Evaluation Part 4

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

During the creation of research, planning and evaluating stages i used new media technologies to help me get the best out out my final media product. I used various pieces of software such as I-Movie, i used this when i was producing my anitial annamtic at the very begining gathering up my idea using still images and then combining my idea with others to come up with a final idea. I also used it when making my rough cut, i did this because it was easier to short my clips into the correct order and put text with each clip to describe what is actually happening. One of the main reasons in which i used I-Movie was so that i could import all of my clips which i had filmed using the video camcorders, so then i could cut them down to there correct size and get then ready to put into Final Cut ready to add transitions and other types of effects.



Secondly i used Final Cut when making my final product. This piece of software is vey new and has given me lots of oppurtunities which I-Movie cannot offer. The ways in which i use this piece of software had a big impact on my final product and also in my planning as it offers more tools and effects etc so my planning for the film allowed me to be more creative by thinking of new inventive ways on how to get the best of my final short film.



After using the editing piece of software i used a piece of software called I-DVD, this was used to construct my DVD title page and introduction choosing my pictures to music to play within the intro. I also constucted the DVD by adding buttons which one off them plays the film production i have made. This piece of software has helped me so much and with out it we would have just burnt the film onto a blank disc so the overall product would have not looked proffesional at all.



During the planning stages i wanted to be more creative when producing a title for my film so i decided to use a piece of software called Live Type. This helped me a lot as i was able to be creative during the planning stages instead of using the editting software which i was using. This piece of software gave me lots of ways in which i could design my title to suit my film using interetextual references and signifiers.



I also used a piece of software called Photoshop Elements which i found very usefull in the planning stages especially when i was producing the ancillary texts as lots of the designing elements for the posters were used on this type of technology. This is a new technology which has helped keep my production consistant as the house style is the same throughout using the headlight image with the car theme at night. Overall i am very pleaseed with the posters which i have created but this piece of software has played a big role into this as some of the design elements have made me construct them with such eas using different design elements.It has also helped me when i was planning out my production logos giving me lots of elements to choose from and construct one that fits the purpose and supports the type of genre my film locvates itself to.



Lastly i used garage band, i used this to help me create a soundtrack for my film towards the end, i found it very helpfull as it was very easy to use, but gave me a wide variety of sounds and tracks to choose from to help me construct my own piece. I used this in the research stages becuase i had planned to use a sad tune towards the end so i decided to look for some sad slow music, so what i did was take the research and look what types of intruments were used within this type of tune. So Garage Band was the correct piece of software to use as i selected out each instrument to give me the correct sounds to choose from.



For the whole construction of research, planning and evaluating i have done this by using Blogger which has helped me record all the the things which i have took out when in the making of my product at different stages as it has let me provide images and even videos. Also another new media technology which i have used is Scribd which has allowed me to show off documments i have created on other pieces of software such as my screen play and storyboards etc. I have also used Photo bucket which has allowed be to upload videos onto my blog, this is just like Scribd, it has been a big help as it has made the quality and construction of my blog much better.





The main new technology i have used has to be the internet as it has allowed me to record all my work on Blogger and it has been the most useful resource for example watching short films on line, reading about other new and up coming film productions but mostly the fact that when i got confused with something on Final Cut i could go look for a tutorial to help me out or go on a forum etc. Using the internet as a whole has allowed me to use specific search engines as these have been one of the main parts why the product has been constructed as this played a big role within the research and planning stages. I used resources such as wikipedia, IMBD and the BBC etc.



A piece of hardware which i used which is a new technology as we used DV tapes for the cam corders, however they are no normal DV tapes they are only compatable with digital DV tapes which make the quality of the filming more to a high standard.



Overall the new technolgies which i have used have been the main reason why i have produced my production because if i wasnt able to engage with these technologies i wouldnt have been able to record any work and my production would have been useless, or maybe there would be no production all togather.

Evaluation Part 3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

At the very begining of the project we were given a task to come up with at least two ideas, we then had to choose one which we found was suitable and what we liked the best. Then we had to produce an annamatic, which we then had to show on screen and gain audience feedback. The feedback which i recieved was very good however i didnt get a lot. I was told that they loved the aspect of the split screen and thought it was a really good idea and they thought the whole idea was very good however i was told that i needed to add more off a twist as it was a short film idea, and i was given the idea off having the main main character as a twin to reveal that he is not the main character his brother is.



Throughout the making of my final production i have gained audience feedback along the way with positive and negative issues brought up and then taken out further to develop what the feedback was from. When producing my film in Final Cut i have been getting audience feedback throughout several rough cuts which i have kept developing. The types of comments i recieved was that i needed to intercut the begining scenes a lot more so that it seems as though time travels faster but at the same time when i intercut i could change the track each time to signify clearly the change in time.



