Friday, 30 March 2012
Thriller evaluation - 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt from it from evaluation to product?
I'm the one on the right (wearing grey).
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Thriller Evaluation - 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In the process of creating our thriller, we've had to use a wide range of technologies to aid us, with some being used for the first time (editing software), with others being more familiar to us (i.e. YouTube).
All the technologies we utilized for the creation of our thriller were:
All the technologies we utilized for the creation of our thriller were:
- Cameras (with tripod)
- Editing software (on the Macs)
- Word (we were intending to use Photoshop, but we realized Word had all the features we needed)
- YouTube
- Survey Monkey
- Prezi
We used our cameras to directly film footage for the thrillers, and we used the editing software on the macs to edit it. I had never used a mac before and so utilizing the software helped me get to grips with it.
We also utilized YouTube as a means of putting our videos up on our blog, and I have learnt how to put videos up now, as I had never uploaded videos before.
Survey Monkey is a website that we utilized to help design our questionnaire. We used to help make statistics on our audience research. From this I have learnt how to utilize this website for finding out information in a quick manner (questionnaires).
Prezi is another way of presenting information that is more visually appealing. Due to the way it's laid out it's likelier to keep the audience's attention. I've learnt another way of conveying information in a way that is less monotonous than an essay-type answer (although ironically this is one).
The main skill(s) I have learnt from this experience has been how to edit in different ways to convey different atmospheres. I've also had to use my imagination to edit in a coherent way despite requiring certain footage (which could not be obtained for practical reasons). In addition to that I've developed an idea of when certain effects (e.g. dissolves, fades) can give a specific impression to an audience.
The main skill(s) I have learnt from this experience has been how to edit in different ways to convey different atmospheres. I've also had to use my imagination to edit in a coherent way despite requiring certain footage (which could not be obtained for practical reasons). In addition to that I've developed an idea of when certain effects (e.g. dissolves, fades) can give a specific impression to an audience.
Thriller Evaluation - 5. How did you attract/address your audience?
As we were new to the field of film making, we decided to follow some typical thriller conventions in order to attract our audience's attention.
We decided to make our protagonist in around the same age range as our target audience. We also had our protagonist as someone older, in a more authoritative position, so the audience could help relate to the protagonist (in the sense that most people in the 16-24 age range will be able to relate to times when they may have felt somewhat 'oppressed' by authority, and had a want to fight back). We also tried to portray our protagonist as being innocuous and unsuspecting, with a want to do good, to make the audience want to be rooting for his struggle against the more powerful antagonist.
Many successful films have employed the use of having a young protagonist to appeal to most movie-going audiences, such as The Hunger Games.
We also employed the use of putting certain clues in, e.g. the USB which seemed ever important to the mysterious character in black, and the giant wall of text that looked like a computer code (that most people would've been puzzled by, drawing them in). We also wanted to take the audience to the tense action first, leaving them wondering "How did it get to there?", to capture their attentions and leave them wanting more.
We decided to make our protagonist in around the same age range as our target audience. We also had our protagonist as someone older, in a more authoritative position, so the audience could help relate to the protagonist (in the sense that most people in the 16-24 age range will be able to relate to times when they may have felt somewhat 'oppressed' by authority, and had a want to fight back). We also tried to portray our protagonist as being innocuous and unsuspecting, with a want to do good, to make the audience want to be rooting for his struggle against the more powerful antagonist.
Many successful films have employed the use of having a young protagonist to appeal to most movie-going audiences, such as The Hunger Games.
We also employed the use of putting certain clues in, e.g. the USB which seemed ever important to the mysterious character in black, and the giant wall of text that looked like a computer code (that most people would've been puzzled by, drawing them in). We also wanted to take the audience to the tense action first, leaving them wondering "How did it get to there?", to capture their attentions and leave them wanting more.
Examples of successful films in which the film opening started off with the main action (leaving the viewer wanting more) are: The Matrix (left), Source Code (middle)
Evaluation - 4. Who would the audience be for our media product?
We used several methods for audience research:
- Questionnaires:
- Interviews:
Our thriller targets people between the ages of 16 and 25. We have gained this information as our thriller has many characteristics similar to that of other conventional thrillers, and the audiences for those thrillers are in the same range as ours. Qualities of our film that would attract them would be its fast pace and frequent action.
Some things the audience have said (audience feedback):
Thriller Evaluation - 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
We initially wanted our actors to be more in their mid-20s, however due to time constraints we've had to resort to using 16-20 year olds (apart from Mr. G, who was older). As well as this we didn't have any females in the film (again, due to time constraints). Due to this our thriller does not represent a wide range of social groups, mainly straight, male, 16-20 year olds (of varying cultures).
We had presented those with power (such as Mr G) as being more liable to corruption, whilst workers such as Owen were presented as being in a more noble light, due to that he has not been corrupted through his obsession for material gains. The dark setting (with the blinds down, with light emanating from them) creates a silhouette which gives a sense of mystery to the audience.
Some young people are presented in a more innocuous and unsuspecting (such as Owen) - with this we hope to encourage our target audience to relate to our protagonist. However, since another young person is the henchman, who is portrayed in a more negative light, our audience will still be able to relate to the film, knowing that the social group that is 16-20s is full of many characters, and many people will have had their share of 'antagonists' in their time, and so both portrayals help the audience relate.
Some young people are presented in a more innocuous and unsuspecting (such as Owen) - with this we hope to encourage our target audience to relate to our protagonist. However, since another young person is the henchman, who is portrayed in a more negative light, our audience will still be able to relate to the film, knowing that the social group that is 16-20s is full of many characters, and many people will have had their share of 'antagonists' in their time, and so both portrayals help the audience relate.
Due to filming only the first few minutes of the thriller, we were unable to represent other social groups, such as older people, females, and other cultures.
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