Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Our preliminary task was successful because the performance of the actors was really good and we knew we had to hold the camera steady where appropriate so it doesn’t look unstable. Also we had to make sure the camera doesn’t break the 180 degree rule by changing the side where the camera was which we didn’t manage to do in our opening title sequence. Although we didn’t have much time to prepare for our preliminary task and research for it, the plot was clear and the idea was also clear. However, we did have time to do research and preparation for our title sequence this made it more successful because we knew what the finish product was supposed to look like and what audience we were targeting. We also didn’t have enough time to draw a good storyboard but that didn’t affect the preliminary task very much or the actors. So when we were filming the title sequence we and the actors knew what we were doing because we had a shot by shot detailed storyboard of what we were doing, we drew a storyboard and we also had an animatic of what we were going to do in the title sequence so we had no confusions whatsoever in the title sequence. Also the scenes in the preliminary task didn’t flow into the next scenes nicely so in our title sequence that’s something we had to improve and we did do the best we can so the opening title sequence looks realistic and believable.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Evaluation Question 7
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
When we were in the production stage of our title sequence we knew we were going to need a video camera to film the scenes, a camera to take pictures for evidence of recce and program to edit the footage we have. We were initially going to use Final cut pro to edit but we chose to use Sony vegas Pro 8 but one of the group members are good with the program so we thought that would make the editing process easier if we used that. Also, it meant we wouldn't have to struggle getting used to Final cut pro when we were trying to edit the footage we had. I also used Adobe photoshop to edit the fonts for the names of the actors and the crew members because we wanted to have different types of fonts so, we had a lot of choices to choose from when we come to edit it all together. When we were making the logos for our production company one of the group memebers suggested we use Adobe fireworks to edit it because we would get a better result than if we used Adobe photoshop so we used that instead although not every member of the group had used it before but, it was very similar to Adobe photoshop.
When we wanted music for our title sequence we didn’t know that we were not allowed to use copyrighted music so we had to go on a royalty free music site to get music from and download so it was suitable for us. Also when we had Powerpoints to put on our blog I didn’t know how to do that so I had to use Slideshare to import it on my blog so that really make things easier. The most successful of the technologies used was the editing program because we found out that on i-movie it was hard to do a split screen for the title sequence and it wasn’t very easy to do it on Final cut pro either but it was really easy on Sony Vegas. I have learnt how to use other program like Slideshare.
When we were in the production stage of our title sequence we knew we were going to need a video camera to film the scenes, a camera to take pictures for evidence of recce and program to edit the footage we have. We were initially going to use Final cut pro to edit but we chose to use Sony vegas Pro 8 but one of the group members are good with the program so we thought that would make the editing process easier if we used that. Also, it meant we wouldn't have to struggle getting used to Final cut pro when we were trying to edit the footage we had. I also used Adobe photoshop to edit the fonts for the names of the actors and the crew members because we wanted to have different types of fonts so, we had a lot of choices to choose from when we come to edit it all together. When we were making the logos for our production company one of the group memebers suggested we use Adobe fireworks to edit it because we would get a better result than if we used Adobe photoshop so we used that instead although not every member of the group had used it before but, it was very similar to Adobe photoshop.
When we wanted music for our title sequence we didn’t know that we were not allowed to use copyrighted music so we had to go on a royalty free music site to get music from and download so it was suitable for us. Also when we had Powerpoints to put on our blog I didn’t know how to do that so I had to use Slideshare to import it on my blog so that really make things easier. The most successful of the technologies used was the editing program because we found out that on i-movie it was hard to do a split screen for the title sequence and it wasn’t very easy to do it on Final cut pro either but it was really easy on Sony Vegas. I have learnt how to use other program like Slideshare.
Evaluation Question 6
How did you attract/address your audience?
I think our opening title sequence appeals to our target audience and will please our target audience because the whole plot and idea of the title sequence addresses out target audience. Also because it is such a niche genre everything in the title sequence is purely romantic-comedy there are no aspects of the title sequence that makes the target audience unsure of what the genre is. Things we included whilst planning the plot of our title sequence that will appeal to the target audience is humour and comedy to entertain the audience of both genders. Also we added some romance for our target audience who are hopeless romantic and believe in happy endings so eventually in the film both the male protagonist and female protagonist end up getting together.
The feedback we got from the audience said that ‘the shots are really good’ and ‘the music gives a nice flow to the title sequence’. The establishing shot of London that we have in the sequence really gives a sense of location and that will appeal to the target audience and also the music we have made the opening title sequence a really uplifting effect and appeals to the target audience and this feedback was good because some of the audience we had this feedback was part of our main target audience. The other elements that make the title sequence good is the performance of the actors they were all really good and acted as best as they can. Also, editing of the scenes so it flows nicely from one part to another and so it makes sense to the target audience. Also the teamwork of our group made the title sequence successful because we had a substantial amount of group members we could alternate the roles of the group members if one of us had something really important to do. Also, we all worked really hard during the production of the title sequence.