I was also told that i should add a sound track to the car scene to create more tension, so i was told to add some heavy rock to draw in a wider target audience and to make the clips of the car scene seem faster. I was also told i should film a clip to fill in a gap to make one part of the film seem to follow onto the next clip smoothly however when i did this i was told that the clip was too dark so i decided to add a filter to change it, which worked really well. At the begining of my film i have a clip which is the ending however i was told i should add a black and white filter to make it signify the past. I was told some positive points such as they liked the narrative concept and thought that the car scene worked really well and was really effective. I was also given some feedback which i didnt under take as we were tight for time as we would have had to film some more footage. We were told that we should have had a clip between the argument with the boys in the house and where they are outside pushing and shuving each other, we were told it would be ideal to have a clip with the people at the party looking really shocked and nervous. We did add a clip where the camera focused on the two male characters feet as they pushed each other outside of the door, however the lighting wasnt correct and from our audience feedback we got the impression that it didnt fit and the audience lost track of the story line however this was a trial and error presuedure we went through. We were also told that it would be a good idea to have a sound of a car door slamming when the two male characters get into there cars as this woukld have provided more exposition. Lastly we were told that it would be good to intercutt the car scene even more such as zooming in with short clips when the camera focuses on the characters when they are sat in the cars.



For the ancillary texts i was given lots of feedback such as for the poster i was told to change the font to make it more appealing to the target audience. Firstly i made the poster where i blended the three main characters into a a night sky background with a title etc, however i had some feedback which was the page should be portrait instead of landscape and the main part of feedback i was given was that i should include the headlights as they are the main point of the story line and throughout the ancillary texts and the main product the headlights are seen as the common convention of Driven Away and the house style. I should fade out the characters into the background more so we can see the car in the background, to add quotes to create more exposition towards the audience trying to attract a wider target audience as the reviews which are on the poster are from the SUN Local and the BBC these are oposites so it shows binary oposition, make the title much bigger and also make the title in italics so it actually looks as if it is being driven away.



I have learnt a lot from my audience feedback especially most of my feedback has been from my fellow piers and luckily they are my target audience so it has been very convenient in the way in which i have collected my feedback from the correct people. When taking this audience feedback i have learnt overall that undertaking the feedback needs to be taken on board and something needs to be done about it and by doing this it makes the target audience much happier and makes the film fit more into place. Also the whole product has a much more understandment towards the target audience and it shows that audience feedback always counts. Audience testing is so important such as the case where BJD nearly failed the US distribution from fellow NBC Universal subsidiary Miramax as the audeince at the US testing screen were perplexed by early references to curry turkey, however they turned it around when Colin Firth turned around and was wearing a riendeer rumper. So what i am trying to say is that the more audience feedback that is collected the much better the final product as you are giving the audience what they really want to see.

Evaluation Part 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

The combination between my main product and ancillary texts is very good as they all are aimed around one aspect which is the focus of the cars. The first ancillary text which is the poster has a big effect with the combination on my main product as various aspects are given to the target audience straight away. Firstly the central protagonists are centred on the poster and emphasized as they are the biggest images on screen, i have decided to position them in a triangular shape to signify the love triangle with the female character trapped in the middle of the main chracters at the same time.



The main background of the poster is a car with its headlights on which is the main theme with the poster and the main production as the lights are what the film avolves around. The characters faces have been faded out so the two male characters each have eyes which look as if they are car headlights shinning through. The title is shown in big bold text (the largest sized font on screen) however the 'away' part is in an italic format to look as if it is been driven away to one side. The tag line i have used is very effective and has a great combination with the main product as it says 'Get in your car and be prepared to be...', this is where the elipsis is used but then the title can be added her so that it gives away to the audience what could happen in the film (a good source of marketing).



There are also two reviews however there is binary oposition here as one quote is from the 'Sun' and one from the 'BBC', however this has a combination with the main product because the bad character is on the right hand side of the poster where the 'Sun' quote lays and on the left is the good male character where the 'BBC' quote lays, this will attract a larger target audience as different reviews from diffferent local networks suit and appeal to a wider range of audience. The second ancillary text is the magazine review, this reflects on the main product in a different way of combination as its not about the visual aspect its about the text and what has been said. There is a direct link between the production company and distribution company of the main product as the ancillary texts have been produced by a conglomerate 'Cannaonball'.



