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Main Task- 45

Your group filmed together and then produced two separate edits to ensure all group members took a full part. Appropriate music for the genre has been added and is an effective way to begin the film with institutional credits allying it to Warner Brothers historical film noir output. Some of the early shots are dark but are overlaid with credits so meaning is not greatly affected. Sound is attended to in the use of an alarm to signify the start of the voice-over which clearly indicates the opening of the film. A range of shots are used as the detective dresses using a full range of shot types and clear continuity. The voice-over establishes the narrative with an accent further establishing character and showing an awareness of generic conventions. Use of costume and props is appropriate and considered. The final sequence is less secure in framing but does not detract from the proficiency of technical skill which approaches the top end of level 3

Evaluation - Q7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

When we made our preliminary task I learnt how to do a range of things for example I have learnt how to do a variety of camera angles and shots like pan, extreme close up, long shot, mid shot, close up etc... Following this, I have been able to incorporate this into making my final product with a range of other different skills. We used Adobe Premiere Elements in order to edit our preliminary task to ensure that everything flowed so that it wouldn't make the audience bored and the film would look professional. After having some practise with the camera and the editing software, I felt much more confident when it came to producing and editing the real thing. Looking back at the preliminary task, we did use a variety of camera shots and angles however when it came to editing it wasn't very professional as we struggled to fit it together due to having to film different scenes on different days and then having to go back and re-film a scene. Furthermore, we also discovered that when we used the dolly to support the camera when we were moving with it, the whole scene was filmed and it was very shaky. There was no way that we could edit this so we had to re-film this scene which then we had some slight continuity issues. Here is the link to my preliminary task...  Link to our preliminary task

However, when it came to filming the final product, we made sure that the shots we used for different purposes during the film did not cause us any difficulties and if they did then we were able to solve them and it did not have an effect on the film in the end. We used a larger range of camera shot and angles and we used specific shots to emphasise the characters feelings on the particular situations that they were put in. For example, when the detective is getting ready in the morning before going to work, we shot this scene using mainly mid shots so that you could see his facial expressions and also some of his body language. By doing this, it is easy to recognise the character as being the detective when he is putting on his suit, trilby hat and coat etc... Another example of using a particular camera shot for a specific scene is when we used a close up when the character opens the envelope from the femme fatal so that it is the envelope that is the main focus of the shot and nothing is going to be in the background which would distract the audience from what they should be looking at. The mistakes that we made when filming the preliminary task, we were able to over come when producing the real thing.

Using a variety of camera shots has helped with us making the final film so that it will entice the audience to carry on watching and hook them into the story line compared to if the whole film was just made using mid shots, it wouldn't focus on the character and you wouldn't be able to see or tell their different expressions or body language.



We took into consideration Mise-En-Scene when we made the film product for example in the preliminary task, we only filmed it inside and outside of the college whereas when we made our film noire, we filmed some in the college and some at someone's house. This would also make the viewer keen to keep on watching because it is a change of scenery and they wouldn't get bored of just seeing the colleges four walls like in our first attempt with the preliminary task. Also, when we made the preliminary task, we used a track that we found on the Adobe Premiere Elements software but when it came to the final product, we made our own soundtrack using the Music Garage on the Apple Mac. We had to add different parts of the song and ensure that it all flowed because it is playing throughout the majority of the film. Moreover, the music had to fit with the genre of the film (film noire) to emphasise the tension that is built up in the film and make it more lifelike to the target audience. Costume was another part of Mise-En-Scene that we took into consideration when creating our final product. As you can see from our preliminary task, both of the characters are just dressed in normal business smart clothing whereas when we filmed our final product we had some characters in it that were dressed in business wear and the detective that was dressed in his uniform. We did this so that it made it easy for the audience to be able to distinguish the detective from the other characters because he is the main character and has the leading role and therefore the main focus. If he was just wearing normal business wear too then it would be hard for the audience to discover who he is and what his purpose is in the film. Consequently, this could also lead to them possibly not enjoying the film if they do not know who is who, what their purposes are and what the whole film is about - it would confuse them and they would not just have the pleasure of watching the film, they would really have to concentrate to think about who is who. This is not ideal for our target audience because it is aimed at the younger generation and they are more likely to become bored more easily than the older generations.


We had to carry out some research before making our final task so that we knew the different codes and conventions of a film noire and then how we would challenge them when it came to producing our film. To do this, we researched a film called the 'Maltese Falcon', an old, stereotypical film noire and the more modern 'Se7en'. This helped us a great deal when we came to produce the film and also the planning the script in the earlier stages.






