www.wix.com/abidamiah/theringofbetrayal
Written copy of the Evaluation
Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media product?
During A2 media we have produced our film production and our own magazine, poster and an official website.
Throughout the process in all stages of research and the planning of the film we had carefully thought about how we would challenge forms and conventions of a real media product. We researched and analysed real media text and understood what forms and conventions had been used to create an effective teaser. We followed the key conventions of a typical teaser.
At the beginning of our teaser we imported our film production company logo which is F ‘n’ A Entertainment. The idea of adding in the logo is to inform audience that this is our product. Also many real media text do inform their audience of which companies has contributed in producing the film.
These are the following real media text that related to our teaser and I will be explaining how we had challenged it;
Tell No One; the genre of this film is romance, mystery and drama and we have used a particular genre so mostly conventions would be followed. The teaser involves fast pace clips throughout and the sound changes in terms of speed and builds tension. I have used fast pace clips in our teaser as it builds tension and the sound adds to the effect of the pace. Therefore I have challenged the forms and conventions of this film.
Also from this media text I had challenged this further as I had developed by adding my own ideas, I made sure I was hinting the genre by using typical characters: 2 men and one woman as this applied Todorov’s classical narrative in our teaser, portraying a basic equilibrium – the woman being with her husband when they are walking along the beach and then another scene she is with someone else in a hotel. – And moving into the initial disequilibrium of the chase beginning and the awareness of danger which is when we see a dead woman in a flash and that is when tension starts to begin.
Also storyline ends with a cliff hangover and becomes a twist and confusion to audiences mind. The teaser becomes to trick viewers and letting them think out of the boundary of every possible reasons of what could have happened. I left the ending of the teaser with a twist that keeps the audience entertained by having an incomplete mystery. This is by having an anonymous character to walk along at a low level shot so audience would not know who it is. We made that choice of not revealing the character as it created a dramatic impact and it kept audience in suspense which was done by just having the dangerous red shoes that was the main key to the teaser this would make audience keep guessing of who, what, how this has happened. Therefore the choice we made of having the anonymous character walk at the end was a great idea as we felt audience would want to see more of it.
Twilight New moon –The shots of the beach give a sense of peaceful and calm before the storm arrives. I want to use scenery in the beginning that creates that sense of calm, relax mood. We also challenged the conventional locations that were found in this text by having a scene of the beach, viewing the great calming sea and reflecting the genre of the film.
Similar to the scenery in the beginning – in notebook .The ideal sound to use in New Moon; when the car parking area was shown the sound had become low and deep with drum instrument. Also when Bella’s finger was bleeding, dramatic tension was built by when the blood hit the floor. The music had gone louder with more drums and added fear to the audience. We challenged the sound of this media text as we created sudden speed of the teaser and built tension during the middle duration of the teaser. So the help of sound would create an effect to the dramatic clips and make audience feel uneasy of their seat.. I wanted that to happen in my teaser therefore I challenged this media text by adding in the fast pace and built the tension by including a flash of a shocking image of a dead woman which I used from another media text called Se7en. Also the teaser includes a voice over at the beginning; the idea of using this technique is for audience to understand the character and getting to know them. The voiceover was also used in ‘the lovely bones’. Audience got to understand the character and their emotion. Therefore audiences were able to feel involved. I challenged the idea of voiceover as I wanted to add a voiceover at the beginning at the teaser begins with sea scenery.
I wanted to add affective transitions, in New Moon the ending clips fades to black with having titles as the main focus. I had challenged that by adding titles throughout every tension.
Our forms and conventions came from all sorts of different sources. Particular shots and details that we thought it would be suitable to use in our teaser. We have looked at media texts that have used the colour red to create meaning to their film. Our initial ideas concerning representation though colour came from texts such as sin city, seven, Moulin Rouge, the adjustment beaureu. We challenged this and developed more by using the colour red and add meaning to our film. The colour red had been chosen to show the female character as a strong woman and independent. The effective cohesion of red reflects the characters role of acting devilish. The significance of the colour red reflects the connotation of danger ahead. The red shoes have become our main focus when considering costume choices of Anna (the woman protagonist). Also the convention of having the red shoes breaks the romance genre and adds in the thriller.
