Final full product. My Teen Comedy film opening.

Here is my finished product. This is my film opening sequence in the genre of Teen Comedy.

(Turn off annotations when watching)

7. What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from your preliminary task to your full product?

Shot reverse shot

In my preliminary task I used Shot reverse shot to film part of the conversation that was taking place. By doing this I learnt that it is a sufficient camera shot for filming conversations as it allows the audience to see who is talking and the characters point of view. Shot reverse shot is where one camera angle is shown, then another, then back to the first. I feel that it keeps the audience engaged during character dialogue and helps you to see the characters expressions as you are shown more than one angle. You can see in the top photo above that I went from a front on angle, to an over the shoulder view and then back in my preliminary task. This shows who is having the conversation, the situation from one characters point of view and the other characters facial expressions. I did not use this in my final full product as there was only one character involved, therefore no conversations took place. However, as shown in the second photo above, a similar technique was used for the part where the main character was having a flash back. It went from a shot of the main character looking in the mirror, to camera shots of her trying out different outfits, then back again. So the same sort of concept was used.

Match on action

I used Match on action in both my preliminary task and my final full product. My first attempt in my preliminary task was just of the character walking across the room. By practicing using this technique I was able to successfully use in in my film opening and I think it plays a key part. As there is only one character in my film opening and the narrative of it is based on her going to her first day at school, following her around is literally the main element of it. Without learning about Match on action I would not have been able to capture the characters full morning routine and her journey to school. This would have then meant that my Film opening would have failed completely and not fit with my genre. The photo above is an example of where Match on action was used in my film opening.

180 degree rule

I learnt about the 180 degree rule when completing my preliminary task. I found out that it keeps things clear for the audience and avoids confusion between where characters or items are situated. In my preliminary task I made sure not to cross onto the other side of the table where the characters were sitting as this would mess up the continuity of the scene. As shown in the top picture above, I kept on the same side of the table so it was clear for the audience where the characters were. In the second picture shown above, you can see an example of where the 180 degree rule was used in my film opening. This was especially important for the scenes where the main character was walking to school. If I had of crossed over the 180 degree line and filmed some parts from the other side of the character, it would have been really confusing and created the illusion that she kept changing the direction that she was walking in. I am now confident that I understand the 180 degree rule fully and I am aware of its importance when filming.

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

By constructing my film opening I have been able to develop my understanding of software, hardware and online tools and how they all interact with my project.

Hardware - 

Mac 
I used a Mac to do all of my research and planning, as well as the editing of my film. I don't have a Mac computer at home so I learnt a lot of new things by doing this. Such as how you can drag and save things into your documents, then drag them onto blogger and upload them instantly. I then gained experience with the computer programmes available. Overall, I increased my confidence with Macs and I feel I can now use one sufficiently to complete a task.

Canon 600D camera
The camera that I used to film my film opening was a Canon 600D. Using this camera I was able to film in HD which maximised the quality of my camera shots. I have used my camera before but only for taking photographs, never to record video. Therefore I learnt how to use the film settings of my camera, how to focus the lense and how to pick up sound clearly using the built in microphone. I also got a better understanding of how long it takes to import HD video onto a computer whilst I was uploading my footage.

Tripod

I used a tripod when filming my film opening to help me stabilise my camera. This helped me to get the camera completely straight so none of my shots were wonky. It also helped when I came to filming the tracking and panning shots as I could achieve them without having a shaky camera. I was able to get the height that I wanted for each of my camera angles. As I filmed my film on my own, having a tripod was very handy. It allowed me to set up the camera in the position I wanted it, hit record and then begin 

acting out the scene. This meant that I didn't need anyone else to help me film.