Se7en film analysis...
http://darcyreid-tam6formmediaas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/seven-at-start-of-film-summerset-played.html




Here is a link to the script that we used in our film...



http://darcyreid-tam6formmediaas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/cast-detective-lance-bullock-callum.html


During carrying out the research it gave us a lot of ideas of how we could twist the original stereotype of a film noire and give our a new, younger audience compared to an audience from the older generation as commonly known. Some of the things we came up with included just keeping the film in colour. It is a simple but yet effective way to attract the youngsters because they wouldn't want to be watching an 'old' film so it was best not to change it to black and white and to leave it in colour. We also kept the characters young to attract the correct audience.


Here is some of the research we carried out into film noire's codes and conventions to help us...
http://darcyreid-tam6formmediaas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/film-noir-in-film-noirs-they-contain.html


http://darcyreid-tam6formmediaas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/research-into-film-noir.html

Evaluation - Q6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the process of making this product we used a lot of new forms of media and technology that i hadn't used before so i had to learn how to use them. For example, using the Mac's and the editing software on them to construct and finalize our opening sequence. 

To film the actual opening scene, we used a Sony Handycam - a small camera that allowed us to include loads of different shot types to make it individual to us and unique compared to everyone else's film sequences. Furthermore, the standard definition on the handycam was of a high quality so we didn't have to film in in HD. If we did film it in HD then the videos would take up loads of memory on the camera and then on the computer to get the best quality so it is better to just do it in SD which is just as good. Moreover, we didn't edit the film in HD either because it would have taken too long to complete. 

I have used a number of social media networks in order to promote my opening sequence to my film called 'Beech Road' including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to gather a great range of audiences to watch it.

Mac's are used to edit media for different things rather than using a standard desktop p.c. They can both have the same software downloaded onto them however Mac's are more likely to be used because of the way they look to appeal to customers. They're big, shiny and modernized whereas a lot of the new and old desktop p.c's are not like this and are usually used for more office based work compared to Mac's that are used for film and editing various media.

We used Adobe Premiere Elements in order to edit our final product and also our preliminary task. It has a range of features which include everything that you need to be able to edit your film and make it look sophisticated and professional. You can enhance it to make it suitable for your target audience and when we used it when editing our final film, we were able to challenge the different codes and conventions of a film noire in even more detail.

Evaluation - Q5: How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation - Q4: Who would be the audience for your media?

For our media product, the audience would be teenagers and young adults aged 20-30. This is due to the fact that all of the characters in the film are of a young age so in this way, the audience would be able to relate to the characters if they have shared similar experiences and situations as them. Furthermore, this would attract a larger audience if they can actually be able to relate to the film  than if they couldn't. The targeted audience would be sophisticated with a cleaver and yet witty mind. 


Due to the film being in colour instead of the typically stereotype of a black and white film noire, this will attract a larger range of audiences and may also attract the more mature generations because there is a twist to the usual conventions. The language of the characters is standard English compared to an older film noire where they speak a lot more properly so in this respect, it might encourage the younger generations to watch our film as they will be able to relate to it more so than older people.


Before creating our film, we had to carry out a lot of research into other films to try and figure out what type of audience that we wanted to attract. We did this by looking at previous film noire for example 'Maltese Falcon' as a classic film noire and we did the opposite to give it a twist and to contradict the usual codes and conventions and to hopefully have the younger generation as our primary audience.




Our film would be promoted in many ways to be able to attract different audiences for example, billboards and posters for the older generations if they are not accustomed with the internet then then can still find out about the film in this way. They might be displayed in shop windows, the cinema and on buses to ensure that everyone is bound to see or hear about it at some point. The cast and crew will do interviews on chat shows such as Jonathan Ross or Graham Norton and many others.

Furthermore it can also be discovered when people watch the news or go onto a news website like the Daily Mail or Sky news. Here you will also find the trailer for the film and other things such as interviews that have been carried out online. By doing these methods of promotion, it will be mainly the younger generation that will see or hear about our film which is what we intended on in the first place as it is a modern twist on a classic film noire.







Due to the latest advances in modern technology, our film would be able to be streamed from Sky movies, Netflix or Amazon Prime if it inherited the excessive funding that big movies usually get - when they get a larger profit than what they had to pay for making the film. This would be more ideal for the younger generation as they can watch the film at home and also it can vary to a range of audiences also.


Older audiences may also be intrigued to watch our film because there are a lot of TV crime dramas that are on such as Agatha Christie's Poirot, Midsummer Murders and A Touch Frost. These are TV series' that follow a film noire but in a different format. The older generations tend to watch these as they aren't as long as films and you get the same entertainment from them.
There are the more modern versions of crime thrillers for example, Scott and Bailey and Broad Church that the younger generation tend to watch because of the codes and conventions of these. Such as, the characters tend to be middle aged compared to the older ones in Midsummer Murders and the crimes are much more realistic nowadays compared to years ago when they were made. This will help us entice the correct audience if they are already into watching crime thrillers, our modern twist on our film noire will be a perfect match for them.