Monday, 30 April 2012
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Evaluation Part 4
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
I learnt a lot from my audience feedback derived from the focus group and final evaluation screening, both of which are posted on my blog. I was able to see what parts of the Live: Stream trailer people really liked, and what parts people thought were in need of improving. People really the ‘Short engaging text’, the ‘overall story’, and the ‘great use of gore’.
However there were also points that people thought could use some improving. People thought that there needed to be more of a ‘built up ending’. As well as this people thought an ‘arm wound’ would make the trailer much more powerful as well as ‘more blood in the chainsaw scene’. I strongly agree with all the points made, both on the what they thought was good, and the improvement side. Since I have received this feedback, I have worked on changing around our final piece to help achieve some of the improvements that my group have said. I changed the ending of the Live: Stream trailer and added very different music to my final piece to help make the last minute scare much more effective and I believe that it worked very well. I have also added some more text and changed the pacing of my '1...2...3...' countdown part of my trailer to make it more suspense building. I believe that it worked very effectively and my group's feedback helped greatly toward my final piece.
From the focus group I learnt a lot about the Live: Stream trailer and lots of different bits that I could add to it to make it even better than it is now. More effects were still needed when the chainsaw meets the arm is one point that came up quite a lot. There was also a gap in the music which has to be fixed otherwise it looks slightly less professional. These changes did not take much time and were done relatively easily on Final Cut Pro. However, on the whole by looking at the audience feedback sheets I can see that everyone enjoyed the trailer on the whole and it worked for them. The ending also made a few people in the room jump, so changing it from the old one was a good decision.
The chainsaw effect and the music are the main points that came up during the evaluation process. I do strongly agree with these points as they were things that I picked up on straight away whilst I watched the trailer. Another point that came up was the scene when we see someone looking at the computer screen when the tortures are happening could be changed or shortened slightly. A few people thought that it was slightly funny due to the reaction to the screen. Only a minority of the group found that though, so I may leave that as it is as I and the majority of the rest of the group was as well.
On average our trailer scored an 8/10 after the Focus Group, which I'm very happy with. After changes were added we were sure it could make a 9/10. Changes included the chainsaw scene as well as the music. I also watched through the rest of the trailer carefully and make sure that there is nothing else that needed changing. Some of the screams needed to be tweaked very slightly to make everything run a little bit smoother.
After the evaluation screening and seeing what the audience's reaction was to the final cut of Live: Stream I am very happy with the audience's response. There were points in the trailer that made people jump and points that really drew people into the narrative of Live: Stream. The story is made very clear. I can see that it does appeal to horror fans very well. I can tell this by the way that people reacted to certain parts of the clip and how the clip creates an extremely uneasy and worrying atmosphere. Both mine and the audience's favourite aspect of the trailer is the whole storyline. We both felt as if it was put across very well and was easy to follow.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Live: Stream's Evaluation Screening
We showed our final version of Live: Stream to our class and received the following comments. Our final average score was over 8, which we were very happy with. A few audience members made loud responses to some of the more shocking aspects of the trailer, which we were very happy with.
Good Points
Really good shots and use of location
Music goes well with trailer
Jumpy ending
Effective use of gore
Clever plot idea
Good use of close ups
Good props
Good text
Great acting
Good use of lighting
Points to improve
More gore in chainsaw scene
Gap in sound
Little more body horror
Some writing is hard to read
Slight humour in last scene
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Friday, 20 April 2012
Evaluation Part 3
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
I used lots of different media technologies to help with all parts of the creation of my trailer. YouTube was used a large amount. I used YouTube to look at film trailers which then helped me to come up with different ideas for when I create my trailer. I really liked the Woman in Black and Paranormal Activity trailer. Both of these trailers helped me to come up with the structure of my film trailer as well as using some of the angles that they used. I felt very tense while watching the trailer in such a way that I would want viewers to feel while watching my trailer.
Lots of different new media programs were also used in the production of my film trailer. Adobe Photoshop was used for the production of both my magazine and poster. The "magic wand" tool was very important in selecting specific parts of an image I needed. Using the layers was also very important. With the movement of the layers I was able to move different parts of my piece all around and on the top of other parts. This was really important on my magazine cover where I wanted the image of Jack over the "Empire" text.