Software - 

IMovie

This was the first time that I had used IMovie but I caught on quickly and it was quite simple to use. The editing that I included in my film opening was cut, fast motion, some blur transitions and then adding the titles and sound. I was able to do all of this easily with IMovie and so a more advanced editing software was not necessary. My skills on IMovie are still pretty basic, however I now how an understanding of how it works and was able to achieve everything I wanted to with my editing. I'm sure if I was to use this software again that I could develop my skills with this programme very quickly to achieve any other effects that I wanted to. 

Photoshop

To create my company logo I used Photoshop. I had used this software before to edit photographs but never to create my own. I found it quite challenging to get each element of my company logo the way I wanted it but I am happy with my end result. From using Photoshop I learnt how to change the colour of individual sections of an image, and import different fonts. I now feel confident that I could create another graphical image similar to my logo if I needed to. 

Online tools-

Blogger

Blogger allowed me to create my own blog which I then completed my coursework on. I had never had my own blog or seen blogger before so this was a completely new experience. I quickly learnt how to find out the tasks for each blog post, create my own posts and upload images, videos and slideshows. I found it very interesting completing my work in this way and am pleased with the skills it has given me.

Slideshare

I used Slideshare to upload any Powerpoints that I had created with relevance to my work. I created a Slideshare account and then uploaded my Powerpoints. This was new to me and I think I will be able to use this online programme again in the future. I learnt how to embed my Powerpoint on my blog posts using Slideshare and this is a very useful skill.

Mindmiester

With Mindmiester I was able to make a mindmap of different things that I wanted to include in my film opening. This was a key part of my planning as I was able to summarise everything. Such as, props, costumes, location and editing. It also adds a different way of displaying my work on my blog and in my opinion looks much more visually pleasing.

Prezi
Using Prezi allowed me to create another visually pleasing display of my work. With this online tool I was able to create an interactive slideshow and embed it into my blog post. I had never used this before and I think it is very useful and will continue to use it in the future. I think it makes the information you are illustrating much clearer and interesting to look at.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Here is a version of my film opening that I added annotations to, showing how it would attract and address members of my target audience.

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

The audience for my 12A rated Teen Comedy is teenages above the age of 12, typically females. To represent the audience for my film, I have chosen to do what the media industries do and profile a typical audience member.  

This is Sarah Grace. She is 14 years old and lives in Cambridge. She dresses casually and girly but also loves to get dressed up for special occasions. Sarah enjoys sleepovers with her friends, and going out during the day. She often goes swimming, to the park or shopping with her friends. Her favourite shops are Topshop, River Island, New Look and Primark. Her favourite films are Mean Girls, Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, St Trinians and Mumma Mia. She has watched all of them at the cinema and also has them on DVD so she can rewatch  them with her friends and eat her most loved food, pizza. Sarah also likes to watch TV programmes and other films on Netflix, such as Gossip Girl.

The music she would listen to would usually be anything in the charts, including pop music, hiphop and indie music. She isn't really into rock or classical music. She listens to the MTV music channel for the top 40 'chart hits'. I think my film would appeal to Sarah as she is a stereotypical girly girl and enjoys typical girly things. It is also very similar to her favourite films, which are also Teen Comedies, such as Mean Girls and Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Therefore, if this film was shown at her local cinema, I think it would definitely appeal to her.

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

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

I have compared the way social groups are represented in my film opening to other media products.

Typical teenage girl

The photo on the left is a screenshot from the film '16 wishes'. I am comparing this to a screenshot from my own film opening shown on the right. In both photos the characters are representing average teenage girls. Their clothes and overall style are very similar. My film opening character is wearing a skirt and casual tshirt similar to the character on the left from '16 wishes'. Their posture is also very similar as they are both walking openly and look approachable. Also all of their facial expressions seem happy and easy going. The lighting and camera angle that has been used is the same for both shots. They both are medium shots with natural lighting. This allows the audience to see the whole of the characters figure and suggests that the characters are pretty neutral in terms of their emotions and the narrative. This shows that my way of representing this social group is the same as another media product. I feel that I have represented typical teenage girls well in this photo and that it is easily recognisable.