We had also challenged real media texts in terms of music and sound effects. We used both diegetic and non diegetic sound. We researched teaser trailer film soundtrack and found new moon and notebook teasers were suitable and fitted into our category of choice.
Question 2 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Before starting my ancillary text, I had carried out in-depth research of real media text. I created a document that includes me having to analyse real media text and I had benefited a lot from it as I got to understand how effective a poster, magazine and website was and related to a main product; the teaser trailer. I made sure I understood the key convention of each text and was able to apply it on my own ancillary text.
Before we started our ancillary texts, our main concern was how to make an image effective with great cohesion and brings out answers and questions. We wanted to make sure our promotional production would fit together and be a great promotion package for our film. So we focused on to make sure that all colours and fonts were same throughout. We chose to use the font ‘Century Schoolbook’ in our teaser trailer. We had also stuck to a main colour scheme; black, red, white and gold.
I found that many advertising campaigns run by film distributors, they create many different options, all released at different time and advertising certain aspects of the main production. For example dark knight.
I had captured images, that are similar to the clips in the teaser trailer, I had selected the best images for the poster and magazine covers and DVD and the official website.
Magazine
For the magazine, I used empire magazine logo. I used Adobe Photoshop CS4 to manipulate it. The title of the magazine’ the ring of betrayal ‘I stuck with the particular colour scheme of gold, white, red and black which I will be using in all products of the film production. It also follows the codes and conventions of existing empire magazine that I had researched in my ancillary research. For example compared to ‘the golden compass’ I used the idea of the color and the boldness.
I created the title ‘The ring of betrayal;’ using word art in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. I used the font style: Century Schoolbook. I feel the title appeals to the audience as I have managed to pull out the colour of the ring(gold) and use the colour on the title.
Overall I think my magazine does challenge the codes and conventions of a real empire magazine as I have used the following conventions barcode, strap line, website, puff, plus sign (arrow design shape), etc. I think all conventions look unique and suit the magazine and is eye catching for viewers to be more interested in.
Also in the DVD cover, I have displayed an image of the red shoes. The red shoes were continuously shown in the end of the teaser, it was to bring awareness of danger ahead and make audience feel the sense of uneasy attention. This prop is a key to the film, as viewers don’t know who it is that is walking at the end. Also from the beginning, we already know Anna (the protagonist) is dead.
The genre of my film production is romance, mystery and drama therefore the mystery needs to be displayed. I have used a black background to create the sense of serious and blackness and that way it reflects the genre of mystery. The ring on the magazine is very effective as it symbolises the marriage. I feel the magazine explains the genre of my film and it has followed the codes and conventions.
The structure and layout of the magazine has followed the conventions of a real empire magazine. The empire logo position at the top of the magazine and the image in the middle having to overlap it also the stapline and empire website positioned on either side which is also following the empire magazine conventions. Also the barcode positioned to the right and I have a list of text the informs audience of the latest films that are out in the film industry. I have specially chosen these films as they fit the same genre category as my film production. I have positioned the film title in the middle of the magazine. I did this by using the method of 3 by 3 grid rule as audience do look at the middle of the magazine and focus on that mostly.
I included a puff in my magazine as i found it would be very creative and stand out, this convention idea I got Kickass empire magazine and dark knight. I found that they looked very appealing and made the magazine look more exciting. Upon creating my puff i made sure to use colours that worked but also to add interesting information. I developed the puff, but adding a gold ring as the background.
The empire magazine relates to the teaser trailer by the main character (Anna) is shown throughout the teaser and audience getting to know what has happened or what might have happened. The black background was used because it relates to the storyline which is a mystery. The gold ring has been used because it relates to the title of the film. “The ring of betrayal”. The title we used is a metaphor as it symoblises the marriage and we use a quote for the film; “What goes around comes around” It’s a typical saying that adds a lot of meaning to our film. I feel I have applied all the key conventions and it does relate to our teaser very well.
