Final Video

This is my final two minute opening:

EVALUATION - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Preliminary task can be seen below:

In comparison with my preliminary video, I feel that my final video is much better and not as simplistic.

Improvements

- I larger variety of shots were used in my two-minute opening - During the progress of this task I have learnt how to use a wider range of camera shots and angles.

- The use of narration - the preliminary task shows a simple conversation between two people. I managed to develop my audio skills so I was able to use a voice-over. 

- The length of the media - I struggled in making my opening two minutes long. However I have improved in my ability to fill time with flashbacks and other shots.

- The story line - the story-line in my opening works better than in my preliminary task. In the preliminary task we didn't find out much about what will happen whereas my opening senses that the film will be about Georgia changing her life.

What could have been made better?

- Many people commented on how the dark scene (below) didn't make sense.

This scene was supposed to represent a night in which Georgia's life dramatically changed, later in the film we would discover what happened and how she changes it.

I think that I could have portrayed this much better if the main actress (Caroline Lovick) was available more often. Also this could have improved if I had given myself more time.

- I also feel that the scene showing Georgia's past life (below) lasted much too long.

I used the montage to fill time as I did not record enough footage on days where Caroline dressed as a homeless. I like to think that I did manage to fit suitable clips into the space and that i made it work.

- Overall I think that my opening could have been made better if I had made a time-plan and consumed my free time better.

EVALUATION - what kind of media institution might distribute your media product? Why?

For this part of the evaluation I asked family members where they think my film would be distributed.

I decided to ask an older generation as they have more experience in the development of films than my target audience.

Overall i found out that my film is likely to be screened at picture-houses as it is low-budget and doesn't hold a strong cast. 

EVALUATION - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

EVALUATION - How did you attract/address your audience?

Things I have done:

• Posted my film opening on social media sites:

  

  Facebook

Twitter

• I also made friends and family aware that I was making a two minute film opening.

Things I could have done:

• To have attracted a wider audience I could have created a poster and/or leaflet.
• I could also have made a trailer for my film but i felt that this wasn't needed due to the release of the opening.

EVALUATION - Who would be the audience for your media product?

(previous blog on target audience: http://sophiemartinmediastudies.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/target-audience.html) 

Target audience research video:

I think the target audience would be those aged 15 or over. I think this because the subject of homelessness and the factors surrounding is considered as mature content. Anyone younger than 15 may find it harder to understand and cope with.

I brought this down from age 16 as 15 is a suitable certificate for this film (in my opinion).

As well as the mature story line, the full length film is likely to contain swear words and substance abuse which shouldn't be shown to young children.

EVALUATION - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

EVALUATION - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Actors 

As 'Missing' is a low-budget film the actors in it are more likely to be unknown. Nowadays films can make a lot more money if there are well-known actors in it. This is because many 'big' actors have their own fan-base, so fans will see the movie without taking the story-line into account.

In my film the main character is 'Georgia Wallace' played by Caroline Lovick. Although i believe that Caroline filled the role well if Georgia was played by some with celebrity status would have made the film more successful.

Editing

Editing for 'Missing' is very simple in comparison with a  block buster movie (like the Harry Potter films).

Films like mine are very simplistic and don't need as much editing as films like Harry Potter. Although I do believe I could have made my editing more clean-cut.

A clip from the popular 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' can be found below.

Props

As can be seen in previous blogs i used very little props in my opening and this would be the same for the full-length film. I believed that this was a good idea as it shows the lack of material goods Georgia (and general homeless people)have.

Not very many films use as little props as i did unless they're based on a similar story (like homelessness).

Story-line

Very few films have been based around homelessness and when they are they're less successful than the generic cinematic film. 

The story-line of the full-length film would be a lot like 'Sliding Doors' as the life of Georgia is different depending on whether she catches a bus or not.

Time Used

The time taken to make this opening was probably a lot shorter than the time spent on other films. 

Storyboard

Here is a storyboard showing what will happen in my two minute opening:

Final Idea

Here is a short video explaining my final idea:

Location Research (6)

The sixth and final location for filming is my bedroom. This is used very briefly in a scene of Georgias past-life when she goes to bed.

Location Research (5)

Wymondham High School Sixth Form was used to show how the homeless girls life used to be. In the sixth form we see Georgia with all of her school friends feeling happy. 

The sixth form was used due to convenience and because it helped to show the normality of her previous life.

Location Research (4)

This is the street used when Caroline catches and then misses a bus. 