Another very important piece of software that I had to use was Final Cut Pro. With this I was able to create my trailer reasonably simply and to a degree of ease. After getting used to the program I was able to create a very effective final piece, editing in music and cutting shots to where I needed them. The "razor-blade" tool was good for shortening clips to where I felt were necessary, and then the "snap" tool being switched on was good for making sure that the clips were stuck together accurately and made the film run smoothly.
Media technologies were also very important in the evaluation part of my piece. Using websites like Blogger meant that I was able to post my work online for others to look at and evaluate. I could post videos on here from sites like YouTube for others to look at to help understand where I got my ideas from for my trailer. I could also post videos from our screening of our trailer for people to look at. However, there is also a risk from using sites like Blogger, as the internet can be full of "trolls" that will over-criticse films. Some people online like to cause problems and say things which they don’t actually mean as they just want to cause trouble. Some of the comments posted may be unfair and dishonest, so we took more attention to the reactions we got from the focus group and evaluation screenings in class for our Live: Stream trailer. Facebook is another site that can be used to create polls, but similar problems could still occur here, so we concentrated on using Blogger and only telling people we knew about our blogs.
I used lots of different media technologies to help with all parts of the creation of my trailer. YouTube was used a large amount. I used YouTube to look at film trailers which then helped me to come up with different ideas for when I create my trailer. I really liked the Woman in Black and Paranormal Activity trailer. Both of these trailers helped me to come up with the structure of my film trailer as well as using some of the angles that they used. I felt very tense while watching the trailer in such a way that I would want viewers to feel while watching my trailer.
Lots of different new media programs were also used in the production of my film trailer. Adobe Photoshop was used for the production of both my magazine and poster. The "magic wand" tool was very important in selecting specific parts of an image I needed. Using the layers was also very important. With the movement of the layers I was able to move different parts of my piece all around and on the top of other parts. This was really important on my magazine cover where I wanted the image of Jack over the "Empire" text.
Another very important piece of software that I had to use was Final Cut Pro. With this I was able to create my trailer reasonably simply and to a degree of ease. After getting used to the program I was able to create a very effective final piece, editing in music and cutting shots to where I needed them. The "razor-blade" tool was good for shortening clips to where I felt were necessary, and then the "snap" tool being switched on was good for making sure that the clips were stuck together accurately and made the film run smoothly.
Media technologies were also very important in the evaluation part of my piece. Using websites like Blogger meant that I was able to post my work online for others to look at and evaluate. I could post videos on here from sites like YouTube for others to look at to help understand where I got my ideas from for my trailer. I could also post videos from our screening of our trailer for people to look at. However, there is also a risk from using sites like Blogger, as the internet can be full of "trolls" that will over-criticse films. Some people online like to cause problems and say things which they don’t actually mean as they just want to cause trouble. Some of the comments posted may be unfair and dishonest, so we took more attention to the reactions we got from the focus group and evaluation screenings in class for our Live: Stream trailer. Facebook is another site that can be used to create polls, but similar problems could still occur here, so we concentrated on using Blogger and only telling people we knew about our blogs.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Evaluation Part 2
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Both the magazine and the poster tie in with my trailer very well. Each ancillary product shows a different image to do with the film, however both allow a viewer to get a good idea of what the film is all about. The film's narrative of torture and uncomfortable images is expressed by both of my ancillary products. The font used is a consistent theme to both images, helping make Live: Stream seem more horrifying, and make people want to go and see the film.
