This is the complete 'Hidden in Plain Sight' project we did for our media A-level.
Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Friday, 5 May 2017
Evaluation #8 - What targets will we set ourselves for G324 next year?
Group Based Targets
Being in a group is good to make an effective project with a lot of pressure divided into multiple people instead of one person having all the stress to bear.
Since this was our first project, we were unsure of how to layout or plan or how to stay organised effectively and efficiently but it allows us to learn how to improve for our next project and remove or minimise our main issues that occurred during our production.
Coursework
Coursework is important for our overall grade and because we share some of the coursework posts we need to complete it means that we need to rely on each other to complete them before the deadline. A small part of coursework involves doing work about planning and organisation about our project, we were unsure of how to complete this task because it was difficult to plan ahead when we had other work and obstacles that prevent us from completing our tasks on time.
We would need to distribute out work and research to each group member to suit the members that have the suitable skills or knowledge for the task to ensure that the coursework is completed correctly. Effective distribution is also beneficial because it reduces the chances of a group member feeling overwhelmed with work and stressed throughout the production. We need to keep the morale in the group high to prevent group arguments or disagreements and this can heavily affect the group throughout the project
Team and group work
One thing we will need to improve on for our next project will be communication. Communication is key in group projects because it can greatly impact the productivity and production, if a member of the group doesn’t understand something or disagrees with something then the issue will need to be addressed with whom it involves so it can be resolved. We lost our main actor due to a complication with communication which led to a great need of an alternate method to complete our project. To do this we will need to ensure that this inconvenience does not happen again. We will need to check and ensure that the actor or actress we choose for our project is or will not be preoccupied at the time of our production creating process.
Another vital area of group work to work on is the motivation and morale of each team member. If a member feels down, demotivated, frustrated, stressed or overwhelmed then it can lead to heavy self-doubting and/or decrease in productivity and it can lead to a team member falling behind in work or dropping out of the group if they feel uncomfortable. All issues involving the project must be addressed and dealt or assisted with to allow the group moral to stay high and any feelings caused inside or outside the group can change impact the rest of the group.
Organisation
Organisation is key in group projects because it means that time, money and/or events can be laid out in the future to suit each team member but for the future project we will need to thoroughly discuss our plan for the project to ensure that it is completed in time for the deadline. A lot of the activity that we had for our project was done towards the last minute because we were unsure of a lot of areas in the project that we wanted or needed since not every member was available at certain times and this meant that there was a lot of stress caused due to panic about not completing film in time for the deadline. To allow us to reduce the amount of stress caused by the project we will need to improve our time management.
Another way to improve our organisation for our next time is to keep regular communication within the group and this includes sharing ideas and feelings about something related to the project. We need to check that each person is free for a specific date in advance instead of making plans one or two days before the actual day of activity and this is needed to have some time in between the time starting the plan and the event to allow plans to be altered if necessary, this also allows easier productivity for individuals because it means their external plans won’t need to be changed. Pre-planning can mean that if someone does drop out of the group then there will be time between the planning and the deadline to re-evaluate the situation.
A factor that impacted our organisation was the distance of our different settings and the locations. We weren’t always able to reach our locations because Worcester Park was a long distance from Epsom or Banstead, this means that next time we film we will need to choose a setting that will suit the whole group.
To do our filming, we needed to wait until it was dark outside to have the correct light in our scenes. To improve our productivity and to use our time more effectively, we will need to plan to do work based activities during the time we have when it is bright outside instead of procrastinating and/or getting distracted.
Technical:
Editing
Editing is a large area of our project because it is what allows us to put the film together and edit it. To help with the editing process for our next project, we can enhance our knowledge on the Adobe software by experimenting with the different functions available for us to use. We can also find ways to learn how to use it properly since not all members know how to use the Adobe programmes as much as other members, this will allow us to provide editing ideas for the person in charge of the editing stages of our project.
Lighting
We will need to improve on our lighting for our project because it was difficult to control for our scenes, this might still include using natural light as our main lighting. We could do this by adding more torches or other light sources outside of the frame to make allow the main image to look clearer for the audience.
Audio
During our production, we were using the microphone from inside the camera and a small attachable microphone to get our sound in our scenes. Later on we started to use a more professional microphone that allowed our audio to become a lot clearer in our project. For our next project, we will need to use this but to use it properly we will need to make sure that there are no sounds coming from elsewhere like there was in our original audio.
