PRODUCTION: MAKING OUR TWITTER FEED

Twitter

I made a Twitter account to exploit the fact that it is used by many media enthusiasts. Our film can be levered using hashtags, and it is easy to connect with celebrities and influential accounts. Making our Twitter account allows us the opportunity to show the world of Twitter our progress throughout making our production. As Alan Rusbridger said, 'as a search engine, it rivals Google'. This shows the extent of how big Twitter is and how quickly topics can spread.

As well as using the Twitter account for research for material that can be used to help improve our film, I made it to help distribute our film. My reasonings for this is that firstly, Twitter is a medium that can be used to create a social group of people that are interested in the same things as myself and it also allows us as a group to invite feedback on our production. Constructive criticism is a key thing to have whilst looking for improvements as it is an honest opinion, without having any bias. As well as being helpful for feedback, it is a useful tool to help keep up with new information and to receive it quickly. This is because it allows one to keep up with specific threads by using a hashtag. It can be used as a brainstorming medium for my group also, as it is simple and instant to send tweets to one another.


From the above screenshot, there is the evidence that I have created the page with the name of 'Nine' to further show the name of the opening. I have included images taken when out on a photoshoot to help set the scene for any interested followers. The use of the the user profile picture correlates with our overall poster, so that it is easily recognisable. I have also included an image of the rugby grounds as the cover image, as it was an image I took when out taking photographs. This is to further signal the narrative content.

STORYBOARD

DISTRIBUTION

I researched distribution on the FDA website. I did a case study on the distribution of The Hunger Games and The Tortoise in Love. From this research I decided to choose Vertigo as my distribution company. The reason for this is because it fitted the genre of our film that we are producing.

FLIMING: CALL SHEET 2

CONSTRUCTION: EDITING PROCESS

We started the editing process using the software Final Cut Pro X. We used some of the early scenes that we shot in the changing room, using an extreme close up of Xander tying his laces. We merged this in with the tracking shot of the changing rooms, using various free plugins from the internet to make our title. We also tied the shots in with the audio that Xander recorded using Sibelius.

FILMING: CALL SHEET

FILMING: TREATMENT AND CALL SHEETS

Initial Treatment for Media 

Topline: As a boy in his last year at school, wanting to make it as a big rugby player. Last game of the season – they are playing their rivals. Xander wants to persue a career in music, but doesn’t want to let his father down.

Father never made it, wants to push his son.

Cast:

Craig – Dad

Mr Boothe – Coach

Xander – Player

Ryan – background

Twist: Father wants child to play rugby professionally, but child wants to pursue music career.

Treatment:

Present day. A loving father wants to push his boy into becoming a professional rugby player, as he never managed to make it when he was his sons age. XANDER enjoys rugby, however he is more interested in a career in music. He feels obliged to pursue his interest in rugby as he doesn’t want to let his dad down. He has supportive friends such as RYAN who is an aspiring professional tells him to follow him dream. Xander needs to make the decision of whether to go for music or continue playing rugby. The audience do not know what he chooses as the screen cuts to black.

The Changing Room Scene 

Shoot date: 11th November 

Location: Claremont Fan Court School  

Crew:

Ryan Evans: 07741******

Oliver Mundan-Rowe: 07763******

Alexander Alman-Varty: 07735******

Milo Gammond: 07893******

Props:

Cannon 600D 

Manphroto Tripod 

Dolly 

External Lighting 

Wardrobe: 

Rugby kit 

Boots 

Gum shield 

Scrum Hat 

Kit bags 

RESEARCH: PREZI ON DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES

HERE YOU CAN SEE MY PREZI.

VIEWER PROFILE

Today I started making outline notes about what my target audience for '9' was like
Age: 12-65
Gender: Men and Women
Viewers are likely to watch sport, especially sport dramas such as 'Number 10', 'Invictus', and 'Forever Strong'.
At the cinema, they are likely to see dramas such as 'Forest Gump', 'Schindler's list', 'The Godfather', 'Fight Club', 'Gran Torino', 'Shawshank Redemption', 'The Wrestler', and 'Titanic'. They would watch some of these films on Netflix.
In their leisure time, they will look on Youtube for viral and entertaining videos, play games on their phone and laptop, listen to music, watch sport on TV, drink Starbucks, eat at Pizza Express and McDonalds.
Clothing: Next, River Island, North Face, Palace
Media: iPhones and Android, using internet to connect to friends. Possibly Skype.
I have used the NME example to base my photo collage on. This was helpful as it gave a really clear example and allowed me to create this satisfying collage.

RESEARCH: EXIT POLLS

Exit Polls

Over half term, I looked at various different exit poll for movies that had been surveyed. I looked specifically at the gender, and the age of people who had watched the film. I looked at 3 different films that were made in 2014, called 'Frank', 'The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and  disappeared' and 'We are the best'. By looking at these statistics, it gives film-makers ideas and help as to what they can do to make a wanted film.