Chav

With these two photos I am comparing how the social group 'chavs' are represented. The photo on the left is from the film and book series 'diary of a chav' and the photo on the right is a screenshot from my film opening. Overall I think that my social representation is the same as this media product and achieves the same overall response. The body position and facial expression is pretty much the same for both characters. They both have one hand in the air and are pulling a very 'confident' face. Both outfits are also very similar. For example they are both wearing bright coloured clothing and a snapback. Some differences are their hairstyles and the fact that my character is not wearing any 'bling'. I would change this and add some jewellery to my character if I was to do this again. Despite this, the same feel is created and so I think that I have represented the social group of 'chavs' well and in the same way as another media product.

Goth

Out of the 3 social groups that I represented in my film opening I feel that this was the weakest. On the left is a photo from the TV series 'iCarly' and on the right is a screenshot from my own film opening. My initial aim was to represent the social group 'goths'. However, after comparing my version to the representation made by iCarly I am realising that mine is a bit misleading and not very clear. The hand gesture that my character makes is a 'rock' sign which would actually be associated with a different social group, such as 'rock chick'. If I had of kept the expressions made by my character more like the one in the photo from iCarly I think it would have been much more obvious that I was representing goths. Also I could have put some coloured streaks in her hair like in the picture on the right. Aside from this I think my representation is not completely unsuccessful as it is still showing that there is a range of teenage styles and this was the main point of this scene in my film opening.

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

 I have put together a nine frame analysis of different shots of my film opening to show how it uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products.

1) The title of the film

The main title appears right at the end of my film opening. I decided on this so that it was obvious that the opening was over and to get the audience ready for what would be the rest of the film. My title is simple but bold. The font is standard and there are no background distractions. I think this focuses the audiences attention on the name of my film and allows for them to briefly think over what had happened so far in the opening sequence. The font is dark pink as this fits well with my genre and target audience. My target audience is teenagers, mainly girls, and so I think pink is a fitting colour. Also the overall look fits with a Teen Comedy as it is not dark or scary, instead it's just simple, bright and bold.

2) Setting/Location

In my film opening there are three main locations; the main characters bedroom, her bathroom and the school. The picture shown above is of the main characters bedroom. It is a typical teenage girls bedroom with pink walls, a flowery bed cover and a dressing table with makeup. This shows a bit about the main characters personality. It allows you get an idea of the age and lifestyle of the main character.

3) Costumes and props

The costumes I used are pyjamas, chav, goth and a casual school outfit. As my character was waking up in the morning, she was introduced in pyjamas. This make her morning routine seem normal and relatable to teenagers to would be watching. Amelia then talks about experimenting with new looks so it shows her trying out a chav and goth outfit. Trying out these looks was to add comedic value to my Teen Comedy film opening and to show different stereotypical social groups. Finally, She decides to just wear a casual outfit to school, consisting of a skirt and tshirt.

4) Camerawork and editing

I used a range of both camera shots and editing techniques. My camerawork included tracking and panning shots, along with basic closeups, longs shots and medium shots. The tracking shot is shown in the picture above. I used this to create the feeling for the audience that they are walking to school along with the main character. A close up was used at the very start to give the viewers a clear view of the main characters face.

5) Title font and style

I kept the font that I used very simple. It is called 'Coolvetia' and is quite basic. As my genre is Teen Comedy, using a big swerly font or a bold intense font would be inappropriate and misleading. However, to keep the titles interesting I matched the colour of them with things shown in the background of the shot. For example, in the shot shown above, the navy font colour matches the main characters skirt. Other examples are matching baby blue font with the mirror in the background of the bathroom scenes, and having white font to match the window frames and her bed cover.