When we ask from the audience on what was less successful they said ‘can’t hear the dialogue very well’ and ‘some scenes look a bit fuzzy and unclear’. When we got the feedback we had to change the music because it was dominating the speech from the title sequence and we found one that suited the title sequence much better. Also, because we zoomed in too much on the camera some scenes appeared a little blurry so we had to film those scenes again. I think we could have made it about fifteen seconds longer so we have more content and more performance from the actors and also we could have tried editing so that the scenes flow and go in sync more nicely than it is already.
I think our opening title sequence appeals to our target audience and will please our target audience because the whole plot and idea of the title sequence addresses out target audience. Also because it is such a niche genre everything in the title sequence is purely romantic-comedy there are no aspects of the title sequence that makes the target audience unsure of what the genre is. Things we included whilst planning the plot of our title sequence that will appeal to the target audience is humour and comedy to entertain the audience of both genders. Also we added some romance for our target audience who are hopeless romantic and believe in happy endings so eventually in the film both the male protagonist and female protagonist end up getting together.
The feedback we got from the audience said that ‘the shots are really good’ and ‘the music gives a nice flow to the title sequence’. The establishing shot of London that we have in the sequence really gives a sense of location and that will appeal to the target audience and also the music we have made the opening title sequence a really uplifting effect and appeals to the target audience and this feedback was good because some of the audience we had this feedback was part of our main target audience. The other elements that make the title sequence good is the performance of the actors they were all really good and acted as best as they can. Also, editing of the scenes so it flows nicely from one part to another and so it makes sense to the target audience. Also the teamwork of our group made the title sequence successful because we had a substantial amount of group members we could alternate the roles of the group members if one of us had something really important to do. Also, we all worked really hard during the production of the title sequence.
When we ask from the audience on what was less successful they said ‘can’t hear the dialogue very well’ and ‘some scenes look a bit fuzzy and unclear’. When we got the feedback we had to change the music because it was dominating the speech from the title sequence and we found one that suited the title sequence much better. Also, because we zoomed in too much on the camera some scenes appeared a little blurry so we had to film those scenes again. I think we could have made it about fifteen seconds longer so we have more content and more performance from the actors and also we could have tried editing so that the scenes flow and go in sync more nicely than it is already.
Evaluation Question 5
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The character of Eddie Lee represents the stereotype of a ‘geek’. He is the type who is just very unlucky at everything in life and particularly at attracting female attention. In our title sequence we represented a stereotype like Eddie Lee through his performance. His character is very unorganised and unlucky so, the actor playing Eddie Lee wakes up late which causes him to be late to work. Also, the girl he likes already has a boyfriend and she is in various ways ‘out of his league’. The character of Jessica Long is also a stereotype of the pretty girl that everyone likes and she has the ability to make everyone around her fall in love with her easily. The character of the ‘stud’ is also represented through the stereotype of the nonchalant, handsome man that every woman and man long to be. He also has the ability to make everyone like him through his personality. The music we chose for our title can represent people who are quite romantic because the sound is very calm but upbeat keeping them interested and intrigued at the time. When choosing the music we had to decide a suitable one to go with our title sequence because there was a limited amount of choice that we had as we couldn’t use copyrighted music and we couldn’t choose a sound that was dominating or didn’t represent a particular group of people. When editing we had to use scenes which will appeal and relate to a specific group so when we were filming the office scene we tried to make it seem realistic so we had scenes that happens in a normal office everyday. Also, the setting for the office also had to be realistic so we could use the characters to represent the right group of people.
The character of Eddie Lee represents the stereotype of a ‘geek’. He is the type who is just very unlucky at everything in life and particularly at attracting female attention. In our title sequence we represented a stereotype like Eddie Lee through his performance. His character is very unorganised and unlucky so, the actor playing Eddie Lee wakes up late which causes him to be late to work. Also, the girl he likes already has a boyfriend and she is in various ways ‘out of his league’. The character of Jessica Long is also a stereotype of the pretty girl that everyone likes and she has the ability to make everyone around her fall in love with her easily. The character of the ‘stud’ is also represented through the stereotype of the nonchalant, handsome man that every woman and man long to be. He also has the ability to make everyone like him through his personality. The music we chose for our title can represent people who are quite romantic because the sound is very calm but upbeat keeping them interested and intrigued at the time. When choosing the music we had to decide a suitable one to go with our title sequence because there was a limited amount of choice that we had as we couldn’t use copyrighted music and we couldn’t choose a sound that was dominating or didn’t represent a particular group of people. When editing we had to use scenes which will appeal and relate to a specific group so when we were filming the office scene we tried to make it seem realistic so we had scenes that happens in a normal office everyday. Also, the setting for the office also had to be realistic so we could use the characters to represent the right group of people.
