Evaluation for Question 4

My group has used the Prezi format to present question 4. Towards the ending of the prezi; each of us also evaluated how media technology has helped to improve our coursework. 

             

Evaluation for Question 3

For question 3, my group has used the format of Powerpoint in order to present their findings which was then uploaded onto slideshare so that it's viewable on our blogs.

                      

Blind Reaction of Audience with Feedback

               

Questioning Audience for Feedback

               

In addition to the video responses for the audience feedback, we carried out asking for feedback through social medias such as Whatsapp and Snapchat. Also, we managed to receive some commentary on the actual Youtube video for the trailer.

We were lucky enough to obtain some feedback on the trailer from people in America. Seeing how the American film industry is well-known for its films in the horror-genre, we had to get some feedback from actual Americans who live in the USA.

Evaluation for Question 2

This is the group's answer for evaluation Question 2.

(From left to right: Chantelle Locsin, Amber Byrne, Chantelle Anonuevo and Cedric Onchuru)

           

Evaluation for Question 1 (Part B)

This is the group's answer to evaluation question 1.

             

Evaluation for Question 1 (Part A)

1)   In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I used a voicethread in order to answer the evaluation question for 1 in relation to my own produced media products which are the film poster and film magazine front cover. I included also the main genre case study that influenced my pieces.

                       

Audience Feedback - Social Media Audience Feedback

This is the audience feedback from 3 social media networks found to be most popular these days. We have recieved great feedback about the official trailer. There were so many comments on the great editing and it's partnership with the music which is constant throughout the feedback we've been getting. This comes to show a great result to what we have produced as a trailer.

Audience Feedback - Audience Blind Reaction for trailer

Here are the blind reactions of our target audience watching the trailer for the first time. They have included some comments throughout the trailer and it was found whilst editing most reacted during key points in the trailer so it all couldn't be added in. Our target audience was mainly male so the majority of those who we have taken reactions from and have questioned are male, whilst one being female.

Audience Feedback - Question Audience

         

After taking their reactions, we managed to gain the chosen audience to answer a few questions. This involved 4 males and 1 female. The fact that the majority are male is because they are our target audience from the age range 18 - 20 years old, they all fall under the minimum age range. We wanted to know if the trailer was clear, what should be improved, what appealed to them the most and so on.

From this feedback, we have gained really good feedback with little flaws that is either due to sound or filming.

Final - Penance Film Trailer

After we got the feedback, we discussed as to what further changes we can have in order to improve the trailer before submitting it was our final version. 

One of the changes we applied in order to improve the final draft is to reduce the amount of white noise heard. At the beginning, the first dialogue heard had quite a lot of white noise so we used Adobe Audition in order to reduce the amount of white noise to a minimum. This was also applied to the Priest's dialogue in the trailer.

In addition, we realised that the date for the film trailer was missing so we added that at the end with the title and social media inter-titles.

We decided to show that the film is a modern film being released by universal pictures, we changed the logo design from the old one to the new one (since it's what most of the latest films are currently using).

 Old Universal Logo

New Universal Logo

Audience Feedback - Final draft of trailer

This is a page full of screenshots from whatsapp feedback on our trailer's first draft. So far there were strong complimentary comments and a few flaws like not viewing the suspects in detail e.g. the pictures on the map, or a clip of an actor looking like they were about to laugh. Although these are flaws we unfortunately cannot improve on majorly as that would need additional filming. However as an overall result, we have gained great results on out final draft so far which means there would not be much changes done. There were great reactions of the music, the scenes, the plot and performances of the actors which we are grateful to hear about. This feedback very helpful to learn any improvements we may need and what we have done well in. So far, with this feedback we have done well.

Production Film Vlog - Official Blooper Reel for Penance Trailer

Creating a blooper reel helps us with the journey of our work, this shows the minimal mistakes both camera and actors had during filming. Exhibiting not only the mistakes but the deleted clips and scenes of our trailer.

Final Draft - Penance Film Trailer

This is the final draft of our film trailer 'Penance'. Through numerous changes and additions, Hyde Productions has finally completed the creation of the trailer.

This is what we gained the audience feedback from in order to know what needs to be improved before finalising the trailer itself. We as a group have noticed some faults in the trailer such as an outdated universal intro plus some white noise in some of the sounds.

