RUN (Final Cut)

Evaluation Q7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

At the start of the year in September when our media class shot out preliminary task we were all very inexperienced with it all. I had never experienced filming or editing so it was all very new to me, for my preliminary task I had to use my non existing camera and editing skills. The preliminary task consists of very simple camera shots like the simple close up of the clock and the simple behind the shoulder tracking shot, the editing was all very basic as well mainly because of how simple the shots where and because of how unfamiliar I was with Adobe Premiere Pro. As a whole there was not much work put into the prelim task it was just a practice and to introduce us to filming and editing so the sounds used were simple sounds already downloaded in my files.

The preliminary task looks very unprofessional because of how basic it is and my lack of knowledge with media studies at the time, you can see the huge contrast between the prelim and my final product, RUN. The contrast shows that I have really developed with my skills in camera work and editing, through more experience with the camera I learnt how to perform proper industry standard shots using just the equipment I had. I think when practising the filming of RUN I picked up my skill for filming very fast. I think this was because I am an Artist and as an artist I know what looks good and what doesn’t, a lot of shots where planned out and designed in my head, as a creative person this really helped and I used my creativity in filming. I’ve had experience in the past with photography and enjoy it, this also helped out especially in still extreme close ups like those in the forest. This close up of the leaf is a good example of where ive used my photography skills, its allowed me too take a very clear and crisp, shallow focus shot.

The same kind of principle applied for editing, the fact that I do A-level art and that I am creative played a huge role when editing because my eye for what looks good made it successful. I had to choose which shots looked best and what sounds to put where. I felt that I really enjoyed this editing process because I got really stuck in right from the start. Although I needed some help at the start It didn’t take me too long to learn how to use Premier Pro. below is s screenshot I've taken from using premier pro while editing. On the time line you can see the colored bars, the top row is the visuals the second row are the sounds that come with the visuals and the third and fourth rows are sounds that have been added. 

I’ve learnt how to target an audience through studying other horror films, there conventions and age restrictions. In the process I’ve learnt a lot about other horror films, there typical conventions and what makes them scary. I found my target audience and questioned them using survey monkey which was also new to me. Survey monkey helped me to successfully target my audience by making online surveys that where sent out to people within my school.

I feel like my organisation skills have dramatically improved, getting all your ideas down and onto blogger was harder than I expected but the more you put on your blog the more organised you feel. I have developed a lot from my initial ideas but always stuck with the similar ideas that I was thinking from right at the start when I decided that I was going to create a horror genre film, I always knew the locations that I was going to used and I’m happy that I stuck with them because the settings played a vital role to the success.

As a whole i am very pleased with my final outcome, i am so happy about how much i have improved and developed, i feel like i've really picked up a skill for both filming and editing. It has been a challenging and a very new process for me but i have really enjoyed myself as i made my film and developed my ideas, I am looking forward to making another product so i can develop my skills further and make it even better.

Evaluation Q6

What have you learnt about technologies from process of constructing this product?

 RUN was filmed with an industry standard Cannon video camera, today its outdated and no longer an industry standard camera, so the quality is not up to scratch with the latest technology but I was still able to film some good high quality shots which of course is essential for making a horror film. I realised the sound quality on the camera was not too great so I was lucky that the opening contains no dialog because I would have had to purchase a microphone, it did still manage to pick up some good ambient sound in the forest, apart from that I had to mute most of the sound and add sound in I was able to become familiar with the camera very fast.

I used tripod which was very useful and important in the films production, the tripod allowed me to take steady shots at different heights, the tripod also had a handle that allows the camera to turn all the way around, this was good for establishing shots and tracking shots. With the tripod I was able to shoot smooth shots, however this took some practice. I felt that the tripod was really useful when it came to close up shots because close ups need to be the most steady. A tripod is standard equipment; a Steadi cam would have been a lot better allowing me to shoot more skilled and steady shots. I used hand held equipment for a lot of the production as well because I wouldn’t of been able to film a lot of the shots with the tripod because they were quite complicated, for example running behind the actors shoulder had to be done hand held also when the camera was up close to the actors and moving around them. Filming it hand held did not look bad at all; I think it adds to the realism and suspense, similar to the Blair Witch Project however there were scenes that needed to be still here and a Steadi-cam would have helped. The tripod was mainly used in the woods to create the smooth establishing shots and close up shots using a tripod in the woods was a bit complicated as the ground is un even meaning I had longer to set up the shot and had to spend some time making it level, I even had to use a steady effect on some shots in my editing

