Evaluation

Through the duration of pre production, planning and creating the media pieces it has been important to concerntrate on rule number 1, The Media is a business. This has been crucial when producing the film trailer, website,magazine cover and radio advertisment to appeal to the target audience and signify key features about the genre of the film which they can understand through common representations repeatidly used by the media. This includes colour codes, for example For my website I used black and red to convey the film noir influences within the film. All three of my media products, the trailer, website and magazine cover all link and convey the same information about the contents of the film. The same colour schemes, red, white and black and similar font styles are used so that the audience can clearly

identify those with the film itself this synergystically helps the audience remember the trailer for the film and the actors.

I used the exact same image of the actor on both the website and the magazine cover which will make the audience identify with the main protagonist as a familiar face. The website includes background information about the film, the main protagonist and other actors within the film so that the audience could become interested in the plot and watch the trailer via the website to grab their attention into going and watching the whole film.

My Website ^

Whilst planning the trailer as a group I decided that a flashing memoir of images from the main protagonists past would help to narrate the past events to the audience so that they can watch the film and understand why the main protagonists character is portrayed in a certain way for example Charlie Oak, the main protagonist is a complicated character emotionally, his self destructive nature is portrayed through the main image of him through his blank and disatisfied facial expression which is reflective of alot of the covers of sight and sound magazine, here are some similar examples.

A prime example, inspiration and style model for my magazine cover was the Clint Eastwood cover because i felt it portrayed a sense of severity and unknowing and ironicy through the seriousness of the image used.

I based my Sight and Sound cover on the Clint Eastwood cover because I felt it would portray the film in a mysterious and eye-catching way to the audience through simplicity. I wanted to create my cover for sight and sound portraying Driftwood as a dark but ironic film about a boy who has a complex personality, My aim was to create this through dark colours on a bright background almost a prison shot, which is why I included the number across the image to create suspicion and wonder in the audiences minds.

Whilst planning the trailer as a group we used web 2.0 for exmaple websites like youtube and the IMDB (internet movie data base) to analyse style models for our film and watch them on youtube which was good at pausing the films at certain places where we liked a feature or edit from it. we looked at small "indie" films for example 500 days of summer. We looked at the types of shots and editing they used for example alot of use of hand-camera shots and less effects than the mainstream, blockbuster "Hollywood" type films. Through watching various trailers and film clips the group and I were able to look and build upon our own plans and ideas through looking at mise en scene and how the characters were represented through the audience in this way and how the audience identified with the characters.

During the pre- production planning of the trailer it was important to look at the codes and conventions and sign systems which create a genre and setting to the audience to create a diegesis in which they can identify with in order to relate to the characters portrayed. In our trailer "Driftwood" it was important the audience connected with the lost and ironically distant protagonist "Charlie Oak" We dressed Charlie in typical teenager clothing for a person of his age which we felt would link our target audience for the film - audiences of around the age range of 16-25 years. We tackled issues often related with young people, for example: relationships, family, the future and careers, which we felt the audience could defiantly relate to and put it in perspective with their own lives.

Whilst producing my magazine cover and website I had the chance to use my photoshop skills, for example editing images and using different layers which I had gained through a workshop lesson which I found really beneficial using my learnt skills whilst creating both pieces in a straightforward way.

Our final media pieces conform to the conventions of small, budgeted, indie style films through the narrative, example: neo noir and ironic stylised around "everyday" types of characters living normal lives with an ironic twist.

The group radio advert also followed the specific codes and conventions of the trailer through using a blue colour scheme and the same fonts, again so the audience remember these features and link them to the film. The trailer and the radio advert both have laid back indie -band style music playing the background which is another key feature signifying the genre and style of the film to the audiences.

As I have stated in previous blogs, it was really helpful to look back at the AS coursework preliminary tasks and analyse what needed improving, it was interesting to see how we could improve on our own AS work and look at others for aspects they got right and how and also, aspects to improve on for the A2 work, for example looking back at "Roadkill" from the AS work it was clear the camera angles and shots needed to be improved, positioning of camera and clearer shots which we all tried to look out for whilst filming the Driftwood trailer. The construction and editing process was more time consuming and complex than any previous editing work because we used adobe premiere to edit rather than movie maker in the AS coursework. The film was split up into different sections for the flashbacks of our main protagonist which took alot of time deciding what to cut out of each one so that they linked to eachother fluidly. I feel our final media trailer links in appropriately to my two other media texts, website and magazine cover, I chose sight and sound magazine to model my cover on because it is a magazine which is selective about what music, artists, and topics it covers, it is indie in its style which is the same type of audience that Driftwood was targeted at.