6) Story and how the opening sets it up

The story of my film is the main character, Amelia, getting ready for her first day at a new school. The opening sets this up by showing her getting up in the morning and rushing around trying to prepare herself. Having the opening showing a first day at school or a big event in the main characters life is a convention of Teen Comedies. My film opening sets up the rest of the film narrative by showing her getting out of bed and ending up at school. It shows her struggle to get ready and be organised which will be relatable for my target audience. The ending of her walking through the school doors and then the sound of a bell ringing gives the impression that the rest of the film is about to start.

7) Genre and how the opening sets it up

My genre is Teen Comedy. Conventions of this are making the audience laugh and keeping an audience of teenagers entertained. I feel my film opening sets this up as there are comedic elements in it.  For example, Amelia accidentally eats her toast whilst trying to clean her teeth, forgets her school bag and walks into school with her skirt tucked into her tights as you can see in the shot above. To attract teenagers, I added in things that I feel they would be able to relate to. Such as swearing, stereotypical school groups like chavs and goths and being late for school. 

8) How the characters are introduced

The only character that features in my film opening is the main character. She is introduced in the first shot of my film opening. This is an aerial shot of her lying in bed. During this shot you get to see her face clearly and can link the voice over to her voice. Here she wakes up from her sleep, yawns and then looks directly into the camera. I feel that this grabs the audiences attention and makes it believable that the voice over is her thoughts.

9) Special effects

There were no special effects used in my film opening other than fast motion. I did this for some parts to help portray the rushed feeling that the main character was experiencing. As Amelia was in a hurry to get to her first day of school, she was quickly doing all the things that she needed to in order to get ready. Putting some parts of her morning routine in fast motion enhanced this and created the same hurried atmosphere for the audience. It also allowed me to turn what would have been very long and boring parts of the film into quick, fast paced ones. For example, the section of film that is shown in the image above is of the main character putting her shoes on. This is a key part of her getting ready but I put it in fast motion so it was not long and boring for the audience to watch. This keeps the audience interested and allows them to connect with the main character.

Production log Diegesis

I have got my music from a royalty free music sharing website called 'www.incompetech.com'. The song I have chosen is called 'Son Of A Rocket'. The website states that all the music on it is royalty free which means that it is not copyrighted. I am not allowed to use copyrighted music because of the copyright law. If copyrighted material is used in my film opening I would have have committed 'copyright infringement'.

Production log Editing

I am just starting to edit and I think it should be quite effective when finished. I have changed some parts from my planning. For example, I have made some parts fast motion to speed up some shots and add to the comedic value of my film. I also took out the 'hipster' outfit that the main character was going to try on. This was to save time and I didn't feel that the 'hipster' style is well known everywhere. The only difficultly I had was trying to match the voice over with my film. To solve this I am going to rerecord the voice over once I have finished editing. The programme I am using is iMovie. The advantages of using this are that it is simple to use and includes any effects that I need for my film. Some disadvantages of this programme may be if you are making a diferent genre of film and you want a bigger range of special effects.

Production log Filming

I think the filming of my film opening went well. The only thing I changed from my planning was adding in extra props. I added in a school bag, phone, ipod and ipad. The only difficulties I had were due to me having to film and be in the film as I was the only person acting in it. I am on scedule with my filming and I am beginning to edit my film now.

19. Storyboard

Storyboard of my film opening - 'Take 2'

18. Scripting

Amelia (main character) is lying in bed.

VOICE OVER (of Amelia): Okay, so today's the day. New school, new start, new me.

Amelia looks at her alarm clock.

AMELIA: Oh shit!

Amelia jumps out of bed and starts rushing around trying to get ready.

VOICE OVER: Organisation is key this year. I'm determined to work hard, do my homework and get good grades. The thing I want most though, is a decent social life. This means I need to make a good first impression.

Amelia goes into her bathroom and stares at herself in the mirror.

VOICE OVER: I've been trying out some new styles recently...

(Flash back to her trying out different styles - Chavy, gothic and hipster)

VOICE OVER: It's hard to find the balance between fitting in and standing out from the crowd. I need something that says 'wow! that girl is cool' ... Although i'm not too sure what that is.