This scene is used to be compared to the film 'Sliding Doors' in which Gwyneth Paltrow's characters lives in two ways - one in which she catches the tube, whereas in the other she misses it. 

This area was used as its on the bus route and there fore easier and more convenient to film on.

Location Research (3)

The third location used was a wall beside Hethersett Scout Hut. Scenes shot here include ones of her being given change and taking some pills.

I chose to add these shots as a lot of homeless people do sits against a wall begging for money. This exact wall was simply used due to convenience.

Location Research (2)

The next location i used was the Hethersett Junior School playing field. Scenes shot here include ones where Georgia is walking around, alone. In one shot we see her lay down in a pile of leaves to sleep. 

This location was chosen mostly due to convenience; it was close to where we had previously filmed.

Location Research (1)

The first location I filmed at was a dried up pond near the Hethersett Junior School field. I felt that this would be a good area for Georgia (main character - homeless) to call home. This place is abandoned and has lots of rubbish dumped there. However, as seen above, there is a lot of shelter (in the form of trees) which would support the needs of a homeless person. 

This scene was only used briefly in the opening few seconds. A panoramic shot was used to show the whole area.

My Film in Comparison with Another

I think that my film will be easily comparable to the Gwyenth Paltrow film 'Sliding Doors' (1998). The film is split into two parallels, in one she catches a train, in the other she doesn't. This seemingly small decision actually plays a large part in how her life turns out.

My two minute film opening will show how her life used to be an how it is now. If more of the film was to be made it would be a lot like 'Sliding  Doors'. In the film Georgia's life could have turned out differently but she chose the wrong path to take.

Character Biography

Georgia Wallace 

- Character Biography

Name: Georgia Wallace

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Date of birth: 17th April 1996

Likes: Warmth and being around other people.

Dislikes: Her current life.

Fears: Dying and clowns.

Relationship Status: Single

Parents: Derek and Susan Wallace

Siblings: None

Occupation: Unemployed - homeless

Who's playing the roles?

The main role of the homeless girl will be played by Caroline Lovick (aged 17):

Caroline (right)

Caroline was chosen to play this role as she was a GCSE drama student and therefore should have been able to fit any role i gave her. She is also very laid back which meant she would do anything i needed her to.

EXTRAS:
Extras in the two minute opening come in the form of Georgia Riches (aged 17):

And Chloe Rix (aged 16):

These extras are seen giving money to Carolines character. Chloe and Georgia have these roles simply because they were available at the time of recording. Other people in the two minute opening are background characters and are not vital in the rest of the film.

Narrative Script - Update!

Here is an update of my script:

"Look at me now, pathetic aren't I?

I never used to be like this. I used to follow the same routine, catch a bus, go to school, learn, eat, catch a bus, sleep.. it was great!

Now everything has changed because of that night. 

I can barely remember what happened.

Look at me now; begging for money, sleeping wherever I can, I'm so alone..

But what if I can change my life? What if I can change who I've become? What if everything is an illusion?

So, I'm Georgia Wallace... and this is my story"

Prop List

Not very many props were used in my two minute film opening. However, I did use:

• Propanolol pills - these cause no harm to the user (even though Caroline was not actually taking them -precaution had been taken) - these were used to show how many homeless people use drugs as a way out of the hopeless position they're in.
• Spare change - in a couple of scenes you will see change being given to the homeless girl.

Sound in films

In film there are two common types of sound. These are diegetic and non-diegetic.

Diegetic sounds are those of which both the characters and audience can hear. These come in the form of character dialouge and the movement of objects within the shot.
Diegetic sounds are also known as 'actual sounds'.

Non-diegetic sounds are sounds of which only the audience can hear. These come in the form of narration and tension-creating music. Diegetic sounds can also be referred to as 'commentary sounds'.

Character Theory -- Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp indicates that there are 7 character types present in the majority of media:

1 - The Hero (also known as the victim/ main character/ winner)
2 - The Villain (fights against the hero)
3 - The Donor (may give the hero a gift which will greatly help him)
4 - The Helper/Sidekick (assists the hero in the quest)
5 - The Heroine (the hero's reward - may get married)
6 - The False Hero (character perceived to be good but isn't)
7 - The Dispatcher (the character which sends the hero on their quest)

Research into Homelessness

Homelessness occurs for a number of reasons. It may be a result of not having enough money to pay for housing or due to substance abuse (and being rejected by family and friends.

Although a lot of homeless people need to beg on the streets for money to survive. There are organisations that help them.