             

Post-Production - Sound Editing

When listening to the dialogue in our draft trailer, we noticed a significant amount of white noise/hiss that affected the quality of the speech heard. This not only made it harder for the person watching to understand what was being said, but it negatively impacted the professionalism of our trailer, so in order to solve this issue we used Adobe Audition to reduce the white noise.

To begin with, we had to import the file that we wanted to edit the audio of. This was an easy process.

After selecting "Import > File", we just had to find the file. We did this by searching the name of it so we didn't have to spend unnecessary time looking through folders. When we found it, we just selected it and clicked "Open".

When the file has been imported, the sound-wave of the audio is shown, as can be seen above.The height of the sound-waves indicate the volume of the audio at that point. If you look closely at the image shown here, you can see that even at points that are meant to be silent, you can still see a small amount of amplitude - this is the white noise we wanted to reduce.

After importing the audio, the whole track had to be selected, so that both the dialogue and all the "silence" that we were trying to clean up would be included when the changes were made.

The next step clicking "Effects > Noise Reduction / Restoration > "Hiss Reduction (process)". This is effect we used to refine the audio.

This is the window that opens after selecting the Hiss Reduction effect. By adjusting the levels of the noise floor and how much you want to reduce the hiss by, you can work out where the optimum balance between quality of audio and reduction of white noise. We listened back to the audio repeatedly during this process to find the point of hiss reduction we were happy with.

These are the levels we decided on. As you can see from the sound-wave, the parts of the audio that are meant to be silent have less amplitude than they initially did, showing that the white noise has been reduced.

The final step was simply saving the file. Then we put the edited audio back into the trailer, and we used it as our final audio.

Production - Google Drive

As part of keeping all our files and accessible to both school and home laptops or desktops we used google drive as our portable hard drive, any day and anywhere. We had to use two accounts, hydeproductions15 and hydeproductions1502 since the first account's memory ended up being full due to the amount of film footage we had. The second account helped keep hold of extra footage, music, after-effects inter-titles and introduction. All members of the film crew had full access to both accounts.

Thankfully enough this also provided us a gmail account and a youtube account in addition when signing up to google overall. 

Post-Production - Distortion Effect on intertitles

This is a step by step account of how we made the distortion effect in Adobe After Effects. The main things you need for this is the font of your text (If it's not already downloaded) and a Screen Glitch loop. (Which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEFcfZvz8yY). 

Step 1

Once this is done, we then went on After effects and typed the text and then added the screen glitch layer on top of the text. 

Step 2

Once this is done you then make the screen glitch layer invisible so then we are left with just the title. After this you then create a new adjustment layer copy of the screen glitch layer.

Step 3

After this you then select the effect you want, since we wanted distortion you go to distort and select 'Displacement Map'

Once selected, you go to the setting on the right and change the 1st setting from adjustment layer to the glitch screen.

This is the difference, it changes the image from this (above) to this (below)

Step 4

After this, on the settings on the left hand side, you can select how much you want the image/text to distort by, the higher the number the more violent the distortion is.

And finally, on the adjustment layer, you can shorten or extend the length of the distortion. Also by duplicating the layer (ctrl +c or cmd +d) you can make the image/text distort several times and stop at certain sections too.

And that is how we made the distortion effects as seen here below.

Poster Production - Drafting Stages for Film Poster

This is a step-by-step process of the production for my first draft of the film poster. From this, I will continue to develop and change the designs in order to improve the quality for my final piece.

                       

Production - Whatsapp Group Chat

As part of being able to communicate with each other at home, we used whatsapp as a group chat. It was a very useful app, since we could send images, videos and voice notes. In these cases of the screenshots we are asking cedric to upload some after-effects video file on the google drive in order to view it or to have it saved and ready to use for use on the main desktop mac. The second screenshot is of us checking where we are for a meet-up for filming later in the day. The last screenshot is of us communicating to an absent member, Amber, showing her an update of the recent trailer. 

Meet Hyde Productions

This Production company involves [from left to right] Chantelle Locsin, Amber Byrne, Chantelle Anonuevo and Cedric Onchuru.

Amber Byrne:

Director, Head Editor and Music Producer. 

This is an important role for making the trailer, she helps keep everyone organised and keeps the shots and actors on role to the trailer. She also has to keep the trailer on point to it's genre with both the music and editing to help both work together to make the trailer give a good thrilling sense both visual and auditory.

Chantelle Anonuevo:

Co-Director, Co-Editor, Producer and Vlogger.