Camera
We were using a professional camera that is capable of capturing high quality video and images and it has multiple functions that we were not able to use in our production due to lack of time or lack of knowledge or practice with these functions. To enhance our project we can use more functions in the camera to allow our project to look more realistic and/or appealing to the audience.
Setting
Settings are difficult to find for specific needs during the pre-production stages of the project. This is because the area will not have the right characteristics that are required in the film, there is also problem with lighting and weather since the weather will determine how damp, dark, dry or bright the environment is and this can. The setting can greatly impact the continuity of our shots because it can seem bright in one shot but dark in the next one and this can make our film less realistic for the audience.
Evaluation #7 - What have we learnt in the progression from it to full product?
The preliminary task was a rough outline of what we wanted our film to be like, such as using parallel positioning to show a separation between the characters in the film and testing out different shots and techniques that could work well in our setting.
A lot did change from the preliminary task to the final product, the editing was more refined, a high-end camera was used and there was more focus on mise en scene and detail in the scenes. For example, we included two main settings, one inside and one outside, to create realism and engage the audience in the narrative.
In the preliminary task, there was a high use of shot-reverse shot which was carried over to the final project with more shot techniques added for variety and different shots suited the mood of the scene better and that carried more weight in the context of the situation.
One example of this would be in this shot where to create a sense of separation personality-wise between the characters, proxemics is used. Detective 2 is in the background with the Detainee and Detective 1 in the foreground. Separating the characters both physically and ideologically.
The next shot is a close-up shot, this is a generic shot used by many films but can contain hidden meaning it shows both the detainee and detective in the same frame, showing how the conversation’s topic has been narrowed to focus on what the detainee has to say instead of being interrupted by Detective 2.
A very important shot to use in filmmaking is the establishing shot, used to present the area that will be the focus of your scene. It often uses a wide angle lens to show the scope of an area in the amount that is necessary.
This shot was used to show an abandoned building that our main character discovers whilst in the woods. The camera could be very close to the building because it is quite low down and fairly wide.
During this scene, a lot of low angle shots looking up at the Detainee were used to show that he has power over his situation whereas later more levelled shots are used to show his amount of control has changed.
Another area of our media product we developed since creating the preliminary task was the sound. The sound captured by our camera was poor and didn’t record our voices properly which affected the outcome. We managed to develop our sound quality for our project whilst completing the production stages by obtaining a microphone that was more professional than the camera’s microphone that we used for our preliminary task. We learned about the capabilities of this microphone, such as quality of the sound recorded, how large the radius of sound capture is and how to position it effectively.
A video was made showing the editing process with Oliver commentating.
Evaluation #6 - What have we learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Nikon d3300
What is good about it?
The camera can take high-quality images and video and use a variety of advanced camera techniques to create professional looking shots. The camera allows us to video and take pictures in a high HD quality which will make our film more nicer to watch. The camera also allows us to swap lenses and change lens length for wide angle and tight angle shots which make our filming easier and also allows us to use different skills. On the top of the camera, there is a spinner that allows us to choose a variety of setting which allows us to try different camera effects and visuals. The spinner is placed on top of the camera which allows us to access it easily because it's placed near the handle. The camera has reasonable weight to it which makes our shot smoother when movement is involved because of the weight of the camera.
Microphone
This is a professional microphone. The microphone is made for recording music instruments and voice which makes it perfect for picking up speeches. The microphone comes with a holder which allows us to mount it on a stand so that we don't have to hold it. The foam ball is used to block wind and other interference from being recorded through it. The microphone allows us to change the wire to a different attachment like a jack plugs or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) wire. Behind the microphone, there is a button that allows us to switch to manual sound adjustment or auto adjustment. During the time we are filming, we had it on auto adjustment because manual adjustment required soundboard or some sought of a controller to control the sound. The microphone is shaped like a cylinder which makes it easier for us to hold it.
What is bad about this microphone?
The microphone only can pick up voices or any sound close to it because the microphone is more of a broadcast microphone. The microphone doesn't pick up background sounds. The microphone doesn't come with wire attachment like USB and jack plug. The microphone only works when it's connected to a computer only and it doesn't work if it is connected to the camera that is not capable of, or able to have plug-ins like the microphone.
