Evaluation: Question 7

Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the product.

The first and most important thing we learnt from our preliminary is about the 180 degree rule as this was our biggest problem with our preliminary. The problem we had within our preliminary task can be seen when Louise and myself are having a conversation. The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline that states two characters must have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera crosses this imaginary line, then the characters on screen appear to the audience as if they have swapped places with each other. Although we didn’t have a conversation in our final product it was important just to keep it in mind.

The second thing we also learnt is to get as many shots as you can for every scene and get as many shots from as many angles as you can. This is means that when you get back to the editing suite you will be able to choose from a variety of different shots and angles to make your final product.

The third thing for myself was the editing using the iMac and the software iMovie, as the editing for the preliminary was basic and simple being a short task.
The editing for our product was more complex and time consuming as each shot had to be edited separately before being played with other shots already edited to make sure that they played and ran smoothly together, on top of this transitions had to be added to allow us to get our finished product.

Evaluation: Question 6

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

We learnt to use many different types of technology while constructing this product. One of the technologies we learnt to use was the camera, this was difficult for me to get used to using as I had already been using a HD camera for a few months to complete another project for another lesson. The difficulties of learning to use this camera could be seen when we looked back at the footage that we had taken where in many shots we had forgotten to turn the camera off, both when retaking shots and changing positions to get other shots.

The easiest equipment for me to use was the iMacs and the iMovie software as I had been using them for a few months before for another project that I was completing. When first using the iMacs it was confusing as I was not used to this type of operating system; though after a while both the iMac and the iMovie software became easier for me to use, so during the constructing of this project the continuity editing became easier with more practice, though I still had problems when adding some of the transitions onto shots.


Blogger- Used to write our blogs and contains details infromation of the before, during and after the making of our product.
iMovie- Used to edit the footage that we had shot, this included slide transitions, video effects and any sound effects.
Youtube- To embed our thriller onto our blog and for people who don't follow our blogs to watch our thriller.
Still digital cameras- To take pictures of our storyboard to make our animatic.
One True Media- Allowed me to create a montage of some of the thriller films that I had seen during the making of our product.

Evaluation: Question 5

Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

Our audience was attracted through us advertising the film through word of mouth. Once our film had been uploaded to youtube, we told friends and family the basic storyline of the film we had made and asked them to view it. We were able to get others to view our product also by them being told by others as our product isn't what you would think a typical thriller to be as the audience isn't quite sure about what’s happening, this draws the audience in as they want to know what’s going on and why these things are happening to her, hopefully they then tell some more people that they know that they saw a short opening for a film they really enjoyed and that they think they might enjoy.

Our Thriller holds the audiences attention as our thriller isn't what they would think a typical thriller would be, and they want to know why she's in the bath and what that has got to do with a thriller. The audience would want to watch our film to try and understand what's happening within our thriller and what it's all about, some may even watch it as they identify (to a certain extent) with our main character.

The audience would want to continue watching the initial opening two minutes of our thriller because they want to find out what happened to the main character in the past, who her abuser is, what her life and family is like and if she will ever try to get revenge.

Evaluation: Question 4

Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our product is aimed at 15-18 year olds and maybe older, as this is the age group where Thriller and Horror films tend to do the best. This is because teenagers like to be scared and be put on the edge of their seats, they also like a film with a good story line, plot and twists. This is a film for both men and women of this age range as abuse can happen to anyone of any sex, but also for both men and women that are above the age of 21 as once again abuse is something that can happen to anyone and our film gives everyone a chance to see what happens, when some has been abused and keeps it bottled up for a very long time.

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Evaluation: Question 3

Question 3: What kind if media instituiton might distribute your media product and why.

Our film is a small British film where the actors and the film makers of our product are not well known, therefore it is very unlikely that we would get the backing of huge distribution companies such as Universal Pictures and 2oth Century Fox, we would probably get the backing of a smaller British distribution company such as Artificial Eye and Shorts International.

Many fims made in Britain aren't released as they don't have good distributors, the job of the distributor is to get the film released into cinemas or get put straight onto DVD. Along with the possibility of using Artificial Eye and Shorts International, Film 4 would also be a good company to distribute our product as they are trying to develop the British Film Industry with new and fresh talent. One scheme in the UK that we could use to distribute our Thriller through the Microwave Scheme like the film 'Shifty', this scheme was set up to widen participation and access for young London-based film makers.

Evaluation: Question 2

Question 2: How does your medioa product represent particular social groups?

I would say that our product represents teenagers (15-18) but also young adults of 20 and maybe some younger children.

Our film is about a girl what has been abused in the past, therefore I feel that our product could represent anyone both over the age of 20 and some under the age of 15 as abuse can happen to anyone of any age. In our product we have been successful in showing our product the effects that abuse can have on anyone the older they get through the flashbacks, we have also been able to show that the more the girl is trying to forget what happend the more she sees the flashbacks.

Our film dosen't use typical steriotypes such as 'The Scary Killer in a Hoody' we had never planned or even thought of having a 'Hoodie' in our thriller, as this is something that we would expect people to include in their thriller and often not do very good. This was proved to us when we watched some thrillers that other students had been made where they had a 'Hoodie' as their antagonist.

Evaluation: Question 1

Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions or real media products.

Our film is a Thriller as it does use conventions that can be found it many Thrillers such as:

• Having an extraordinary event happening in an ordinary situation
• Jeopardy and violent confrontations as standard to plot elements
• Real life situation in out storyline- Child abuse

Our Thriller is about a young girl who is haunted by her abusive past at the hands of her older brother, we see her as see goes through her normal routine as she is plagued by images from her past, we also have a few flashbacks within our opening sequence that show glimpse's of Hayley's past at the hands of her abusive brother.

We were influenced by three films 'Les Diaboliques', 'Fatal Attraction' and 'What Lies Beneath'.

'Les Diaboliques'



'Our Thriller'



What Lies Beneath- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lCDk2uOHU
Fatal Attraction- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaSlq0gCH0Q
Les Diaboliques- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jeKweu8eg



Another convention of a typical Thriller that can be found in our opening is there is a complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions. If our opening two minutes was to be continued to make a complete film the flashbacks from Hayley's past would continue and worsen but we would also take a closer look at her past, why she's seeing the things she sees, her family members and what she feels and how she deals with what happened. By taking a closer look at each of these things the will begin to feel sympathetic towards Hayley, but the closer we go into her home life the audience will see that nothing is the way it has been portrayed.

A third thriller convention that can be found in our opening scene and in typical Thriller films is that our opening scene begins from the point of view of our "Protagonist" like films such as The Birds, Marnie, Psycho, Torn Curtain and Vertigo all directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Birds- This begins with Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) making her way into a pet store.

Marnie- This begins as Marnie (Tippi Hedren) is trying to disappear after stealing from her previous job.

Psycho- This begins as Marian Crane (Janet Leigh) makes her way to California after stealing from her employer.

Torn Curtain- This begins with Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) and Sarah Sherman (Julie Andrews) at a convention in Copenhagen.

Vertigo- This begins with John 'Scottie' Ferguson (James Stewart) on the heels of a criminal on the top of a building. Below you can see stills from the films mentioned above.