 I did use professional lights but a nice effect happened with a simple iPhone torch, this is the shot where a dart hits the wall next to Amy (see below) as you can see the shadow of the dart seems stretched across the wall from the iPhone torch, this shot was carefully designed and took a lot of takes to get it exactly how I wanted it to look and the result is this very effective shadow effect,

We learnt about software called Adobe premiere pro, this is industry standard editing software that I used to edit my production, this software was the most important technology in making my production because without decent editing it could not have been done, and I now know how important editing is in a film and its significant role in media productions. I was unfamiliar with the software at first and needed some help with it and its layout but it didn’t take too long for it all to click. The editing software allowed me to….

·         Change shots to black and white

·         Make shots run fluently together (match on action)

·         Put in sound tracks

·         Edit sound and use audio transitions where sound jumped between shots

·         Slow some shots down

·         Add a strobe effect to the title

I used Photoshop to create my title, first I downloaded a font that I thought would suit the film best then uploaded it onto Photoshop, I then played around with colour schemes, at first I thought red on black but I thought I would keep it more simple and do white on black because it looked clean and sharp. Having white font allowed me to add blood splatter into the letters; this was just another layer in Photoshop. Once the Title was made I uploaded it to premier pro and added a strobe effect to the title and added a sound effect as it popped up which worked really well. All my audio was from Premiumbeat.com which is a website full of royalty free sound effects that I could purchase and manipulate in premier pro. These sounds where very high quality and industry standard, much better then sound effects on YouTube. I learnt how to conduct online surveys using survey monkey, this broke down my results in statistical data as well as yes/no answers. Finally I used Blogger to create this blog, all the preparation, planning, and research has been uploaded onto this blog as well as my final product. I think it’s extremely important to use a big range of technologies because it’s the key to producing a successful product, it allows access to many different ways of creating it and makes it easier.

Evaluation Q5

How did you attract/address your audience?

I wanted to hook the viewers of my product immediately through the very start of my opening. The opening or RUN consists of a selection of quick, short take snapshots of what is supposed to be evidence from a crime scene. The snapshots give a very strong sense of danger and violence with pictures of warning signs and weapons. these shots are very dark and mysterious and the black and white effect makes it appear darker and improvises that its in the another tense. Pictures of flowers and old books are quickly shown on screen combined with knives and other weapons. this immediately takes the film straight into the horror genre letting the audience know and warning them that this will be a thrilling and scary film. The mysterious and unexplained photos build a huge amount of suspense because the audience is left wondering what's going to happen next because they don't really know what is going on. I think this opening will hook the audience immediately wanting them to find out what that really was all about.(examples of some of the opening snapshots.)

The shot introducing the forest with the dates and location on the screen. Epping forest,2017 implies whatever is about to happen in the film where recent events. Its interesting especially for a British audience because it shows them that its set in Epping forest which is a location that a British audience would know about. People living around London may even be familiar with it. Epping forest is also known for its gang activity in the 90s and has commonly shown up in British crime and gang films. This automatically creates a feeling of danger and mystery for the audience to get them hooked. The shot is filmed from a slow moving, raised vehicle, this makes it very effective as an introducing shot and it looks very industry standard.  This shot is then followed by establishing shots and close ups inside the forest to further build this negative, mysterious vibe.

RUN is packed full of suspense, this is mainly due to the plot but also because of the music and sound I used. I carefully chose these sound tracks to exaggerate the build up of tension and it worked extremely well. I was surprised to see how much of an impact the sound makes in a horror film, it makes it so much scarier and changes the way you feel. without the correct sound the match the visuals I believe RUN would be nowhere near as effective at drawing in the viewer to the film and giving them the unease feeling the film is meant to give them. The killer is not seen very often and his face mask is not seen until the very end of the opening where Amy is murdered, the killer is only seen from a distance walking into the house. Not being able to properly see him makes it more thrilling and mysterious, this again adds to the suspense and makes the audience want to continue watching to find out what he looks like and to find out what he's going to do. Throughout the opening the audience doesn't know exactly what's happening therefore they will want to carry on watching so they can find out, throughout the film things start to make sense. No dialog during the opening sequence means the viewer has to concentrate on the film and try and figure out what's happening for themselves. I strongly believe that the more suspense the more thrilling the horror will be and the more exiting and effective it will be for the audience. This has been backed up by my survey results, people want suspense and thrills in horror films. The main character in the opening (Amy) is in the same age group as the target audience and her character is most likely similar to the actual audience as well. The rest of the film will also include characters in the same age group as the target audience. I think this is great because it means the  audience can relate to them and have a better understanding of how they feel.