(Radio Advertisement)

Through the whole process of pre production and production of my A2 coursework I feel I have progressed and learnt alot about how the media works and the practical and technical side of media, for example I have used programmes like photoshop and blogger through web 2.0 use and watched the editing process closely. I have found "blogging" a good and interesting way to keep updating the process of the coursework as I can look back and easily edit and change parts, as the trailer and other media pieces progressed. I have found it useful to be able to post videos on blogger (here) and compare and contrast them, it is important to see progress and show examples of this through videos and images. Overall, I feel the trailer does portray to the audience an accurate taster of the type of film We set out to create, although some aspects of the film have changed through the developing process from our initial ideas I think the group trailer and my magazine cover and website represent the film appropriately, in a querky yet underlining the dark aspects of the protagonist and narrative to the audience in terms of genre, setting and content.

The response from others surrounding our radio advertisement, trailer and my magazine cover have been positive or constructively criticised. I feel my front cover portrays a more darker side to the protagonist than the trailer and radio advertisement which may affect the continuity issues of the content of the film, however I feel this can be justified through the planning of the trailer and proposed content and genre of the film which was previously constructed as a darker character than is represented currently.

The Driftwood trailer soundtrack is "Sympathy for the devil" by The Rolling Stones. It is an iconic song and we chose to use it especially because it really captured the essense of the film through its upbeat tempo and common type of song used in indie type films portraying similar meanings to ours. We used the song under the "1988 copyright designs and patents act" The trailers purpose is not to make any profit so the use of the song is not being exploited for financial gain.

Our projected film would be most likely to receive a ‘15’ certification from the BBFC.Drug UseIt would feature examples of recreational drug use, but the context and consequences of these events will not encourage or promote such actions within the audience of the production.HorrorMild elements of peril would also be present, though these would be a reflection of the effects of excessive intoxication and would not be intense or prolonged.Imitable BehaviourWith the exception of the heavy partying the protagonist and his best friend is seen engaging in, Driftwood would contain no dangerous behaviour which could be imitated and no glamorisation of easily accessible weapons.LanguageModerate language would be present throughout the film, while strong language would also feature infrequently throughout the course of the film, especially during the scenes in which Charlie believes he has hit rock bottom.NudityThis would not feature in Driftwood and as such would not be an issue during the classification of the piece.SexAny sexual activity present in Driftwood will rely instead upon heavy implication rather than explicit detail. As such, this should not be an issue during the classification.ThemeThe themes of the film, namely the conflict between wanting a fresh start and being attached to the old, should not prove to be a controversial issue during the classification. If the film was to be rated a 15, no theme would be prohibited as long as it was covered in a manner appropriate for 15 year olds.ViolenceThere would be a very limited amount of violence in Driftwood and the violence that was present should be covered by its context as surreal comedy, meaning it would be acceptable even at lower classifications.

Media A2 courswork update

The group and I have finished filming part of our A2 coursework, a trailer for our film entitled "DriftWood". Driftwood is filmed with neo noir influences. Whilst in the planning stages of DriftWood, the group and i looked at films and trailers which portrayed similar aspects of our own idea' through factors like genre and style, one of the film trailers we analysed the most and influenced DriftWood the most was Ferris Bueller's Day Out.



The day of filming ran fairly smoothly, the conditions were okay for our film however it was a bit dark. We timed our filming slot well so as not to come in contact with any members of the public, and abstructing them or hindering our filming. This was one of our main concerns because the trailer was shot on a road which is constantly used by the public, this was avoided by shooting in the early hours of the morning when the group and I predicted we would make the least disturbances and the filming could run smoothly.

The filming process itself did not take as long as I or the group had originally anticipated which benefited us well. We managed to capture all the footage and shots we needed. We had a few issues with trying to acheive the right dolly shot. By trying different methods for example: placing the tripod on a skateboard and wheeling it backwards, and moving the tripod back manually.

Whilst analysing our first footage for the trailer as a group we felt our first section of filming was not completely what we had anticipated for,and the rest of my group felt they had not achieved as much out of it as they would have liked to, Personally I felt much more happier about it than I did last year whilst analysing the AS coursework exercise, Here is the AS coursework "RoadKill"


The link below is a taster section of un-edited footage from our current A2 coursework project "Driftwood" These are shots from the filming setting mentioned above which we hope to use and cut back and forth to other using shot reverse shot to convey the ironic converstation and the reality of charlie's feelings whilst on his own.



We have just finished filming a second part for our trailer about the main protagonists life. This seemed easier because it was filmed during the daytime and it was easier to monitor and control than the shoot at night.

We are currently in the position and process of analysing the footage and editing it using a different and more advanced software programme from the one we used in the AS and preliminary tasks. We are checking previous planning to check whether we have created the film (through the storyboards and google documents)we planned and looking at the aspects it has covered and how the trailer has changed from our first and initial ideas through conventions like mise en scene, editing, camera shots and sound.