Evaluation Question 4
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The narrative for my opening title sequence followed the codes&conventions of a title sequence because the title sequence begins by introducing the two main characters, which is a codes&conventions of a rom-com. Also characters like the lead male character in our title sequence will be the stereotypical ‘geek’ trying to chase after the female character who is a pretty girl out of his league because they are very contrasting and every man in the office would like to go out with her. The office ‘stud’ would also be a stereotype of the good-looking guy that every girl wants.The plot will show the ‘geek’ trying to expose the ‘stud’ for the cheat he really is and he is put through a set of obstacles as he tries to prove his love for the girl.
When editing our title sequence we have tried to add elements that are codes&conventions of a romantic-comedy. We used flowing, light and bubbly typography to convey the typography used in a rom-com and when we were editing the title sequence we set up the typography so, it appeared everywhere on the screen also to convey a flowing effect and to keep the title sequence animate. We used this typography to convey a sense of animation and to give the title sequence a light feeling. We also tried to use the three main colours normally used in rom-com films, which are black, red and white. These colours are generic and will therefore attract an audience automatically. The music we chose for our title sequence is gentle enough to portray the romantic side of the title sequence but it’s also upbeat enough to portray the city life they lead and to give an upbeat introduction into the film. Also most rom-coms have an upbeat music as an introduction to the title sequence because it automatically appeals to the audience and keeps the audience involved, making them positive about the rest of the title sequence. The setting of the title sequence is mostly in an office which is in the city and in the actors’ bedrooms. We used these settings because most rom-coms are set in offices in a big city, so we have an establishing shot of the office where the actors work. The lighting used in most of the scenes is natural lighting. Most of it is daylight because it portrays a peaceful and calm atmosphere which is a code&convention of a romantic-comedy.
The narrative for my opening title sequence followed the codes&conventions of a title sequence because the title sequence begins by introducing the two main characters, which is a codes&conventions of a rom-com. Also characters like the lead male character in our title sequence will be the stereotypical ‘geek’ trying to chase after the female character who is a pretty girl out of his league because they are very contrasting and every man in the office would like to go out with her. The office ‘stud’ would also be a stereotype of the good-looking guy that every girl wants.The plot will show the ‘geek’ trying to expose the ‘stud’ for the cheat he really is and he is put through a set of obstacles as he tries to prove his love for the girl.
When editing our title sequence we have tried to add elements that are codes&conventions of a romantic-comedy. We used flowing, light and bubbly typography to convey the typography used in a rom-com and when we were editing the title sequence we set up the typography so, it appeared everywhere on the screen also to convey a flowing effect and to keep the title sequence animate. We used this typography to convey a sense of animation and to give the title sequence a light feeling. We also tried to use the three main colours normally used in rom-com films, which are black, red and white. These colours are generic and will therefore attract an audience automatically. The music we chose for our title sequence is gentle enough to portray the romantic side of the title sequence but it’s also upbeat enough to portray the city life they lead and to give an upbeat introduction into the film. Also most rom-coms have an upbeat music as an introduction to the title sequence because it automatically appeals to the audience and keeps the audience involved, making them positive about the rest of the title sequence. The setting of the title sequence is mostly in an office which is in the city and in the actors’ bedrooms. We used these settings because most rom-coms are set in offices in a big city, so we have an establishing shot of the office where the actors work. The lighting used in most of the scenes is natural lighting. Most of it is daylight because it portrays a peaceful and calm atmosphere which is a code&convention of a romantic-comedy.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Evaluation Question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product?
For our title sequence we have chosen Miramax Films to distribute it. Miramax films have been producing and distributing films since 1979. Miramax have produced, financed and distributed 700 million worldwide since 1979. We chose this distributing company because they have done multiple rom-coms for example My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sliding Doors, Get Over It and Bridget Jones Diary. The films they distributed have won 284 Academy Awards Nominations, 68 Oscars and 4 Best Pictures. Also they have had 7 billion worldwide box office. Also because Miramax Films are known worldwide it would be of benefit to us because they would be able to distribute worldwide.
Evaluation Question 2
Who would be the audience for your product?
The target audience for our title sequence was mostly female but it could appeal to some males. The age range would be between 15-35 and the females would be mostly single, students and housewives. The would probably believe in happy endings and be the hopeless romantic. Our female target audience can connect to the romance and humour of our title sequence and our male target audience can connect to the humour.
I have looked at other opening title sequence of the same genre as ours to see if they have the same target audience as ours. Also we carried out a questionnaire, and by the response of the females that we had we found out most of them knew what a romantic-comedy was, they mostly watch rom-coms and also the rating that we had for our title sequence was appropriate enough because the ages of the people who filled out the questionnaire were between the ages we had for the rating for our title sequence.
From our questionnaire we found out some males couldn't identify what a rom-com was and couldn't say what the codes&convention of a rom-com was so whilst planning the plot for our title sequence we tried to incorporate things that males could relate to in it. So we added some humour so they could relate to it. We also found out that some females expect a happy ending and a twist to the plot of the story in the title sequence so we also tried incorporating that into the plot of our title sequence.
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