One example of this is the Big Issue foundation. This foundation offers the homeless an opportunity to start making their own money. This is done by selling magazines to those on the streets and letting them keep all the profits made. The Big Issue Foundation helps people to get off the streets and to slowly find their way back into society. Below you can see one mans journey.

Ollie's Story: 


Statistics show that those who are homeless are more likely to die earlier(2011). Men can die up to 30 years earlier (on average), this can be put down to poor health which may be a result of little hygiene and lack of food.
Below is  a chart which shows the drastic drop in life expectancy for those who are homeless:

Update Film Opening

My film opening will be based around a girl whose life has dramatically changed. The 2 minutes will include footage of a life full of homelessness and flashbacks of how her life used to be.

Editing Styles

In film, different editing styles are used to portray differenent emotions to the audience.

The two main types of film editing are fast paced and slow paced. These will be described below.

Slow Paced
- more than 4-5 seconds of a shot
- can portray sad emotions
- used to build tension

Fast Paced
- about 4-5 seconds of shot
- shows action in the scene
- can reduce tension

Audience Research Feedback

Earlier in the year a target audience research was conducted (click the below link). I will now feedback on this research.

http://sophiemartinmediastudies.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/target-audience-research.html

This research helped me to plan my final film idea.
The target audience said that they enjoy flashbacks if they're done in the right way, I came to the conclusion that I should attempt them within my two minute film opening.

The majority of people said that the introduction of main characters in important for the first two minutes of the film. As well as this it is also important to discover a small amount of information about the story line.
It was also said that setting should be shown. I am using this information to help me in the production of my two minutes.

Narration has also been said to be a good feature within a film opening.

The target audience research has helped me to decide what to put in my film opening which has helped me a lot.

Narrative Script

In the two minute opening of my film I will show a contrast of how the life of the main character (officially named Georgia Wallace) has changed. This will be done through the use of a montage.

A rough-copy of the script can be seen below.

"Do you ever sit and wonder how much your life has changed in the past year? What caused that change to happen?

My life used to be amazing.. Everyday was a new adventure, I was the life and soul of every party.. Now look at me, drinking from a pond, pathetic aren't I?

I wake up every morning and wonder why I'm still here, everything is so shit.

If it wasn't for that night everything would still be normal, my life would still be good. I can barely remember what happened.. all I know is that life cannot get much worse.

So, I'm Georgia Wallace, and this is the story of my life."

Target Audience

My target audience for this film are those aged at 16 or above. To find out what film types would be appropriate for those of this age I conducted some target audience research which can be found in the link below.

http://sophiemartinmediastudies.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/target-audience-research.html

I think that my film would be shown in picture houses as its low-cost.

Camera Angles - Movement in the Shot

I will now mention different types of camera movement.

• Panning - scans a scene horizontally through the use of a tripod to keep it stable.
• Tilting - scans a scene vertically throught the use of a tripod.
• Dolly Shots - when the camera moves alongside the action usually by following an object or character. These shots are often taken in whilt the camera is on a moving vehicle.
• Hand-held - used to make the audience feel like a part of the scene. Hand-held shots give a ragged effecty which is often used in horror films whilst someone is being chased.
• Crane Shots - these are essentially dolly shots from above.
• Zoom Lenses - used to change the magnification of a shot or image. For example, these can be used to capture a close up shot from a distance.
• Ariel Shot - usually taken from a helicopter to establish the scene.

Camera Angles - Angle of a Shot

The angle of a camera shot helps the audience to make their judgements about the person or object in shot.

Different angles:

• The Birds Eye View shot is take from high up and looks down on what is normally the next scene. From such a high angle objects from below seem unrecognisable and insignificant.
• A High Angle is taken when a camera is elevated above the scene and action. There is a lot of background detail as well as making the scene less intimidating.
• Eye Level shots are the most common type of shot used in film (depending on the genre). This shot is fairly natural compared to the others as we see the scene as if a human is observing it.
• Low Angle shots are used to increase the size of both objects and characters.These shots create a sense of confusion for the audience. The background of this shot is likely to be the ceiling or sky.
• Canted Angle shot (otherwise known as oblique) is created when the camera is tilted. This is done to show an imbalance as well as being used to show a characters point of view.

Camera Angles - Framing or Length of a Shot

1) Framing or length of a shot involves different camera shots.