Media Progress 2010.

This year I feel my progress has expanded and developed alot. I have learnt alot recently, especially surrounding collective identity. I have learnt about how individual identities are created through tastes and media influences for example what types of magazines and music a person listens to plays a huge influence on how a person's identity is created, shaped and portrayed. Collective identity can be created by aspects of a persons individual identity being similar to a group of other individuals for example same music tastes and fashions. Collective identity unites individuals and is a shared identity and ideologies by a group of people, Collective Identities can cause be the cause stereotypes of certain groups. Being or becoming part of a collective identity can link in to Maslow's hierachy of needs in which people need to feel a balance of the elements which create their individuality and their needs to feel accepted and fufilled as a human being emotionally and mentally.

Regional Identity is also very important to feel linked to a individuals heritage for example in class we watched a film about south waelian regional identity and demographic factors which create the ideologies, in this case unemployment and lack of jobs and the closure of the dockyards and factories causing a severe economic decline and the effects of this to regional identity behaviour and attitudes of the characters and how they percieve their own regional identity and how it shapes their own identites as individuals and as a whole collective identity for example in the film the characters seem unaware of their regional identity whilst taking the micky out of a traditional welsh hym however whilst referring to them self as welsh they feel their welsh identity is being taken away from them because of other ethnicities and cultures within their region.

We have also looked at how identities are much easier to shape edit and create through social networking sites anybody can create any type of identity they wish through personal information,images, videos and posts. New Media technologie such as hand held video camcordas and websites like YouTube have made it increasingly easy for anyone to become a media producer and showcase their work, this may also play a big part in creating identities and the types of consumers of a piece can create a collective identity for example band fan websites a collective identity through shared ideologies and identities in this case musical tastes.

Here is an example of the way fan sites create an identity and share ideologies with the audiences

Media + Collective identity

Because media technology is developing and progressing there are more ways to express collective identity and create ideologies and identity around the self through technologies like web and social networking sites for example sites like Facebook,Youtube,Blogger,IMDB and band appreciation webpages. Most people are exposed to the Media and have internet useage and this has enabled anyone and everyone to become a media consumer and producer. It is easy to upload and share videos and posts and broadcast them to the world without particuarly specialised equiptment. People can construct identities and collective identities and feel united through intrests and lifestyles, there are many websites that are exclusively designed for specific intrests which people can join and discuss creating a feel of a shared and collective identity.

Facebook, a social networking site allows users to express and participate in a collective identity of being a Facebook user, it allows users to have access to games, photos and add friends there are many applications and groups about causes and events which give the users a sense of togetherness and shared ideologies and intrests. Users feel a sense of shared identification within there "friends" on facebook, comments are shared on eachother's page which engage the users and make them feel connected and creates a collective identity. This links in with Foucault's technologies of the self in which we try to attain a state where we are happy and accepted. Facebook seeks to do this by friends, "liking" posts, comments and statuses and joining groups and even being invited to events. Users can create videos and post/share hyperlinks on facebook to be viewed by friends.

Youtube creates a collective identity for the user by creating a comment and rating system for audiences. It allows anybody to create a youtube account and upload videos, whether music or instructive and creates a collective identity for the audience and creator by linking similar videos it connects everybody through one media technology. Important global news and television highlights, for example football matches are broadcast on "Youtube" people can express their creativity through film making and work can become "followed" through ratings and groups created within Youtube. Audiences can save their favourite videos and watch them whenever they want to. Creative identities can be created through viewing statistics and common intrests within audiences and producers.

IMDB (Internet Movie DateBase) constructs a sense of collective identity through out users rating and commenting on films, audiences can watch films and read reviews. It creates a collective identity of people who are interested in the latest and classic films, users can share and view their opinions on films and find out further information about films. The website features a "community message board" and a "contributor zone", it lists top biography contributors and allows all to read them.

Blogger, allows its users to create a profile in which they share details about themselves and factors about their lives like intrests, hobbies and music tastes. Users choose to "follow" other users blog posts and comment on them. Blogger is about creating posts about them, their lives, causes their interested in. like other networking sites users can post pictures, videos and hyperlinks. It creates a collective identity by users following eachothers posts and analysing them, creating their own identities and topics of blog posting.