My key objective for the title was to grab the viewers attention. this was pursued by choosing the right typography, I love this font because its such a good representative of the film and the white on black background makes a brilliant contrast that jumps right out at you in a freighting way. I added Blood splatters over the top of the title to improvise the murder and to follow the classic horror conventions. I decided to put the title at the end of the films opening rather then right at the start because it creates the feeling that it hasn't even started yet making the viewer exited to watch on further.

Evalution Q4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

After consulting and reviewing my audience research I decide to make my main audience at young British teenagers over the age of 15. I have given my sequence a BBFC rating of a 15. Although my film is constructed to appeal to both genders i would consider my primary audience to be males as I would expect males to be more interested in the themes and events of the film. This was also identified by my target audience survey results that this film would interest males more.

 Horror films are stereotypically popular amongst young males because they love the thrill of these type of films, someone being murdered actually makes it exciting for males whereas a lot of females would not like to watch it, more males prefer violence in films then females do as a whole males a drawn to the tension, excitement and violence of horror films whereas a lot of females would be put off by this. This was shown in my research in questions.. I responded directly to this by having these moments of tense suspense and violence.


RUN is a niche market film because it’s a film for horror fans and a certain target audience, it’s not a mainstream film therefore it can’t target a mass audience. However on the other hand I do believe that this is a mainstream horror that would be enjoyed by all horror fans. Although RUN is a horror it’s not exactly that horrific. I have kept the horror convention and packed it full of thrills and suspense but I’ve dropped the blood and guts that most horror films have. I purposely done this to create a wider audience, this means those who do not like the extreme gore will still enjoy the film. From the survey results i discovered that too much gore is what puts people off the most followed by unrealistic storylines. I think RUN is very realistic, i have made the film in a way that creates a feeling of "it could happen too you!" this effect was created through its realism and believable story line. Serial killers are actually real whereas ghosts and demons are not proven to be real. By making the plot believable and realistic i also think this could widen the audience and also maybe even allow the audience to stretch up to and interest even older ages.

 Conventionally horror films target audience are teenagers as many of the protagonists in the films are of a similar age and it is often set in suburban locations - Run is no different. Both the characters that you see in the film are teenagers. The first girl also fits into the stereotype of a blonde, young, and attractive girl which would also appeal to the primary target audience of males. Setting it in a British suburb also confirms this and adds to the message of 'it could happen to you’! Making the film scarier and more appealing to young males as I learnt from my survey in question. Often horror films come with a small but loyal niche market. RUN is no different. I hope to tap into this niche market film. In order to do this I would market the film using Social Media outlets like Twitter or Instagram as traditionally my target audience use these. I will also make sure i will use Fan based websites or magazines such as Empire magazines.
 

  My film will have a small budget and so therefore will not be a mainstream film or 'Blockbuster' therefore it can’t target a mass audience. This is why I intend to have a low age rating of 15 meaning I can widen the target audience. This means I will have to reduce the amount violence which is often a main attraction of horror films but as my film is a sub-genre of psychological slasher I believe that this would mean I don't have to rely on violence to attract an audience but work on the building of suspense and enigma. On top of this the Films HUSH and Scream which influenced me greatly both have age ratings of 15. '

Evaluation Q3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

My film is an independent so will have a small budget and so therefore will not be a mainstream film or 'Blockbuster' therefore it can’t target a mass audience as effectively as a major film due to its limited resources. When my film was in development I considered about how it would be funded. For a small amount of money I would consider creating a funding page like 'KickStarter' where members of the public could provide donations to get the film budget. I would also consider approaching businessmen and entrepreneurs for funding in exchange for producer credits. I would then take my film once completed to independent film festivals such as 'Raindance' and 'Sundance' to gain interest and also a distributor. However it might be easier if I approached a film and production company like Lionsgate or Blumhouse, who are well known for producing and distributing Horror Films.

