Conventions

1) SETTING THE SCENE: MEDIUM SHOT ESTABLISHING PLACE (HOUSE).

                                                 

2) THE FACE OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IS USUALLY SHOWN IMMEDIATELY HOWEVER..

SHOWN AT THE VERY END OF OPENING. TO KEEP CHARACTERS IDENTITY MYSTERIOUS...

Evaluation

INTEXTUALITY.

Evaluation class response

Evaluation - Technologies

This is an animatic video we made, which is a technology time line, including how elements were worked together in the creation of the product. It is based on the journey we have had since the start of the project.

Target Audience.

TYPICAL AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Name: Stacey Roberts
Sex: Female
Age:26
Occupation: Travels agent.
Likes: Shopping, travelling , Drinking on occasions, Enjoys having fun.
Going to the gym/having walks/working out in the gym.
Going to the cinema with friends/boyfriend or eating out at restaurants.
Enjoys having fun and taking risks(nothing too dangerous)


FAVORITE QUOTES:

EVALUATION - make slideshow

Evaluation: Technologies script

We used technology in three ways:

Research: 

The Internet was the central point and primarily used in our research. Search websites such as Google was used to find examples of thriller movies for our inspiration. Also, Art of the title sequence was used as it had a variety of different sequences we could look at and find how fonts are used to give an insight to what the film is about.

We watched Dvds, at home and class, for example 'The Stepfather', 'Kill Bill' and 'The Terminator'. 

A blog was created for us on Blogger, which we would use to post regularly about our findings and analyse thriller clips and our process of making our opening. 

We found Student Clips/ Videos that other media students have made and used them for inspiration and to get ideas from them.

There was clips of thrillers we could look at, for example certain parts of films like 'Psycho', where we found inspiration from the iconic shower scene, with a close up of the plug hole. 

Youtube was used to view thriller openings to research conventions and how we could use them in our opening such as mise en scene. 

Filming:

Since the animatic, we used still cameras to make a sequence using images. Since then we have used them to record our time filming for our opening. 

JVC digital tapeless cameras were the main aspect for filming our opening. In class we learned how to handle and use them, including the equipment so that we could use them effectively while filming. 

Editing:

Final cut pro is an editing software used to edit and create animatics/films. We transfered the clips/images we collected/filmed on our SD cards to our video drive and then imported them on final cut and organised them into a sequence.

To create our title sequence and font, we used Livetype, which includes many transitions and effects we could use for our opening.

To go alongside our opening, we created a soundtrack using Soundtrack Pro, which provides many sounds, music and sound effects we could chose from. In the end, we used piano music and sound effects such as water with relates to 'Psycho'. 

Both Livetype and Soundtrack Pro could be imported into Final cut in order to create the final product.

When the final edit has been made, we used a software called Handbrake which converts the final cut edit to mp4, so we then could upload it onto blogger. 

Evaluation: Audience feedback (Wordle)

This is a wordle we have created from the comments made when the whole class watched our thriller opening. These are the key words that came back, reflecting on the main aspects they enjoyed and what they thought of it. Included is also what they thought of the technical aspects. This feedback relates to our target audience as the class has the majority age of 16+, close to our target age of 15+. This gave us our first audience insight of what people at this age would make of our final product.

Final edit

Font Analysis of title sequence

The text was bold so that it is more effective. We chose the colour to be white, so that it represents the victims of the killer, as they were innocent, and white interprets this. The effect we used was called 'mysterious zoom', and gave the transitions edge so it is interesting to view.
   The title 'Census' had an effect in which a red line would appear, crossing it out. This mimics the movement of the finger crossing the names off the directory with blood. This gives an insight to what the Census' motives are, but the viewers do not exactly know why they are murdering people, so (if it was a full movie) they would have to watch the rest of the film to find out.

Process of final edit

We found it very difficult to finish the final edit. We had to include music and titles and make sure that they work correctly together. During the process of adding the titles, we noticed that the transition of the names were too slow. They were not easy to read, so we tweaked them by using the freeze frame method so that they would run longer. We added the production titles before our opening to indicate the companies that would be producing the film in the first place. The transitions are quite quick, but we did not want them to run on that long.
   In all, the final edit is a success. It is a guaranteed improvement from the rough cut as we have fixed the jumps and zoom ins that were a problem before. The suspense scenes were captivating and worked well with the music and set the mood of intensity. The viewers (15+) will experience this and will be at the edge of their seat.

Rough cut vlog

Music ideas

We wanted something that resembles a sharp cut to link to the knife. We thought of adding some piano music to make it intense. The overall effect was to make it have elements of droning, to show intensity.
We did not add many sound effects as there was no use for them. Although, we added an effect as we wanted to have some sound for the water as it reflects the intertextuality of the psycho.

final cut screen shots

Below is the screen shots taken for livetype, final cut pro, soundtrack pro for the final edit.

Spotlight use

We used a spot light to make our scenes brighter if needed.

We used the following precautions while using the spot light:

• Attach pieces correctly
• Do not touch the bulb as it can be VERY hot.
• Avoid touching the front piece for a certain period of time as it is also hot.

The spotlight has different variations of light so you can change the amount of brightness.

Thriller Planning

The features we want to include are:

• Suspense
• Subgenre of Psychological thriller 
• Intertextuality 
• Various range of shots

If 'Census' was a full 2 hour movie...

Brief overview of how the opening would lead into a full movie:

1. Opening: Introducing the Census killer and one of their victims.
2. Police get suspicious.
3. An investigation is carried out.
4. Multiple new murders take place.
5. Investigations get more intense.
6. Motive of Census killer found.
7. Leading to a conclusion, is the killer caught?
8. Possible cliffhanger.

Census rough cut

Mise en scene wishes/changes..

The cat.

We wanted to add a cat to the mise en scene as cats do connote evilness and add to making the atmosphere scarier. But unfortunately we could not add this scence because it did not fit ,making film 'jumpy'.

Also the camara woman and one of the actors were scared of the cat which meant we couldn't take more than one shot..

Briefcase.
we wanted to use a briefcase so the murderer could place their tools in but unfortunately Evie's father took the ideal briefcase to work! we had to improvise quickly and there it was.. the colleges camera bag.
it came in very handy!




The Fake Blood.
We wanted the fake blood to run with the water but it was too thick.
Evie and Kenny suggested to mix it with Cranberry juice/robbinsons (so we did) and it ran down perfectly.
That scene was the best scene in out opening- the group agreed.

How we came about for the title 'Census'?

                             CENSUS.

The page of the directory where the names of the killers victims are
- Screen shot from film.



Census - The procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population.



Reasons for the title choice:

We also decided to choose this for our name because the killer in our film is murdering people from a list of names from a directory because the murderor kills systematically this reminded us of a census.

The killer also pretends to doing a census,by being polite and friendly she is invited inside to sit down.

(This reason was later thought of to make the reason for the title easier to understand and to give the audience an incite to what he movie will be about)