Band fan websites and tributes create a collective identity through one common intrest, most band fan websites include pictures, music previews, factfiles on the bands interviews and forums in which fans and users can interact about the band and comment on pictures, they have a collective identity and intrest in the band and share ideolgies and may link into eachother with other intrests for example fashion, ideologies and political views.

magazine image front cover

This is a front cover I created of a magazine. The task was to copy and recreate the styles and conventions from the magazine itself. I tried to do this by analysing the layout and colour schemes for exmaple white text for the heading and copy the positioning of the heading from the original magazine. I looked at the types of audiences that would read Dazed & Confused Magazine and compared it to other magazines to see similarities and differences which helped me create my copy by analysing the orignial copy. I looked at factors like where the heading covered and the postioning of the image, i compared this with previous editions of the magazine via web to see the trends of the front cover and font style/colour schemes which are repated so the audiences can instantly identify and recognise the particular magazine from all the others available. For example Dazed & Confused differs from other magazines because it is not predominantly celebrity gossip or news it is more creative arty and fashion, music related. The colours are not aimed specifically at a targeret gender, female or male specific. The magazine advertises beauty, hair and healthcare products for both men and women but has selected specific brands to tie in with the feel of the magazine and the types of products the readers would take interest in and have a desire to want.
Ive found it much easier to use the tools on photoshop than I had previously. I have become much more used to using the layers and text tools, for example using the right fonts which represent the magazine and placing them etc. I think I still have to develop my skills on using the wand to cut out and edit the shapes of images and backrounds but i think it wont be too hard to master now ive got a basic grip of the tools. I have learnt how to change the opacity of texts and how to rotate texts which will be very useful when I create the front cover for my A-level coursework, I think that by then I will be much more able and confident with alot of the tools on photoshop its just a case of getting used to them and using them to help me understand how they all work. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnjGSGC3Ka0UxQy0qQ6OKUxfIhd18J9HzhisQJJh2V5qf0bWA7D4t6xHE2I1TS0qyY4inzAKjCyEQoW4F51Km4Lb6dyUfI-P73ZmKy3OEkh1LxwggQ2JLXExsbICEYFy4Y-gLqLp0XqwQ/s400/50947.jpg
This link is an example of the layout of Dazed and Confused Magazines. The layout and front cover often portray arty/indie types of people or musicians portraying a certain image to the reader. I feel the target audience for the magazine is aimed at both men and women of a yougner audience who are into indiviual types of bands and musicians who have an interest in catwalk fashion and contemporary art and films rather than mainstream Hollywood Blockbuster types of films. Audiences who read Dazed & Confused Magazine are likely to read an array of other magazines maybe specialising on hair, fashion, celebrity culture, LadsMags etc but choose Dazed & Confused aswell because it has a bit of everything within it. It has news on music, bands, fashions, interviews, film reviews art etc and it is different from other magazines in the fact it is neutral and doesnot portray stong sexualised vibes or cry out to a certain genger, it is a more specialised and querky magazine targeted at a limited audience.
http://i.models.com/feed/uploads/1165336477_orig_Picture2copy.jpg This is an example of how the magazine targets both Men and Women in a sexual way but a equal way rather than a specific gender and sterotypical features, large breasts and sixpack muscles, perma tans etc which alot of magazines play on in order to attract audiences. This image is strange and eye catching artisitc and individual and anti mainstream which is what Dazed and Confused is all about.

Photoshop/Creativity blog

Today the task in media was to learn basic skills by using photoshop. This activity was to help us practise and grasp the basic skills of usig layers to copy and paste images, use the tools to make the same image appear a number of times and move them into the correct position on the screen and link the texts to the next page , so in affect create the front page and following slides of the website. I found it really hard to follow the steps and got stuck on the different layers. I was trying to complicate from the actuall task and create what I wanted which was the ideas in my head about the website page for the film. It was important that I grasped the basics of photoshop but it was also good that I have learnt how to work it because of the problems and frustration i was having with the programme. It will help me remember the mistakes and not to make them again. With some more practise with the same images I think i will become much more able and used to using photoshop by the time I have to start creating my website. I have lots of ideas about colour schemes and images that I want to use which I have got from learning about sign systems that audiences are used to being exposed to,and what they represent about genres of films. For exampe "chick flick" style of films are often associated with the colour pink and girl band styles of music. My creativity has developed alot since starting the Media course about a year ago, I have become more aware of the ways in which media texts like magazines target specific audiences through colours, images, words, headlines, music genres, specific celebrities interviewed and diet regimes all play a big part in identities and representation created through the Media.

Continued

My creativity has also developed in the semiotic/signsystem feel for example i have been thinking about what types of music would create the right sign to the audience about the genre of the film and convey the style and meaning behined the film for example because our film is indie/deep i am looking at a local indie band "The Friday Finish" to create a unique and individual feel for the music on the trailer, this will hopefully pull in the audience and convey mystery and turmoil which are emotions running throughout the film. Here is a link to the Band site of the music i am looking into for the trailer..
I have been analysing aspects of the trailer and magazine like colour schemes and what they instantly convey to the audience. I wanted colour schemes that would instatntly give an accurate feel of the film and genre. The colour scheme i think would really showcase the trailer and magazine would be dark colours like blue and black so that audiences can relate it with confusion and dark humour/thoughts.