Poster
Also the poster, focusing on the genre, the saturated image and the cohesive of another image added to the poster giving a hint of the plotline as the image shows the character is distressed. This all fitted together really well as it breaks the romance genre between the couple in the middle of the poster. I really thought about the colour scheme using; red, black, white and gold because these have been used throughout all ancillary text, font styles that matched well with the teaser. The strong connection between the message of the film and the name of the title has been met. . I used Adobe fireworks to add the title, using the font ‘century schoolbook’ and ‘something’ as my font for the ‘The ring of betrayal’. I have followed the codes and conventions of existing movie posters of real media text. For example ‘this poster’ had white and red surrounded. And the characters name on each side. And the release date on the bottom and the website.
I made the poster eye catching by making the title font bold, and the word ‘betrayal’ in red to make it effective.
However I feel that my posters outcome is slight unconventional because of the image. It may not attract certain audience’s beacuse of the colour of the picture meaning the brightness. I tried the tool of brightening and contrast however this was the best I could get. But overall the image does have a gloomy colour scheme and that explains the genre.
The structure of the poster was mainly conventional. I had used real media text and made sure I included the following conventions; Film Title, Release Date, Main characters name, Image and Production companies. I had a good layout structure as I had planned the poster before and make a rough sketch of it. I had kept the position of the main characters name on either side of the page; this idea came from the Australia movie poster. And in most posters they have the blurb on the bottom; I had made sure I included the website and production company at the bottom of the poster.
The movie poster relates to the teaser trailer as the poster background was captured in the beginning of the scene. The location explains the genre; beach is romantic. Also the image on the side used was also captured from the teaser therefore this definitely relates to teaser. And from both images you are able to hint out the possible storylines. ” I had used a quote in the poster which also relates to the teaser as a graphic shot was created.
I have related the colour scheme to the magazine very well; I have stuck with black, red, white and gold. Therefore audience are able to identify the films poster as well the magazine. I feel I have applied all the key conventions and it does relate to our teaser very well.
Website
I have looking at a real media text website; twilight official and how they have related it to their teaser trailer as well as their movie poster and magazine. This website was a template, I followed its structure and layout and understand what to include in a movie poster. Therefore I feel I have followed the conventions of a website.
For my official movie website I used the ‘Century schoolbook’ as my font. I designed 4 pages. I stuck to the colours, black, white, red, gold these colours are the colour schemes that has been restricted to be using.
The website relates well to the teaser of the film. This is by including all images that had been captured. I have created an image gallery on flash; the images are mostly from the teaser therefore audience are able to tell quickly which teaser it is. Also the DVD Cover is shown on the introduction page therefore this relates to the teaser as the image used on the DVD cover is an image of red shoes. I have used a black background this goes same for the magazine; the use of black was because it relates to the genre; the hidden mysteriousness. I have added a gold ring this relates to the title of the film. I used Adobe Flash CS4, So I got created a motion tween of the gold ring spinning around. This type of motion was used as it gives audience the idea of what the film includes and the metaphor playing up. I feel I have applied all the key conventions and it does relate to our teaser very well.
Question 3
What have you learned from our audience feedback?
We carried out further research onto what our audience think of our production. We got our media class to watch a rough cut of our teaser, and we got feedback, and understanding what process and the standard of our teaser was at.
Our audience were the mainly important as her feedback was includes and were used and important as their role was a huge part of our production and ancillary tasks.
During our research and planning stages, we got audience to fill in forms of questionnaires that we created. These asked closed questions. Mainly concerns on genre. We used Microsoft office excel 2010. Used pie charts to present the results from the audience feedback. Also we wanted to know what targeted audience would be interested at our chosen genre. In the video, the audience theory I asked opened questionnaires. To media students, staff members, friends and family. From the information and feedback that we had received, we got to understand that a thriller/romance was one of the liked populated genre going. An appealing genre to mostly female’s audience.
We clarified our targeted audience as being young adults of both sexes, Our production most likely use the gratification of social interaction and entertainment.
We also created a page on the social networking site facebook to promote our film and carry our further research and received critical and good feedback from all audience. Click here to get access to our face book page:
From the face book wall of the ‘The ring of betrayal’ page. The screen shot of the wall page explains that the film has been such as interest to the fans. We had uploaded our completed teaser trailer. We had added poster, magazine. Social networking’s sites are a great way to promote a film, as you are able bring awareness and get audience feedback. We have received many positive feedbacks in the form of posts and comments as well as a few targets from our followers.