• Extreme Long Shot (ELS) - otherwise known as an establishing shot. An example of this can be seen in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (below). This shot is often used to set the scene of the next shots. In a war film the ELS may show some action and some thrilling scenes but it will lack certain details due to the length of the shot.
• In the Long Shot we see the whole of the human body (this is called a full shot). This shot mainly shows the characters but due to the length of it we also see more detail in the background. The long shot also makes the characters and objects seem life-sized if the film is being watched in cinema.
• The Medium Shot shows a figure from the waist up. This shot is often used in dialogue scenes, this may include two characters being seen from the waist upwards (two shot) or three (three shot). If more than three characters are in the shot it tends to become a long shot rather than a medium. Over the shoulder shots are also medium shots, these are taken from behind one character whilst focusing on the one opposite.
• A Close-Up shot shows little background detail, it primarily focuses on a specific detail of mise en scene (most often a face). This magnifies the image within the shot and gives the audience an intimate feel.
• An Extreme Close-Up shows no background detail at all. It focuses on a particular thing. For example, and extreme close-up on a face would usually focus on either the mouth or eyes (as can be seen in the image below). This shot is artificial and is primarily used to create a tension. When filming a shot like this extra care needs to be taken, this is because even the slightest movement can ruin the dramatic effect.

 

Extreme Long Shot

Long Shot

Medium Shot

Close-Up Shot

Extreme Close-Up

 

Camera Angles

There are three important factors to think about when considering camera angles. These are; framing or length of a shot, the angle of the shot and whether there will be any movement within the shot. I will now explain all of these individually within the next three posts.

Use of Sound in Film

'Breaking the fourth wall' - introduced by philosopher Denis Diderot - is when a character acknowledges the audience either through speech or looks. Movies which do this are known as meta-fiction movies. As well as movies, television programs also do this, as can be seen in Miranda. 
Breaking the fourth wall is effective as it drags the audience further into the film or program as they feel like a part of it due to them being addressed by certain characters.

Narrative can also be considered a use of sound. Narration is used to add more detail to the story of the film. Examples of these can be seen in earlier posts through the examples of "Dinosaur" and "Kick-Ass".
Narrative is used to help the audience understand the storyline and feelings of characters more. 

Diagetic sound - sound which both the audience and those in the film can hear - can be useful in film as it makes the audience feel more as if they're in the film. In a stereotypical horror film, diagetic sounds would include screams and creaking.

The opposite of diagetic sounds are non-diagetic sounds. These are sounds of which only the audience can hear, these often come in the form of music. Non-diagetic sounds are used to create certain feelings and tensions to help the audience connect with the film.

Sound in film also helps us to predict what is going to happen during the film. For example, if we hear a knocking on the door we can expect to meet a new character. 

The final use of sound I will address is silence. If a film becomes unexpectedly silent it creates a certain tension in which the audience anticipates the next action. Silence is as effective as sounds as it makes the viewers feel a sense of uncertainty.

Update Film Idea

Previously I had planned to base my film opening on a boy whose life has been turned upside down. I still plan to use the foundations of this idea although I'm making a few alterations.

Now I'm going to base the opening scene around a girl whose life has changed. Within the opening two minutes there will be a montage of how her life 'used to be' whilst remaining with the idea of using narrative over it.

Clips are currently being recorded.

Stop Motion

Stop motion films are made up of nothing but images. No recording is used just thousands of pictures and frames. 

In fact, one second of film results in 24 frames. This is the reason that stop-motion takes so long to record. For example, "The Curse of The Were-Rabbit" (Wallace and Gromit) took around 15 months to film.

Examples of stop motion can be seen below.

'Wallace & Gromit' 

"The Pirates: In an Adventure with Scientists"

"The Nightmare Before Christmas"

Use of Narration

Narration in films is a voice-over which briefly tells the story of what shall happen in the movie. Also, it can be used in a variety of different film genres, here are a few examples:

1) Narration can be seen in the opening of "Kick-Ass"-

Genre: Action

Narrative here is used to introduce what the film is going to be about. 
"At some point in our lives we all wanted to be a superhero" makes us aware that during this film somebody will become a superhero and will try to save other people.

2) Narration can also be heard in the Disney film "Dinosaur" -

(skip to 3:01 for narrative)

Genre: Adventure

Narration in "Dinosaur" has been used differently than in "Kick-Ass". Rather than having a narrative at the very beginning of the movie this Disney film chose to use it at the end. This has been done to create a sense of closure for the viewers rather than to introduce the story itself. 

Preliminary Task

This preliminary task was completed with Jonny Briggs and Harrison Calaby. This task has been completed to both compare and prepare ourselves for our two minute opening.

Target Audience Research

Myself and Ryan Andrews researched the views of out target audience. As well as asking them useful questions, the participants were told each of our film opening ideas and asked their view on them