(Flash back to bathroom)

VOICE OVER: Then again, no one remembers first impressions anyway, right? I guess i'll just have to go with the 'I'm too cool to make an effort' look, for now.

Amelia puts on a bit of makeup, ties hair up and gets dressed. She runs down the stairs and out the door.

VOICE OVER: Being on time has never been my strong point. It's a good thing I can multitask. Did I mention that i'm not great at remembering things either? Oh well.
I have a new chance now to get things right. This is my upper school experience, take 2. I can't mess this up.

Amelia walks in through the school doors.

17. Timeline planning

This is the timeline of my Film Opening - 

16. Costumes

Here is a list of the costumes I am going to need for my film opening with an image and an explanation of the meaning that I am going to try to produce with them.

Pyjamas

As the main character is shown waking up in the morning, she will be introduced wearing pyjamas. This is in order to make her morning routine as normal and relatable to teenagers as possible.

'Chavy' outfit

Before her first day of her new school, the main character experiments with different looks and styles. One of the looks she tries out it a 'chavy' one. This consists of big jewellery, lots of make up, bright clothes and possibly a cap.

'Gothic' outfit

The next look that the main character tries out is 'gothic'. This consists of lots of dark eye makeup, dark lipstick, flat hair and black clothing.

'Hipster' outfit

The last outfit that is tried out is the 'hipster' look. This consists of dip died hair, a hat, sometimes glasses, a crop top, shorts and long socks.

Casual outfit

Finally the main character decides to just go with a standard, casual outfit for school. This will consist of a skirt and a shirt as the skirt is needed for a comedic part.

15. Locations

Here is a list of the locations I am going to use for my film opening with an image and an explanation of the meaning that I am going to try to produce with them.

School

I have chosen to use a school as the main location of my film as this is a convention of a Teen Comedy. The character will arrive at the school at the end of my film opening suggesting that the rest of the film will take place within the school. Using a school shows the age of the characters and makes the genre clear.

Main characters bedroom

This is where the main character will be introduced at the start of my film opening. Her room is pink and very girly which shows a bit about her personality. It allows you to get an idea of the age and lifestyle of the main character.

Main characters house

As the main character is getting ready in the morning she will be running around the house as she is in a hurry. This will make her seem relatable and down to earth. Showing where the main character lives will allow the audience to connect more with her.

14. Prop list

Here is a list of the props I am going to need for my film opening with an image and an explanation of the meaning that I am going to try to produce with them.

Makeup

I am going to need makeup to show the main character getting ready in the morning. She is trying to fit in at her new school and has been experimenting with different looks using makeup and clothes. I plan for the main character to put on makeup in the mirror to help show this.

Toast

As the narrative of my film opening is based on the main character getting ready for her first day of school, eating breakfast is included in her morning routine. To show her going doing this the main character will quickly eat a few bites of toast. This will also help to show that she is in a rush.

Toothbrush

Again, as part of the main character's morning routine, she will rush brushing her teeth. To do this she will need a toothbrush. It will also be used as a small comedic part of the narrative to help my film opening fit the genre of Teen Comedy.

Cigarette

To show the main character trying to fit in at her new school, as well as experimenting will different styles, she will to try to smoke a cigarette. Using a cigarette fits with the conventions of a Teen Comedy as drug usage. This will comply with the guideline of a 12A rated film as long as the use is infrequent (which it will be as it will only be shown once) and is not glamourise (which it also wont be as the main character is going to not like smoking and then flush the cigarette down the toilet).

13. Mood board

I have created a mood board containing the conventions of a Teen Comedy that I am going to include in my film opening.

Making this mood board has helped me to visually summarise the conventions of a Teen Comedy. It is a collage of different photographs and words that I combined together on powerpoint. I can now see what type of characters, language, situations and props I should include in my film opening.