This is another important role for the trailer, having assistance with directing and editing to have a second opinion on what is done. Plus she made the plot from the start so has the visual ideas for the trailer so would know what is needed to fulfil the vision of the trailer. She also vlogs the backstage process.

Chantelle Locsin:

Costume and Props Director, Research and Planning Organiser and Vlog Editor.

This is a role that takes time, money and effort and she puts that in, inside and outside of the group or filming room. She helps research and plan what is needed and what would inspire the trailer in addition to that she would buy the props needed that'll help emphasise the iconography of the chosen genre. In addition to that she edits the vlogs to help produce visual content of the journey of filming.

Cedric Onchuru:

After Effects Editor

This is a role needed to help make the trailer look professional with conventional aspects such as producing an animated production logo, inter titles, trailer dates and mainly of course the film title. Without these conventions, the trailer wouldn't conform to the norms of trailers and appeals to the audience as more than an edited video but a trailer.

Post-Production - Draft of 'Penance' Trailer

As we're now working through the post-production stage of the film trailer 'Penance'. We decided to post up on the film trailer so far. There are scenes that may be cut out from the trailer later on but nonetheless, this is how the trailer is looking so far.

There may be some bits of where there is no clips or sound since we're still deciding on what clips would be used to connect the two.

            

Production Film Vlog - Victim chase scene in daylight

This is a chase scene we did during the daytime down an alleyway. It's where the murder can be seen chasing one of their victims with a machete.

Note: No one was hurt during the filming of this scene.

              

Research - Music for Film Trailer

When finding music for our trailer, we want to find a number of royalty free tracks that create both suspense and a sense of accelerating drama as the trailer progresses. We need to have multiple tracks so that the music does not become boring for the audience, and also to show the change in pace from the beginning to the end. Some options for music are:

Straight away this piece opens with an eery sound to set an ominous tone. The lack of time signature, as well as creative use of silence and diminuendo on the sound effects in the first 5 seconds is quite disorientating for the listener. This is then punctuated by the entrance of the drums, which follows a driving rhythm that continuously builds throughout the piece, until we eventually reach the climax point when the cymbals enter. This progressive development increases the tension and excitement felt by the audience as the piece goes on, which may make it useful to use towards the climax of our own trailer.

The melodic motif heard at the beginning of the piece is based loosely on a minor triad, which sets quite a dark tone to the piece. The introduction of the drums could be used in our trailer to represent the violence in our plot.

The use of fast quaver rhythms almost immediately, coupled with the crescendo and addition of more instruments heard for the first 50 seconds of the music makes this section of the piece appear to be where the drama builds. We could use this part of the music after the exposition of our trailer, where the pace of the plot will begin to quicken.

The piece uses a lot of supernatural noises which create a sense of foreboding. It is also atonal, so there is no sense of the music settling or being defined by key which is both disorientating and disconcerting for the listener. Although it is unclear where, having this somewhere in our trailer would help to establish the horror genre.

The vocal part of this piece sounds quite hymn-like, which is an aural representation of the religious aspects of our plot. The use of semitones in the melody helps to establish the minor key, and the build from a solo to choral vocal part also helps to build the tension created by dissonance via suspensions in the accompanying choir part.

The lyrics "Darkness is coming" represent the genre of horror well because darkness is often used to show the presence of evil. The choir arrangement of this piece adds to the religious representations that we need to put in our trailer.

Production Film Vlog - Detective's Office (with both Detectives)

This scene shows the arise in suspicion among the detectives (as to whether the detective's partner is the murderer) seeing how one of them was at the scene where and when the murder happened.

            

Production Film Vlog - Crime scene at Queen's market

For this scene, we went to our local market on one of the days it was meant to be closed (but since it was during half term, there was an event happening there instead) so we came across a few problems of the location of having a crime scene without interfering with the general public.

So instead, we had the idea of using the car-park on the roof top to record the chase scene and for the last minute, we used one of the film crew members to be a passerby who supposedly saw something at the scene of the crime.

            

Production Film Vlog - Office scene with Detective

This is the scene where the detective is letting the most recent case cloud her thoughts but then as she takes a closer look at the papers, she has a sudden realisation and rushes out from the office.

            

Production Film Vlog - Beating up scene of victim

For this scene, we had the victim wear torn and dirty clothing with fake-blood on them so it looks like they have been beaten up. This scene will be used as part of the montage when it starts to come to the climax which will end with a scream (thus conforming the convention for the horror genre).