RESEARCH: AUDIENCE

RESEARCH: EMAZE

I have used Emaze in the fact that it allows me to present my information on a presentational tool that looks better than a plain powerpoint.

UPDATE: TRELLO

As you can see from the screenshot, I have updated my Trello list and have improved on some of the items under the 'Done' list. I have completed a majority of the tasks, with most of them being completed - and me having made posts on my blog.

RESEARCH: PETE'S MEDIA BLOG

Pete's Media Blog

Upon visiting Pete's Media Blog, I realised that it is a useful source that I could use to help myself throughout this media course if I become unstuck. This is because he is a Media magazine blogger - so he knows about media and constantly updates his blogger with useful information and links that would be helpful to a student like me. I like the fact that Pete has a media blog, and he also uses a twitter account to reach out to even more people. I like the post about making 'Brilliant Production Work'. He mentions how you can make good quality production work by following simple steps that he has made onto a slide share.

I have read part of the media magazine and found it a very helpful resource. I have read, for example, an article by David Buckingham. This is the link to Pete's useful twitter feed. 

RESEARCH: TWITTER

I decided to make a twitter account to refresh the world with my progress of my media course. This allows me to show what I have produced and to show millions of people. I can receive criticism from people all over the world which will allow me to progress through whilst improving all the time. As Alan Rusbridger says:
1) It's an amazing form of distribution
2) It's where things happen first
3) As a search engine, it rivals Google
4) It's a formidable aggregation tool
5) It's a great reporting tool
6) It's a fantastic form of marketing
7) It's a series of common conversations. 

EXAMINER'S REPORT

After reading the examiner's report, I have realised that I need to keep up with my posts on my blog, and that I need to make my posts look like a journey throughout this course. From the report, I can see which people did best and why. For example:

'The best centres encouraged an equal measure of research and planning and advised candidates to see this as an ongoing process, representing all continuous stages of the project. In some cases, there was an imbalance, with lots of research and little planning, or vice versa.'

This shows that I need to balance my research and my planning to ensure that it all makes sense.

As for the practical, the videos are too focused on the actual plot, rather than how it is made and the different angles used in the camera work.

'There was still an over-reliance solely on actors’ names and film title to constitute film titles, showing a lack of understanding of the range of titles expected of a film opening and of their construction, appearance and timings. Candidates need to be encouraged to create their own soundscape, combining diegetic and non-diegetic sound to suit their original footage, rather than sourcing an existing well-known track, which is not permitted for this specification.'

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE - HACKERS

From watching the opening moments of the title sequence of 'Hackers', we can immediately tell that it is a drama/crime. We are greeted with a solicitor speaking about the crimes that have been committed. We immediately think that it would be a mid-life man, but instead is a young boy. The production company United Artists Pictures in white bold writing on a black background. The main actors are then presented, Angelina Jolie and Fisher Stevens. The overall look of the Titles show a futuristic theme - showing what the film is about.


The codes and conventions of this particular opening sequence has been created in a very clever, alternate way. What I mean by this is that the different camera angles create tension, making the audience think that a massive crime has been commited. This 'false' tension is then broken when we realise that the "Hacker" is a young boy. We know this as the first scene is the secret service kicking down a door in order to arrest a young boy with the charges of hacking.

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE - THE INTERVIEW

RESEARCH: THE ART OF THE TITLE - LES BLEUS DE RAMVILLE

Les Bleus De Ramville

From watching the title sequence of “Les Bleus de Ramville” I can tell that is is either French or Canadian. I also know that it is about Ice hockey because that is the sport that opens with. The people mentioned in the credits are people with high power, such as Stephan Paquette. Something that I find very surprising was that their was no sign of a production company in the introduction to this Tv Series. When watching the opening for the title sequence, we can tell that it is the build up to a game. This is shown in the mise-en-scene when the shots switch from the changing rooms, to the ice rink, to the crowd.

REASEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE - IRON MAN 3

Iron Man 3

From the first couple of titles, I can tell that IM3 is about a robotic superhero. I can tell this because the first title is of a man in an iron cast outfit. The text that shows the names of the produces and editors is in a clear yellow, contrasting the red tint of the background. The text that displays “IM3” is in a futuristic style, almost portraying the futursitic theme of the film. I like how the ‘DIRECTED BY’ text is in a smaller font to ‘SHANE BLACK.’ This shows how Shane Black is the power icon throughout the making of the film. The editing in this sequence is very clever. The reason for this is because when the music becomes very climatical, the editing speeds up. This adds to the tension and the suspense. However I like at the end when they have used slow editing to present cinematic black and white close up shots of a radio

