Movie Horror

My film opening has gone from bad to worse, as the audio from my videos has been deleted so i cannot edit the sound

Evaluation Question 6

"What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this media product?"

Firstly, I learnt how to use a camera. I have had little to none experience in the field of video cameras, so this has been a completely new experience for me. 

Fortunately for me, getting to grips with a camera is more straight forward as all the necessary parts are clearly labelled and 'fool proof' to a first time user like me. However, it is the actual process of putting the camera to use properly, to get worthwhile footage out of it, that is the hardest part.

Also, I got first time experiences of coming to grips with the camera 'accessories' such as dollies, and tripods, as part of a scene filming set up, this was interesting as you realise how much you rely on them for ease of camera use once you've experienced a practice film with them.

During the process of creating my film opening, I came up against Adobe After Effects. I was completely thrown in at the deep end with this program, being someone who has spent their life sheltered by the internet and Microsoft Word, so I therefore had no clue programs like this properly existed for ordinary computers. However, we had a workshop in which the class was taught the ins and outs of the software and set our own task of recreating Saul Bass' 'The Man With The Golden Arm'.

This is an example of what I came up with...

Progressing on from getting to grips with the software ended up with the production of my Company Ident for my film.

From After Effects, we moved on to Adobe Premier Pro. Premier Pro was the main software program that was used in the construction of the film opening product, and yet again, it was one that I had no past experience in using. Premier Pro contains every part of the editing process that you need. I learnt to crop the videos, add in and remove sound, and match clips together to create my final piece.

Evaluation Question 1

"In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of conventional films?"

Conventions are used a lot in films. They are the used in the way the character looks, the narrative, the setting, the genre conventions. Conventions often stick to the stereotypes of film but these stereotypes are the sort of things we would expect to see, but not what we want to see. For example, men being the main characters of action films, rather than women.

The genre my film fits in to is Action. Here are some conventions you would find for Action:

• Fast, expensive cars
• Expensive technology/equipment
• 'Goodies' and 'Baddies'
• Mass destruction
• Fighting
• Explosions and crashes
• Cat and mouse chases
• Big city - modern
• Weapons - knives, guns

My film opening uses the conventions of the action genre to attract the mainstream target audience. The camera work was edited in premier pro to recreate the quick cutting of the scenes to display the fast movement that the intense fight scenes of action move at. My media production follows with the action genre by using a setting of an abandoned gravel building, in which the car stunts can be executed without fail due to the reduced grip surface. I also use a wooded are for the scene where my character is being chased, this is so that there appears to be an urgency to get away and stay hidden through the dense surroundings. 

Developing conventions are a lot more difficult. It is a process that involves adapting an already existing convention, and pushing its boundaries, which requires a new way of thinking, as you will need to come up with an idea that is less usual, but still conventional to the genre. My production uses the conventional settings of an action movie, however adapts it to a daytime opening, whereas most productions will have the scene shot at night, where the mood is more eary and allowing the darkness to suppress the spreading of the chaos. If it's shot in broad daylight, it leaves you to half expect the continuation of the chaos bursting into the scene that follows.I have to be honest in that, I don't feel my production develops any further conventions, other than that already stated.

On the other hand, my production challenges the conventions expected of it. Most action genre films are based around some sort of male lead, being handsome, a bachelor or family man, who is devoted to his job. Immediately, we see that the first challenge to conventions is that my lead is, in fact, a female. Rather than the conventions of a woman being portrayed as the 'damsel in distress' or the 'seductress', my production shows the female in a new light. One that involves a past paced life style, filled with danger and daylight shoot outs. According to a 'conventional film', it should typically start at the beginning, then include the middle, and finish with an ending conclusion. Another way that my production challenges the conventions is that it jumps both feet first, straight in to the expected genre, dragging the audience with it. This is a useful way of challenging the conventions, as it automatically hooks the viewer in, they may be flicking through channels and decide to give the film a chance, and so if it goes straight in to what they are wanting, they aren't likely to get bored before the film gets a chance. However, there is a possibility that the film may 'give up the goods' too soon, leaving the viewers with not enough to expect to keep them hooked. So being sure to balance the dosage of the genre that is revealed so soon in, is a key part to master.