siding, as the short siding creates lots of blank space. Which shows the meaning of loneliness and isolation of the character.
By using the long shot makes the character look small which convey the idea of the surrounding being more powerful. The lack of light gives an idea of the character is trapped.
There wasn't much sunshine, which made me worry about the lighting. However, it didn't really affect the footage which is a good thing. The whole process got a lot quicker. As we both are well organized, knowing what footage was missing and nana had improved her skill with operating the drone. Today, we have now finished filming and had recorded all the diegetic sound needed. The rest will be putting it together, adding in the credits and effects.
As we need my little brother to re-shoot some scene and because he needed to attend football competition we didn't get to re-take during the past weekend. Therefore, me and nana re-plan that we will be shooting this coming Friday. When my brother and us is available at the same time. TO DO LIST.
Recorded diegetic sound. Which to have better recording quality, I borrowed a microphone from Mr.H
Re-shoot the drone scene.
Film more footage on the drawing process of the "imaginary friend".
Due to the music is pre-composed. Therefore the music didn't fit with what is shown on screen when the character is writing on the wall as the music is too dramatic for the scene. This is a point which has been mention quite a few times in the feedback, which is an area for us to make changes to.
The screen time of the making of the toy is too long. Which we might need to add another glitch effect to cut down the duration.
The drone shot, the "woah" effect is achieved. However, if it was limited to only for the ending the effect would have a bigger impact then showing drone shot twice in the clip. Also, the drawing of the friend isn't really clear in this scene which we will have to re-take this process. We decided to change from a drone shot to close up.
WHAT DID IT REMIND YOU OF:
Fantasy and Adventure Genre came up in the feedback. Which I can see parts of the convention that is linked to our film opening.
After re-watching and making small changes to the clips. We have now finished our film opening. 