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE - NARCOS

Narcos

From the title sequence at the beginning of Narcos, I could immediately tell that the film genre was about war/crime. This is because there is a lot of combat to do with the first few frames, such as a scene of a car blowing up and various war soldiers running with guns. We notice that the film is directed by Jose Pahdina. This is shown in letters to the left of the screen. This shows that the director is obviously important to the making of the film. We also know that the executive producer was Eric Newman. They presented his name on top of a mid shot. This shows that he doesn't deserve personal space like the producer because he isn't as important. Narcos is a part of 'Netflix Original Series.' When looking at the Mise-En-Scene it is clearly set in Mexico/South America. I can also tell this because we see a thumbnail of Pablo Escobar. This shows a possible relation to drugs in the film, so we can get a slight grasp as to what the film would possibly be about. The editing changes throughout the sequence of different titles, because there is a very fast paced edit when there is action – whereas there is a slower, more effective edit when there is a possible humor.

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE - SHERLOCK HOLMES

SHERLOCK HOMES

In this slide, we can see a two men fighting that would be suited to the late 1800’s. This shows the genre in a way as it shows that it is quite an old film, but still portrays a crime/detective film about this slide. This is because the two men are fighting bare knuckled. Titles tend to come up in a particular order, in this sequence the director, Guy Ritchie, comes first. This is followed by the screenplay writers, screen story, production team, accredited to the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the executive producers and co-producers. Then comes the director of photography, production designer, editor, the principal actor (Robert Downey Jr) who plays Sherlock Holmes, this is then followed by other principal actors, Jude Law, Rachael McAdams, Mark Strong, and other important actors. The next credit is casting, music, costumes and visual effects.  A Warners Bros. Pictures Presentation","Village Roadshows Pictures", "A silvers Pictures Production"," A Wigram Production" and " A Guy Ritchie Film". The sound in the sequence in non diegetic as it is music. This particular opening is effective as it really portrays the film in a different way. As this was set in the late 1800's, the opening refers to the ink-wash that would've been used, also with the way that people would dress and general attributes. I think that what makes this an effective opening title sequence is the fact that it is different to others in the fact that it is attempted in ink wash and paper, making the audience automatically become attracted because it is different and not mainstream compared to normal opening sequences. 

FILMING OUR PRELIMINARY

Preliminary Material


Today was the day that we filmed our preliminary material for our A level. Instead of using the media classroom, we used the drawing room. This gave us a different background to filming, and perhaps a different level of light which we could use to our advantage. As it was our first time working together as a group, we took a while to work and to actually become efficient. When we actually started working, we were very good at doing so - we didn't mess about and were co-operative with each other. Below is a screenshot of our working and our final cut.

This is our preliminary work on YouTube.

RESEARCH: WEEBLY

Here we studied how Steve Thorne created storyboards for video production. I will use this to help me progress through making my storyboards, and to make them as thorough as possible.

RESEARCH: ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING OF NOWHERE BOY

Nowhere Boy

Institutional information clearly shows that the movie is sponsored by the UK Film Council, which is sponsored by Film four, Icon and partly funded by the National Lottery. In association with Northwest Vision and Media, Lip Sync Productions, Hanway films, and Ecosse films. Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood. The most prominent letters show the title of the film, Nowhere Boy.

In the opening of Nowhere Boy, we are greeted with an establishing shot. There is a sight of a young boy running across the opening of an old, elegant looking building. Immediately we perceive the contrast between the two - and how the young boy isn't fazed by the building at all. There is a bird's eye shot when we see the opening of the building that the boy is running along. 

We then realise that the boy is dreaming. It is a birds eye shot of the boy curled up in bed.  He wakes up to a woman (called Aunt Mimi) who seems quite strict on him. We learn that his name is John. From this, we can tell that the dynamic between these two isn't very close. We then see the boy move downstairs and sit down to have breakfast. A man comes into shot - and tells him about sneaking out and gives him a harmonica. This shows a lot closer relationship than with his aunt. We then realise that the man is his Uncle, called George. 

The audience learns that John doesn't have a very close relationship between his Aunt Mimi. We wonder why the boy is with his aunt and uncle rather than his parents. In the opening sequence, we learn that Aunt Mimi is a strict character and that she doesn't really match the boy's character - whereas his Uncle George is more of a childish figure. We can support this from when we see the two at breakfast, where George gives John a harmonica and makes childish noises. 

The audio in the film is based around 50's Rock 'n' Roll. This matches the tempo of the film and the character of John - upbeat and fast. The music plays a roll in the scene where John and his friend are riding their bicycles down a hill, to school. They are riding, and the lyrics in the song say: "I'm a real wild child". This is a good editing point, as it further conveys the character of John. 

RESEARCH: TRELLO

Today I started using Trello which is an organizational tool that will help me keep track of what I need to do and what I have done. This is my example.

This is my Trello - 10.9.15

BRIEF

I have chosen the brief of video where the main task is to make the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.