I included a number of different key real-life aspects in the creation of my poster. To start with, I made sure that the title was large and very easy to read. This is so people can see what the movie is by a far and to spark interest for the person seeing the poster. I also made the tagline a good size so it’s easy to read, and also lets the viewer get a good idea of what the movie is going to be about. Taglines like "In Space No-One Can Here You Scream" (for Alien) really draw in an audience. The date of release is then also written underneath that to make sure that they know when the film is going to be release. I have then made sure that
I have a large, unsettling image in the middle of my poster which is very dynamic and stands out. People would be scared and made feel uneasy by this picture, which shows a man with a blood stained pillowcase on his head waiting to be tortured even more. I have then used Adobe Photoshop to put the contrast up and the brightness down to make it all seem dirty and grubby, therefore connoting the genre of the film clearly. The brick wall is bleak and hard, showing there is no softness in Live: Stream. I have also added text at the bottom of the poster showing who stars in the film and other people who worked on making the film. This would attract fans of different auteurs. A certificate has also been added to the bottom right to show who the film is suitable for, and clearly shows we are only aiming at an adult audience. The red in the text helps to connote blood and death, and the darkness of the shot helps to show mystery and an unsettled scene. The angle is a simple medium-long shot, but the simplicity of it makes the picture seem very realistic.
(As you can see by the scroll bar on the layers collumn you can see I have used a considerable amount of layers)
My magazine cover is based on Empire magazine. I had a shot of the actor hanging from his hands and the top half of the image covers the title. This is a common technique used on Empire covers, because even though it covers up the name of the magazine it makes the pictures seem more 3D. I made this by cutting out the top part of the image and making it a separate layer, and then placing it on top of the 'Empire' text layer. I also have other shapes with writing over them explaining other things that can be found in the magazine, with more of a focus of horror movies that would help draw in more fans of Live: Stream. I have also included the names of some famous actors on the right to make it seem more realistic. A barcode can also be found on a bottom right to give it a realistic feel. On the left I have put some highlighted text which is about the main image on the magazine which is obviously Live Stream. The price and date of the magazine printed is also on the magazine which also makes the magazine seem very realistic. The colours of the text are also all matching to help made the colours of the cover match the title, focussing on blacks and reds to connote dark emotions.
(As you can see by the scroll bar on the layers collumn you can see I have used a considerable amount of layers)
Both the magazine and the poster tie in with my trailer very well. Each ancillary product shows a different image to do with the film, however both allow a viewer to get a good idea of what the film is all about. The film's narrative of torture and uncomfortable images is expressed by both of my ancillary products. The font used is a consistent theme to both images, helping make Live: Stream seem more horrifying, and make people want to go and see the film.
I included a number of different key real-life aspects in the creation of my poster. To start with, I made sure that the title was large and very easy to read. This is so people can see what the movie is by a far and to spark interest for the person seeing the poster. I also made the tagline a good size so it’s easy to read, and also lets the viewer get a good idea of what the movie is going to be about. Taglines like "In Space No-One Can Here You Scream" (for Alien) really draw in an audience. The date of release is then also written underneath that to make sure that they know when the film is going to be release. I have then made sure that
I have a large, unsettling image in the middle of my poster which is very dynamic and stands out. People would be scared and made feel uneasy by this picture, which shows a man with a blood stained pillowcase on his head waiting to be tortured even more. I have then used Adobe Photoshop to put the contrast up and the brightness down to make it all seem dirty and grubby, therefore connoting the genre of the film clearly. The brick wall is bleak and hard, showing there is no softness in Live: Stream. I have also added text at the bottom of the poster showing who stars in the film and other people who worked on making the film. This would attract fans of different auteurs. A certificate has also been added to the bottom right to show who the film is suitable for, and clearly shows we are only aiming at an adult audience. The red in the text helps to connote blood and death, and the darkness of the shot helps to show mystery and an unsettled scene. The angle is a simple medium-long shot, but the simplicity of it makes the picture seem very realistic.
