Critical Evaluation (Mori and Aaron)

Evaluation of the Piece

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

As we are following the conventions of real films we am hoping that our sequence will look as realistic as possible. We are using the correct equipment for filming, obviously nothing like the real film crew use but good equipment for our level. We are also using credits very similar to those of real films, this is an area we have really tried to concentrate on as it contributes largely to the professionalism of the film. I also think that the editing is an area which we are very strong in and it will help to make our piec4e as realistic as possible. We have also stuck the rules of film, we chose to do this because I think it would have been harder to challenge the codes and conventions as it would have to be obviously different and I think this would just have looked unprofessional. Our film is a thriller and in a film of this particular genre has certain aspects such as the topography of the film for example the room in the film "Saw" in the opening scene, as it is Thriller/Horror we are exposed to the codes and conventions of the genre so the viewers immediatly know what the film is going to be about. In a thriller we both thought that it is vital to get the correct soundtrack to go with the film as we have seen in movies such as The Godfather, Hostage and Saw. These films contain the deluge of feelings through their music showing the audience the genre they have created. In most Thriller and Crime movies there shot selection is specified to not show the faces of the villan, we as film makers have adopted this too create a sense of suspense.

A certain code and concention which we felt was essential to stick to was that studio logo: this is a screen shot of our logo sequence in our opening piece.

Shot selections of Crime is mostly kept under suspense from the villan's face. We have been inspired to do this from movies such as Charlie in "Charlie's Angels". This method allows the sudience ot create their own image in their minds, thus making it more interesting to watch.

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

Our media does not focus on any particular single social group, it looks more at specific groups. We see what it is like to be a teenager in a boarding school but wee don’t see any interaction with other teens in the film so it is hard to show socially how teens act. We show this by having the teen working in the afternoon and then even sleeping, this shows that it is hard being at a school because not only do they have to work in the afternoon but they need to sleep as well. This gives the audience a good insight into boarding school life, even if it is just short. We also think it is good as it will leave much up to the audiences imagination. Other social groups are not really looked at in the earlier piece that we have only done, but the business sector would be looked at in some detail and dodgy dealings with bad people. In the first bit that we have filmed you also get slight details of what these bad men are like as they have to kidnap the child and torture him so this shows how bad people can be. As this is a film about business we should be looking to attract people in the business area who can empathise with the characters and also enjoy the movie, however so our Certificate of the movie should be rated a 15 as we both think it is suitable to attract teenagers.

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

I would expect a major film company like New Line Cinema to help to distribute the product. Not only would the film company help to give the film an expensive image but they would know exactly how to get this film selling well as a DVD and even over the internet and in cinemas. This film company would also have good contacts in the media industry adding to the chance of greater sales. I would also have promotional videos on You Tube and iTunes this would help raise awareness of the film. Things such as trailers and film posters should also help our distribution of our film

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for this film would be from ages 15 upwards. The violence was too great but we also think this film would appeal to mainly men as it has violence in it, and it is a quarrel between two men. It may be seen by some women but the balance will be largely towards the men as it is a Thriller film.

5. How did you attract and address your audience?

In order to attract and address the specific audiences advertising would largely be needed, it would be out in a men’s magazines meaning that it is more specifically directed towards men. Also trailers can be played at the cinema before films a similar genre, so the right audience see it. Trailers can also be played on the TV later at night after the watershed when older members of the public are watching, and on different channels for an example an action channel such Sky Movies Action/Adventure.

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

We have learnt about three different technologies in greater detail than we already knew. We have mastered the control of a camera, learning how to film, take pictures, view recorded footage, change effects and much more. We have also learnt computer about moving recorded data from a camera onto a computer and then onto the video editing program which is the third technology we have learnt about. We know how to edit video that we have filmed. We can make the video look professional through effects as well as presentation, including titles which can be changed using the program Adobe Photoshop and then transferred onto the video program which we were using called Premiere Elements 4.0 to finish the editing and produce the final piece.

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

We have expanded our knowledge in all areas of the media studies course. We have learnt more of the rules and regulations of the film to keep my film looking professional and of course making sense. We have also leant many different shots over the time of making this video which have come in very useful during the filming of the main piece. We have learnt far more about the video editing program Premiere Elements 4.0, we feel that we are far more experienced now and could edit any video that we needed to. We know the effects and tolls which help to make the final piece more professional, realistic and a higher quality.

8. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Here is some examples of feedback from members of the school who have watched our film:
16 March 2009 11:34
Tolu & Maria said... "I have seen Mori and Aaron's film and i think it is very good. They make very good use of the camera and tripod throughout and the variety of shots and music add to the atmosphere of suspense they had created. The acting in their opening sequence is brilliant making their project much more beleivable."

12 March 2009 12:20 vigges said... "You are the only guys with an obviously more hefty content of us with that water - torture scene. I liked it. The Low Angle shot is well made and the physical demanding parts are well set.The intro with the car is good and builds up tension and makes the audience want to see more of the plot."

This feedback has showed us a few things about what we have created and therefore futhers us a media producers. Our previous film's audiences have criticised our shots saying they were too shaky. As this film has many hand-held shots, for example when the victim is being dragged down the hallway we needed to make sure that we did not repeat the mistake, to ensure this we took the hand-held shots several times. Also a previous comment that victor made in class saying that the music did not work well with the video, this helped us to realise that we needed to change the music to fit our film better.