Evalution Activity 4

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research and planning?.


I used many different and new media technologies in research and planning of my film. As relating to some of my older posts my question wasn't just handed out by hand, but i also used social networking sites in order to gain good responses from my target audiences.

I posted questions to my friends on facebook and asked for there responses as soon as they could. I gained alot of responses from what i thought would be the main target of my audiences.

Blogger was very useful in looking into my research and planning, it allowed me to organise all of my posts very easier and keep track of what i needed to do. I was also able to look at my previous blog which helped me into looking what i did for my previous work. As i was working alone last time in comparison to having alot of help in my group last year. Working independently was alot different, however because of blogger it made myself alot more organised and made my evaluation and research and planning much more simple.

Adobe Premier was the software used to edit my film together. I was fairly familiar with adobe from last year, however last year we where editing an action film. Now i had to edit a horror film, so i had to learn a lot more thing in order to edit my film. It also helped in aid of my research and filming as it made me look at alot more different horror film in order to get an idea of how my horror film should look in comparison to others. E.g I am Legend.



Youtube was massively important into doing my research and planning, as i didn't do a horror film last year i wasn't 100% sure on what the key factor of this genre was. So after getting my storyline of my film i began watching other trailers that would be associated with mine in terms of storyline. The main one being I am Legend, it also had the concept of a lone masculine hero whom was fighting monster on his own and fighting for his life, just to live another day. This constructed my research and planning into an organised and easily revisable video state, if i  ever was unsure on what important conventions of a horror film genre i could have missed out. I just had to watch another video.

The last and newest media technology i used to do my research and planning especially was Prezi. All of the class was introduced to it at the beginning of the year and we all began to get used to it. It was massively important whilst i was doing my research and planning. It allowed me to make an interactive mood board which always kept me focused on the genre i had already chosen. It also helped me make the decision in the first place of what genre i had to pick. It allowed me to make another interactive power point presentation, where i could go though it in about 5 minutes and remind myself of the stereotypical hero film genre, whilst i was filming and editing.

Evalution Activity 3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback ?

Once i showed my film trailer to other people i got some good responses back, and also some constructive criticism, which is always very helpful.

The responses i got from my class mates are in the video above, the main strenghts being now the subtitles complement the footage, which was an aim from the beginning once seeing it in other trailers.

The music was of good choice, however i could have edited it over the top of the footage at the end in particular slightly better.

Which i agree with, the choice of music was took me a long time, however i think i made a good choice to fit my horror trailer.

Another strenght was how i used some of my shots, many people picked up upon the times i didn't use a tripod which was key in showing the point of view shots from the thing stalking my main character.

However some of my weakness I and others picked up on was the contrast and brightness of my clips. As many horror films are dark and scary i picked to film in the evening to add more effect to the stalking of my main character. Although when i needed to make the clips brighter it was very hard to make out what was going on, which is why i couldn't use some of the clips i had originally shot.

Evalution Activity 2

How effective is thew combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I think the combination of all my media work, final trailer, poster and my front cover work very well together.
As the Trailer creates a lot of uncertainty about the rest of the film. I found it important that the poster and magazine cover gave a little more away. In I am Legend the poster sets the scene very well and creates the scenario that the main character has been put into.
Even though the poster is a shot from the trailer and many of the subtexts have been said before, that as a combination could work very well. As a whole group of advertisement for my film would work well as targeting my audience.

As they are all a combination of dark colours with the text then grabbing your attention again. So the target audience will grab the attention of mostly males, and then they will understand a little more of the poster and then see many aspects which they could then further be used to make them more aware of the film.
The poster has the website of my film advertised which will then put them in the situation of being able to view the trailer.
Once they target audience view the trailer the ending will hopefully grab them and make them even more curious about the storyline of my film.
This is a massively important toll used by horror films. Making there target audience aware of the film, then with the uncertainly often associated with horror films making the audience very interested and then go and view the film, also telling there friends about it, making more people aware of it though social networking sites.

So overall I'm happy with the way all the aspects of my main product and ancillary text work together in complementing each other and then creating a lot of popularity about my film and my target audience.

Evaluation Activity 1

In What ways does your media production use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e of teaser trailers/poster/magazines

1). The first picture appears at the beginning of the film, and is used to introduce the institution used for my selected film. I thought this was key as it would be essential to the genre and storyline of my film. As many other films like I am Legend, have followed the same storyline as myself, i though using the same institution would massively affect the audience I'm trying to target. As the same and similar movie go-ers would be more influenced to go and watch my film if seeing a similar audience.
2). Is one of the pictures which emphasises the importance on the setting and location of my film. As its called 'Alone', and the whole base of the story is for the most part a masculine hero defending himself against the odds and different creatures. So because of this it was key that I picked a built up area with some growth, and in every shot my actor was the only one to be seen. ( Unless intended to). Which is the same with this genre of horror films, the hero must be firstly depicted as venerable. Then rise up to the challenge and defend himself, which most of the male audience could associate with themselves.
3) This displays the impact for the horror genre and the use of my camera work. This shot shows my lone hero walking past an alley way, and in the next shot ( after he passes) a figure sprints across. This camera work and my editing was key to my trailer, as from an early outset its clear its a horror film, and although my hero might think hes alone he very clear isn't. Which sticks with the normal conventions of horror film, the lone hero being stalked unknowingly.
4).7). Both of these pictures show the importance of title font and style in my horror film. In my research and planning it was apparent of what the style and colour of font can effect the normal horror film. I chose to use a Red colour font, as it would work well against the dark background. It had always worked well in other films such as 28 days later.
5). Picture number 5 makes it clear that the genre and storyline much more clear. Many other films of the horror genre such as I am Legend ( Which is the main film that inspired mine). Have shots of stereotypical scenarios.
6).This Shot, which is similar to the one which feature in the film poster. Gives more introduction to the props and costumes i used in the film. Throughout the filming i made sure that the same clothing was worn throughout. The clothing was also just very casual everyday ( Just like Will Smith in I am Legend). Which makes it a lot easier for the male audience to be put in the situation and be put into the lone hero shoes.
8). This picture give the clear representation of my 'hero', again just like in I am Legend there isn't anything very special about my hero, hes much like the audience just an average masculine male alone fighting to stay alive. Which is key for how he is introduced and then seen throughout by the audience. Like other horror films the hero is very easy to be seen as 'one of the audience' which increases the effect of the narrative throughout.
9). This is the final piece of footage seen in my trailer. It creates a lot of uncertainty about the trailer and hopefully making the audience become interested in the film. Like all other horror film trailer there must be a point in the film that stands out and makes the audience remember this film, which i believe the last text does very well, as the question mark added late creates a lot of mystery and confusion about the conclusion of my film. Which overall follows the conventions of most horror films.

Final Magazine Front Cover Alone

This is my final finished Magazine front cover for Empire magazine.

Finished Film poster

This is my final finished poster for my Media Film 'Alone'.

Final Finished Media