(As you can see by the scroll bar on the layers collumn you can see I have used a considerable amount of layers)
My magazine cover is based on Empire magazine. I had a shot of the actor hanging from his hands and the top half of the image covers the title. This is a common technique used on Empire covers, because even though it covers up the name of the magazine it makes the pictures seem more 3D. I made this by cutting out the top part of the image and making it a separate layer, and then placing it on top of the 'Empire' text layer. I also have other shapes with writing over them explaining other things that can be found in the magazine, with more of a focus of horror movies that would help draw in more fans of Live: Stream. I have also included the names of some famous actors on the right to make it seem more realistic. A barcode can also be found on a bottom right to give it a realistic feel. On the left I have put some highlighted text which is about the main image on the magazine which is obviously Live Stream. The price and date of the magazine printed is also on the magazine which also makes the magazine seem very realistic. The colours of the text are also all matching to help made the colours of the cover match the title, focussing on blacks and reds to connote dark emotions.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Evaluation: Part 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our film trailer seems to fit the genre of horror very well. In his book "Hollywood Genres" Thomas Schatz came up with the idea that the film's genre is the best way to analyse it. Schatz saw genre as one of the most powerful things to do with films. It’s what helped sell the film in the best way, as it puts the film into a specific category with reliable generic conventions that help the audiences select a film more easily. Overall, a film genre tries to get an strong emotional response from its audience. A comedy is there to make us laugh or an action film makes us feel excited. With a horror film, I knew I had to shock and disturb my target audience.
My film trailer contains low key lighting, gore, canted angles and lots of different angled shots to make the trailer seem crazy and strange. All of these generic conventions play a big role in the success of a horror film. Our trailer contained all of the things that you would expect to see in a horror film. Lots of gore in a cold and dark looking barn helped create tension for the viewer. It was also paced with a countdown which helped to add tension to then build into a shocking shot of Jack hanging from his hands by chains. After looking though a number of different horror trailers, we decided to combine parts of different ones to come up with our final idea. Parts of the Saw trailers were involved in our planning and helped us to come up with some of our ideas. The location and the use of a camera videoing a torturing session were both ideas that we used in our trailer.
My own Auteur influence (based on the ideas of Andrew Sarris’ “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962”) was really the idea of an audience viewing a torture, while it is actually being videoed on screen and being broadcast on the internet. In this way it challenges more safe horror films like Cabin In The Woods, and appeals to only an 18+ audience. I wanted Live: Stream to give the idea that what is happening is really happening in real life. This can really leave the audience feeling uneasy and thinking about what they have seen for a very long time after. For me it is an updated version of Hostel, where killers pay to torture their victims. I would like to feel that what the audience is seeing isn’t just a film experience, but it haunts them for a time after, making them wonder if it is really happening. This is all based on horror coming from the word "horrere" which means to shudder. I definitely think my trailers uses the conventions of the horror genre to create this.
Our film trailer seems to fit the genre of horror very well. In his book "Hollywood Genres" Thomas Schatz came up with the idea that the film's genre is the best way to analyse it. Schatz saw genre as one of the most powerful things to do with films. It’s what helped sell the film in the best way, as it puts the film into a specific category with reliable generic conventions that help the audiences select a film more easily. Overall, a film genre tries to get an strong emotional response from its audience. A comedy is there to make us laugh or an action film makes us feel excited. With a horror film, I knew I had to shock and disturb my target audience.
My film trailer contains low key lighting, gore, canted angles and lots of different angled shots to make the trailer seem crazy and strange. All of these generic conventions play a big role in the success of a horror film. Our trailer contained all of the things that you would expect to see in a horror film. Lots of gore in a cold and dark looking barn helped create tension for the viewer. It was also paced with a countdown which helped to add tension to then build into a shocking shot of Jack hanging from his hands by chains. After looking though a number of different horror trailers, we decided to combine parts of different ones to come up with our final idea. Parts of the Saw trailers were involved in our planning and helped us to come up with some of our ideas. The location and the use of a camera videoing a torturing session were both ideas that we used in our trailer.
My own Auteur influence (based on the ideas of Andrew Sarris’ “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962”) was really the idea of an audience viewing a torture, while it is actually being videoed on screen and being broadcast on the internet. In this way it challenges more safe horror films like Cabin In The Woods, and appeals to only an 18+ audience. I wanted Live: Stream to give the idea that what is happening is really happening in real life. This can really leave the audience feeling uneasy and thinking about what they have seen for a very long time after. For me it is an updated version of Hostel, where killers pay to torture their victims. I would like to feel that what the audience is seeing isn’t just a film experience, but it haunts them for a time after, making them wonder if it is really happening. This is all based on horror coming from the word "horrere" which means to shudder. I definitely think my trailers uses the conventions of the horror genre to create this.
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