Question 4
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Throughout A2 Media studies, I have used all types of technology in each stages of producing my film production. I have realised that technology is such a great impact to everyone that is living in the media industry. Internet has started to develop in the 1950s. In the real world film production companies are able to get their audience involved and bring awareness with the help from technology such as social networking sites; face book which was found by Mark Zuckerberg In 2004.
I was able to do my A2 media with confidence as I learnt a lot during my preliminary and AS Media studies. So with my knowledge I have gained more understanding of media and its technology. I was able to complete the stages of research, planning and evaluation with the help of various technologies.
During my research in A2 Media studies, I used the internet to help me carry out research for example I looked at real media text and their poster, website, and magazine etc. So when it came to create my own poster, website, and magazine I had an idea of what to include. Therefore the internet enables me to surf I used YouTube; movieposter.com. I was able to understand what key conventions were needed for my own production.
When it came to planning; I used Google image to help me with the locations, costume and props that I had in mind to produce the production. I had created a mood board which involves images of what I and my media partner has in mind so the internet had benefited us as we were able to plan our film production upon this stage.
Also the blog was created for me to upload all my work, my media partner and I had. Therefore I used a HP Scanjet 4070 photo smart Scanner to scan in all the planning of the storyboard sketch, shooting script and ancillary tasks.
Certain software’s had helped me produce my teaser in a professional way, I will be explained how each I used each software and how It had benefited me;
Creating the product
After planning the film production we had started to film. I’ve got experience in filming as in the beginning of AS Media studies, I had never knew how to use a camera but throughout the year I had developed a lot and gained the knowledge. Know I am able to use the camera, understand the framing, camera technique etc. Digital media technology had enabled me to create my film production; I had used the JVC Digital Video Camera GR- 860 to collect footage also with the help from a equipment; JVC Tripods to make sure all footage was as still and smooth as possible to create an industry standard, professional production.
After collecting all footage, we had to edit the footage and create the teaser and add in effects, sound, titles etc. We used the Apple mac in our school. The media department was fully equipped therefore everything was available to us also the software that we needed, we had access to everything. Outside school, I have never used the MAC so I had no idea in A2 Media studies in how to use the MAC. I had found a user guide online which the internet had benefited me as I found access to a free user guide. Overall, after taking media studies I got to understand how media technology had developed from just touching the MAC and understanding what it includes and how these software is so exciting to use and how great they are to us. Specially to film production companies as we were able to create a teaser from various software that we were able to use. Therefore using media technologies upgraded my knowledge as now I know how to use many software and gain knowledge in what technology allows me to have and understand what I can make also how to share to social and connect with others.
I used Adobe Fireworks CS4 to create both of my magazines. There are various tools which had helped me produce it, Such as the magic wand, marquee, lasso and crop tools that allowed me to edit the image therefore I had control of what I wanted from this particular image. At first I never knew how to use this software but after surfing on the internet on how to use Adobe fireworks CS4 I was able to practise and understand each tool and what it can provide me. Therefore the technology has allowed me to increase my knowledge as I got to understand this software and be able to use it.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 – I created my movie poster on this software. This soft was ideal to edit the image and use the brightness/contrast and magic tool. I was familiar with this software as I had used it last year.
Adobe After Effects CS4 - We used adobe after effects cs4 to create the titles. I have never used this software and I had found it difficult to use at first. I had independently helped myself by using the internet to search on how to use this particular software. I had found a brilliant website that concentrates on after affects. Also on YouTube many people had uploaded free tutorials to learn from. Also on adobe.com they have their own tutorials where everyone can learn from. Media technologies; internet access had helped me as I got to understand how use this software independently. Therefore this shows internet is there to help and increase your own knowledge.
Adobe Flash CS4: For the film production website which was part of the ancillary task. I used Adobe flash CS4. I do have experience and skill in using this particular software as I had to create an interactive website in A2 ICT. So I had an understanding of how to create our media website. I feel this is ideal software to be using as it allows you to take control and create it however you wish and bring in your own ideas. Also the software allows you to creates interactive animations such as I created a scrollbar using action script code, creating a working image gallery that movies to the left; this has been produced by creating a motion tween which is basically you controlling the images and make it movie in any direction you want it to. I was able to create buttons and change the colour. I also had to make sure all pages on each page were working, so when you take control, you must make sure the system works.
