Georgina Sheldon AS Level Evaluation

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

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Working Title would be one of the most beneficial production companies to have my comedy drama distributed by. Their films are well known for being a British success, and many of these films are in the comedy genre. Films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, that was their highest grossing of $245,700,832. There is also the Bridget Jones films, Mr.Bean films, About A Boy, The Boat That Rocked, Johnny English 1 & 2, and Burn After Reading. All these films are in the comedy genre, and some are even in the same hybrid of comedy drama, which will be advantageous for helping our film to succeed in a British style. However, I would prefer to use Tiger Aspect Productions who from my additional research are an upcoming British production company that have made well-known comedy films. For example, Kevin and Perry Go Large and they aided Working Title in the production of the Mr.Bean films. Because of this I think using this distributor would be beneficial for both my film and the production company itself. This is as they will help to market the film in a specifically comedic way. And, the company could find my film useful to help reenergise their British film productions. Overall, these two distributors would be valuable to be with due to their connections with each other, the BBC, Film Four, StudioCanal and Universal (this as they are vertically integrated), which help to get my film recognised by the European and American audiences.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The method of distribution I would use is to put my film in a multiplex cinema. This is as although the film is for the target audience of early teenager and is a 12A, other demographic audiences would still enjoy and want to watch this film due to the comedy to being to childish. Due to the distributors having links with Film Four and the BBC this would allow my film to be screen on their TV channels after release from the cinema. From there they could be put onto their web 2.0 catch up on demand sites like BBC iplayer and 4OD. I would retail my film in any of the generic outlets such as Tescos, Sainsburys, Asda, and HMV. My target audience is early teenagers and above, so they are more inclined to watch the film on the web 2.0 by buying the film on online websites such as Amazon or itunes. This is as these retailers serve a large range of audiences and have good entertainment deals and promotions that consumers would look into when buying the film on DVD. I would only distribute the film onto hardware like a DVD, because I do not think audiences need to watch this film on hardware like Blue-ray, as the film does not include action sequences that would benefit from the extra quality. Also, I would only use distribute this film onto DVD as the target audience early teenager of both genders probably wont be able to afford the Blue-ray disc or own a player, unless their parents have bought one.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
To market my film into the film industry I will be exhibiting the film at festivals to promote it and to find distributors. One of the best festivals would be the LOCO Film Festival (London Comedy Film Festival) in 26th-29 January 2012. It could be screened after The Muppets Special Preview at 8:30 pm, as then the target audiences are the same early teenager. Other films festivals that would be beneficial are the London Film Festival 12th-23rd April 2012, Sundance Film Festival in, and the Toronto Film Festival. These American independent film festivals would be great so my film can break into the American audience and market. Film Festivals are a very current way of advertising films and getting a lot of press, which will help attract my target audience as they like to be up to date with the latest gossip and celebrities that attend these festivals. In this way film festivals would be a great way of distributing to my target audience as they would to see a film a celebrity has credited. I would decide to distribute my film during the summer, specifically the end of July to August. This is because my target audience of both genders of early teenagers would be on summer their holidays so are more likely to see the films that are available in their spare time. Also, sales figures for cinemas and films are at their highest during this period. For example, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 grossed $1,328,111,219.

Question 4 & 5 Vox Pop

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
To complete my opening sequence I placed the memory card from the new camera, the Canon 600D into the iMac and imported all the footage on to iPhoto. From there I opened iMovie and again imported the footage into a new project to sort through clips that will not be needed at all in when editing. I also found iPhoto and iMovie very helpful when creating my product as if ever I lost the footage I knew I had it backed up, also it saved value time when I went through the footage, so that I didnt have as long to wait for the clips to render on Final Cut. After sorting through all the footage I exported it to Final Cut to render and then edit. I loved constructing the product using Final Cut, as there is so much you do on it compared to other editing softwares. Because of this I learnt new editing techniques like how to speed up footage, adding transitions appropriately and on time, how to manipulate the sound, creating freeze frames, using the blade tool to make separate scenes and to cut to perfection. Overall, these editing benefited the outcome of the product as it meant the film ran smoothly and was very interesting, which will attract audience.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
To make the titles, LiveType by adding new tracks in a sequence with the names of everybody in the production. I then used effects to make the title move in and out of the screen in a more interesting way. I then had to pick an appropriate font that is genre conventional to keep with the theme of the film. Once that was done a explored the editing settings, and did things such as giving the blue colour scheme or adding a shadow effect. These effects were done for each individual title, but the Main title had it own font, effects it used the bouny effect and settings. After the sequence was finished and it had all rendered I shared it and turned into the movie format and imported it onto Final Cut. From there I split up the titles using the blade tool and intercut the titles between a scene of Eric talking to the camera. This made the final product more conventional more conventional and to create comedy in the film, and to show characterisation. When producing music with Garage Band, I overlayed loops and cut them down to create the soundtrack. During this production I experimented with different sounds to make sure the right audio was put together that represented the comedy genre, would attract the audience and keep them engaged and which would reflect the atmosphere of the scene. When the track was finished I shared and transferred it into a soundtrack format so it can then be imported into final cut. From there I cut the music and had to place it correctly into the timeline, with the correct scenes so the end product all sounded and looked smoothly. I also used a microphone to create sound effects that were not available on Garage Band. For example, Erics pen click and his angry noise. These sounds were then taken off its memory card and sorted through and name and then imported to Final Cut and placed correctly within the sequence. This helped add realism to our final product and comedy. Also, to create our film companys production logo Talented Studios, Photoshop was used. Overlaying different shapes, then filling in the background effects and adding the text, made this logo. We named and designed the logo in this way to convey a modern, energizing, optimistic image to audiences.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
When filming the opening sequence I developed my skills with handling the camera on the tripod, rig and dolly. I had to get used to knowing how fast I was actually moving the camera on the rig and the dolly in particular because it is very sensitive to the slightest touch; and this would affect the positioning of the actor on the screen. For example, when I was tracking Eric walking up the hallway stairs and following Jack around the corner to where the action is going to occur. During editing I developed skills in GarageBand, as before the preliminary I had not used it before. I learnt skills such as putting the loops together and making sure everything is on time. I also significantly developed my skills in editing on Final Cut. I did this through examining footage more closely when cutting the clips. For example, when I was intercutting the scene with Eric talking to the camera, and the titles. In addition I used my new developing skill to edit together the different clips shot from different angles. In doing so I used the blade tool and watch each clip frame by frame to incorporate these different shots so I had more variety of views in my final product. The way I used these shots angles meant how the characters came across to the audience, so in this way it was very important to the final product to how I illustrated the narrative and showed the characters.

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

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

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

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

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