             

Production Film Vlog - Location: Sixth Form Staircase

One of the scenes involving the detectives was when they were hurrying off to the crime-scene of the recent murder that took place.

             

Production Film Vlog - Location: St Angela's Chapel

The original location idea for the news report scene was for it to take place outside in front of St Antony's Church but it was too cold to film outside so we decided to just shoot in the parlour bit of the chapel so it looked like it was another part of the church where the interview took place.

             

Production Film Vlog - Location: Inside St. Anthony's Church

While we were taking establishing shots from different angles and positions in the church; we were also pitching ideas of what other scenes we can take within the church when we have to re-shoot other scenes in the future.

               

Production Film Vlog - Location: Westminster (Central London)

This is the second day of filming for Hyde Productions and we followed the plan we created earlier in the year. We filmed establishing and pan shots of parliament with big ben and the river thames.

These shots are going to suggest to the audience that the film is set in London.

           

Research - The Kuleshov Effect

The Kuleshov Effect

The Kuleshov effect was discovered by Lev Kuleshov who was a Soviet filmmaker.

This is one of the techniques discovered through juxtaposition. His experiments and research led to him finding out that depending on how a certain shot is taken; the audience are able to attach a specific meaning or emotion to it. So in a way, it's what the audience stereotypes the actions to be.

To test his theory of how the audience viewing psychology; he carried out an experiment which used a picture of a man whose expressionless, a girl in a coffin, a bowl of soup and a pretty woman on the coach. The results of the experiment said that the audience saw the man being sad (picture with the girl in the coffin), the man was hungry (picture with the bowl of soup) and the man was lustful (picture with the pretty woman on the coach).

Even though the man showed no expression in the scene before each picture; the audience was still able to come up with a different emotion for each of the different 2-sequence footage.

Our group can apply this effect onto our trailer through the use of a hidden priest followed by a shot of the weapon. The audience will be able to tell that the person is a killer straightaway with the link of the two scenes. Another way this effect can be applied to our trailer is with a shot of the detective walking over to an area then another scene of a close-up of the hand of her picking up the piece of evidence. Straightaway, the audience will think that she's the jealous type or she's the convict possibly (the guilty party) with these 2-shots.

Final - Film Poster

The final outcome from the final draft. I added a few more social media representations to demonstrate how up-to-date the film is since the world of social media is rapidly evolving thus giving marketing for the film new opportunities to advertise.

Production Planning - Character List

Beneath are the list of characters that will be in our trailer. Some are main characters see throughout, others just passing characters that we see very briefly.

Detective Carter - Dorthea Darby
Detective Lewis - Daljit Kaur
Fr. Anthony - Eisen Eugenio
Main Victim - Ciara Gay
Potential Suspect - Cedric Onchuru
News Reporter - Alicia Jordan
Victim 2 - Patrick Manginsay
Confessor - Chantelle Anonuevo

Production - Film Location: Outside of St. Antony's Church

This is our first vlog as a film production "Hyde Productions".

Our first film location is the outside of St. Antony's church.

We decided to take a few shots of the outside of the church in order to represent the religious iconography and to possibly be used to represent the dystopian future with editing.

           

Planning/Production - Trailer Shot List

Establishing shots: 

·      We went to Central London (Westminster) to get shots of London (Parliament building and bridges).

·      The Church to get the religious element of the film we needed to take shots outside and within the church.

Mid Shots:

·      The news report scene as this is typically used.

·      Also inside the church with the priest and/or statues to connote the religious iconography.

Two Shots:

·      The news report interview with the priest to introduce him. 

·      The detectives at the crime scene in three different scenes to represent two parts of their relationship, their partnership and the difficulty they have.

Long Shot:

·      The chase scene with the apparent suspect. Also, we see the church and the priest to make him appear innocent and mundane.

Tracking Shot:

·      The priest walking in the church to give more detail into his character.

Shot-reverse-shots:

·      This will be used to portray the difficult relationship between the detectives only and portray one of them as a ‘fake’ suspect.

Over-the-shoulder shot:

·      This will be used to show the real suspect and their lair where they plan things.

Eye line match:

·      This will be used to show the apparent suspect loitering about before being caught.

Cutaway:

·      This will be use to show how society has crumbled in the dystopian society.