I have learnt that software is developing every time and each time you are able to get more control, I didn’t you adobe flash cs5 as that software doesn’t allow you to have control as the action script is made already. I have applied a theorist words: If you create it on your own then it shows that you are taking in control” this shows we have power over computers, as they are literate they will do whatever you want it to do.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010: I used Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 to do my research on 50 teaser trailers. I was able to do this research with the help from YouTube. I was able to find teaser trailers and analyse it well. Also I was able to find real media text posters and magazines on Google image. Therefore I had benefited from this research from the help of technology as I understood real media text forms and conventions and how effective the teaser was created and what they had used etc. Therefore I was ready to produce my film production as I had the knowledge from this research and analysed 50 teaser trailers
imovie: During the editing process, we have imported our footage using imovie. This software is a great to use as it’s easy to edit and add effects. I think this is ideal software to use and I do recommend other students to use for editing purpose. I had benefited from this software as I was able to crop, zoom, cut and add extras such as sound, transition, apply colour and de saturate certain images. After the editing progress we were on the stage of adding the titles and sound. I felt the titles and sound was very essential to teasers as they create meaning. As teaser are only produced to bring audience excited and get a glimpse of understanding what the film maybe about. I did a lot of research in real media text and using YouTube. Again media technology benefited me as I was able to make the research happen
Garageband – I used Garageband last year so I was comfortable using it this year, I had found suitable sound to use for my film production. I was able to manipulate the sound really easily by editing and adding more sound and create it as my own.
YouTube – This site has allowed me to carry on with my research of looking at real media text and it I have learnt how to use certain software’s.
Google image - This has allowed me to look at real media text movie posters and magazine and be able to create my ancillary text.
Blogger: I was able to surf last year A2 Media student’s film production. From their blog I was able to get an idea of how the film production would be developed and what I will need to include in my film production. Therefore blogger.com was a key technology to be using throughout our film production. I got to understand which teaser was effective and which teaser went wrong and was able to analyse and make conclusions of pros and cons of last year’s work. This benefited me again as I understood how to create a professional teaser.
I have applied Gantlett theory on Web 2.0 studies. “Making and doing is connecting” and “Web 1.0 has evolved into 2.0 so everyone contributes and are a part of the web” .
Web 2.0 Studies has transformed – lets me have control; by creating an account and upload my own creation and be able to get peoples response by publishing it on social networking; face book. As Gaulett says making is connecting. I created my own product and anicillary product; we are part of web 2.0. We challenged real media text of its own forms and conventions and developed it and added our own meaning so people would understand our film and made our own movie website url.
Therefore we had high control as ‘Micheal Wesch mentions that “Who will organise all this data? We will. You will. His interest was in digital ethnography of how media has effected human interaction. This shows that we have control for example we have full control of our blog, we are able to post anything we want to. “The machine is using us”. The machine is us” this just only shows you the level of how Web 2.0 had affected the society. Also in IT teacher mentions that computers are literate, it will do whatever you want it to do.
I also used digital convergence culture from Henry Jenkins. I explored people’s response, so I used technology and social network and imported my ancillary text.
Also Charles Ledbetter says ‘publish, share and connections’, Can participate in media and audience are the participants. We all have to connect and share.
As Charles Leadbetter mentions “the web allows to publish, connect and to collaborate.” – So getting audience feedback online by me importing my ancillary onto a social network is really connecting with everyone and receives audience’s response. Therefore social network benefits me as I am able to connect and share my production with others.
Authorstream: I used this site to convert my documents and import it onto my blog account. This activity has made me realise that I am taking in control of what I want to do on the blog. I have used digital convergence culture here by me using software documents to be converted on author stream and import it on the blog.
Wix.com: on this site I was able to create my own website for my evaluation write up. I found this site an easy working site to use. It allowed me to choose from various background, titles, colour scheme, hyperlinks etc. Therefore I had full control of my own website.
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