Tripod
We used a high-quality tripod that holds and stabilise the camera so that we don't have to hold it and allow us to take more accurate shots for our film. This helps the camera image to be less shaky which makes our film smoother. The camera includes adjustment knobs that allow us to set it up in any position and allows us to lock it in place so that it will not topple over. The tripod allows the camera to move it up and down, pan it left and right to making our filming easier. The tripod is made out of a strong lightweight metal which allows us to use it in any condition whether if it's in the water, or a stormy day, or a snowy day. It also makes it harder to break and it will survive medium impacts and falls and the tripod comes with a small bag that allows us to carry it easier. The tripod also has a handle attached to it make it's easier for us to carry it without the bag. At the bottom of the tripod, there is rubber grip stand that provides better grip for the hands and it prevents the metal from scratching the surface. On the top of the tripod, there is a stabiliser measurement that allows us to see if the camera stand is straight or not.
Personalised and Custom-made computer
The speed of the computer is fast and smooth and was less prone to freezing than other computers. On the top and the back of the computer, there are attachment and ports for USBs, jack plug and other components. This allows us to connect any equipment to the computer like for example, a camera, microphone and more. This means that we were able to have multiple components plugged into the computer as we were filming and editing. The ports also allowed us to plug in our microphone see we can store our sounds, monitor them so we know which is which and edit them afterwards once we have finished,
The computer allows us to download software to edit videos and pictures, we can download the programmes we need onto the computer to carry out our editing process and any other areas we want or need. On computers, it is possible to transport the data on it by physically moving it (on a hard drive) or virtually (backed-up or uploaded onto the internet). The computer requires monitors so that we can see everything that is happening which means that we can see a clear layout of our project on adobe and to hear the sounds clearly through a plugged in speaker system. What is bad about this computer is that it is big and heavy which means that it is difficult to be carried or moved along the computer being restricted by the constant requirement of being plugged in for it to function.
Evaluation #5 - How did you attract/address your audience?
This is an annotated version of our 'Hidden in Plain Sight' video which briefly explains the different ideas, genre conventions and techniques that we used throughout the film.
This is more professional in filmmaking because it shows that everything seen and heard on the screen is done and used for a specific reason to allow the audience to feel more immersed in the storyline.
Evaluation #4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?
This picture shows the average member of our target audience, after extensive audience research using questionnaires and presenting our demographic data through graphs, we found out that large majority of the audience who showed some form of intrigue for our movie idea were people in the Group E section of the psychographic scale, this is beneficial as this group contains a very large number of people who have disposable money and are usually still living with parents who provide some form of dispensable income to be able to pay for and watch or movie. People In this age group can range from really young ages or really old ages that live with carers or pensioners, with ages ranging from 14-20 and 60-80, we would be targeting the younger audience since we don’t have as much experience with making a movie appealing to older audience, but we are in our own target age range and so can relate to what our audience wants in a movie and what conventions they desire. People in the age range of 14-20 years old are usually thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies that require some form of action or hook to keep them entertained which is why the horror conventions fit so neatly into this age group as older audiences are usually more put off from watching horror films, horror movies add to the thirst for action and thrills that the younger audiences require which is one of the reasons why our movie would appeal to this age group. The average person in group E of the psychographic scale is a teenager going to college or maybe secondary school, they would have interests in the newest trends and be aware of the newest things coming out, making promotion for our film easy, we could use the uses and gratifications theory to help identify the specific group in our age range we are targeting, since our movie is set in a fictional environment with very unconventional to real life elements we can tailor it to target an audience of people who seek escapism and seek a diversion from real life by entering a fictional world that’s different to what they are used to. The younger audience we are targeting find acceptance in society by following the ideology that going out with friends and watching a horror film will provide a place for that person in a group and feel a sense of social acceptance. A teenager in the age range of 14-20 years will usually be very in touch with pop culture, following the mainstream ideology of whatever today’s culture seems as cool or acceptable. On the topic of gender, our films seem to tailor more to the male side of our audience since the conventions of a violent horror film lean more towards the idea of masculinity, violence, and bravery to watch a scary film. Overall there are multiple reasons as to why our target audience is an unemployed teenager who most likely lives with parents and is funded by them.
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