The effect this has on the combination with the main product is a possitive aspect as its all about the explination as the writter explains the synopsis of the film by reflecting on the good and bad points and also gives a variety of images giving an inlet what the film is all about and is it worth watching. Overall i think there has been a big impact by being effective with the combination betwwen the ancillary texts and the main product because they are teasing the target audience trying to draw them into watching the film by advertising in these two different ways and i think its been really effective overall.

Production Logos

Below are seven logos which i have produced. I will finally choose one of them to go with the production which i am currently producing-



Below is the logo which we have chosen, this represents us as our own production and this is how we will be recognised. This logo is important as it signifies the characteristics of teenagers, booming and loud. This will be shown in our production and on our ancillary texts.

Pod Casts

1) 5/11/09



2) 13/11/09



3&4) 27/11/09




Last Podcast 5...) 17/12/09

Task Criteria

Research and Planning must be presented in electronic format. Where candidates have worked as a group, the research may be presented collectively, but teachers are asked to differentiate the contributions of individuals within the group in arriving at a mark and justifying individual marks on the assessment sheet. As part of the moderation sample, the moderator will request some research/planning material.

Level 1 0–7 marks-

•There is minimal research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is minimal organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is minimal work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management may be very poor.
•There is minimal care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is minimal skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are minimal communication skills.

Level 2 8–11 marks-

•There is basic research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is basic organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is basic work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management may not be good.
•There is a basic level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is basic skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are basic communication skills.

Level 3 12–15 marks-

•There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management is good.
•There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is proficient skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are proficient communication skills.

Level 4 16–20 marks-

•There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management is excellent.
•There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are excellent communication skills.

Marking Criteria for Evaluation:
Each candidate will evaluate and reflect on the creative process and their experience of it. Candidates will evaluate their work electronically. The format of the evaluation has some flexibility and its form can be negotiated between teacher and student: it may take place with individual candidates or with the production group as a whole, or each individual candidate or production group may make a formal or informal presentation to the whole class.

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:
•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
•How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
•What have you learned from your audience feedback?
•How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
•Ideas for the format for the presentation of the evaluation can be found in the Guidance Notes.

Level 1 0–7 marks-

•There is minimal understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is minimal understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is minimal understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is minimal skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is minimal ability to communicate.
•There is minimal use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 2 8–11 marks-

•There is basic understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is basic understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is basic understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is basic understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is basic skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is basic ability to communicate.
•There is basic use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 3 12–15 marks-

•There is proficient understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is proficient understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is proficient understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is proficient understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is proficient skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is proficient ability to communicate.
•There is proficient use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 4 16–20 marks

•There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is excellent understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is excellent understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is excellent skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is excellent ability to communicate.
•There is excellent use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Conclusion of Codes and Conventions within Short Films

WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED-

I have watched 30 short films which i have gained lots of knowledge from as i can know recognise the key codes and conventions within them. Not only can i recognise them but i can also incorporate these in my production so that my short film is a propper short film by having the essential key elements which are needed.

Firstly i have noiticed that the central protagonist in short film is always the first characeter shown on screen, generally by using close up shots to encounter and emphasize there emotions are feelings.



Secondly i have noticed that the narrative is always strange as there is no introduction and it seems that the story line is a pointless aspect which doesn't make sense at all.



Thirdly i have noticed that most short films has a twist towards the end which reveals the story as a whole and it starts to make sense towards the audience. Also when the twist is revealed the genre of the film is finalised because as the narratives are usually very strange they always change the audiences mind about the genre throughout the productions. For my film i am going to have a twist which will signify to the audience the key structure towards a short film.



I have also recognised the different camera angle used and one popular one is the point of view shot, this is because it makes the story look like a documentary and in a way it is as most short films relate to the social realist aspect of what genneral people do in there day to day lives.



I have found that emotions play a key role in short films as they create the drama and conflict and build up towards the twist of the film which eventually the audience make sense of the whole narrative concept.



By watching 30 short films i have been suprised by how many of them are showed in black and white, but i suspect this is to attract a specific target audience and to create a particular genre.



I have noticed that the characters in the short films are generally working class or lower class characters, however the twists at the end of the films may attract the higher class audience as it could be seen as a sofisticated text, and also the films are limited to the amount of characters who play big roles in the films.



Voice overs are used in quite a lot of short film productions, this could also be shown because it is trying to signify a documentary style, but it is also good to use it when the film makers want thte characters emotion to be heard with out them speaking through out.



Lastlty an important point about short films is the title sequences, as they are very simple and basic, using a plain black background with a plain white serif font , nothing special. This could signify a low budget film or it could build up on the impression of a documentary style.