I will want to use the resources and experience of a well established film distribution company such as Hammer Film Productions. Hammer is a British film production company established in 1934 and has its head office in London. This production company is a well renowned for its Gothic films that it made between 1950s and 1970s. They are so well known that they have their own subgenre in horror named after them known as 'Hammer' films . Recently Its most successful and well known film is ‘The Women in Black’ starring Daniel Radcliffe and based on the longest running theatre production of the same name.  Hammer can credit its success due its distribution partnerships with Warner Bros. With Hammer being a very British horror film company they will have good knowledge of the British Horror film market but if my film proves successful in Britain they have the business links with Warner Brothers who are owned by the conglomerate Time Warner. RUN requires very few inexpensive special effects therefore it will be a low budget production. This would suit Hammer. Traditionally horror are technically the most successful types of films in regards to production budget and gross profit. One of the most successful films of all time in this respect is the Blair witch project that had a production budget of just $60,000 and has made $240,500,000. Although my production budget wont be this small and my profit probably wont be this high I am hoping for a similar outcome. Hammer, with their experience will be a valuable provider and distributor 

However, Time Warner aren't particularly a Studio that specialises in Horror Films. Their Stereotypical genre is Action and Adventure. Therefore when trying to break the American Market I would consider approaching Blumhouse Productions. This American film and television production company was founded by Jason Blum and is world famous producing and distributing some of the most successful modern low-budget horror films. Their filmography includes such titles as  'Paranormal Activity', 'Insidious', 'The Purge', and most recently 'Get Out'. The company currently has a 10-year first-look deal with the studio Universal pictures. Universal pictures are traditionally a studio that also markets and distributes Horror films. Having this level of Expertise attached to my film would be invaluable. RUN is a low budget production like the rest of the films Blumhouse has produced. Blumhouse also produced the film Hush which was the film that I got most of my inspiration from; the opening to RUN has many similar aspects to the film Hush. Hush was a very successful film for Blumhouse therefore I think RUN would be successful as well if it was to be distributed by this company. There is also a gap in the market for RUN as it is a British produced film; Blumhouse has not distributed any British films so far. As my film is similar to an already proven film like HUSH they know the structure of my story already works. also the British film industry is currently enjoying a golden era of film making so most products that have a British edge are seen as good quality. Blumhouse would also have a very similar audience to my target audience and already know how to attract them for example those who enjoyed split and paranormal activity would hopefully be interested in RUN.

Evaluation Q2

How does you media product represent particular social groups?

My media product has one obvious representation of a social group, white British teenage girls. I constructed the protagonist, Amy to follow the conventions of the stereotypical First Girl that often appears in Horror Slashers. She is Blonde, White and Middle class. Throughout the sequence she is portrayed as frighten, isolated and in need of help. This is a negative stereotype of females as often women in the media are shown to be vulnerable and in need of rescuing. This is underlined during the sequence when she texts a male character either a brother or boyfriend asking for help. She clearly is a 'Damsel in distress' needing a male prince charming to come and save her.  It represents gender in a stereotypical way as females are stereotyped as soft and dominated by males. This clearly reinforces stereotypes. 


 Throughout the sequence she continues to make poor decisions that puts her in further jeopardy some might consider her to lack intelligence on this front. Again this can be conveyed through her blonde hair as the typical negative stereotype of females with blonde hair is that they lack intelligence on top of this she is young and there for naive which is another common stereotype. 

As stated earlier Amy does not represent the female gender in a very positive way because she relys on the help of males. this is shown where she texsts her brother or male freind to 'come home'. this is to imply that she is frightened and feels unsafe and needs him to be the hero and come and save her. When Amy gets home she goes straight to the window to get her mothers attention as she pulls out the drive. this also backs up the fact she is weak and needs her mother help. Both of these aspects of the opening are there to emphisise the fact she is weak and cant really help herself. She also gets herself killed and she is killed by a male, many will perceive this as  very negative representation for young females.

 Teenagers are often represented as a social group that are concerned about their image. The narrative starts with her running through the forest to keep fit which conveys this stereotype. She is also a stereotypical teenager and is actually very ordinary as she undertakes common activivities and pass times associated with them. She is seen texting on her iphone and listening to music throughout most of the opening. This adds to the fact that she is oblivious to her surroundings and strenghens the first girl convention wich are commonly represented as a ditsy blonde girl. Her middle class, British status is represented through her ordinary lifestyle and through her props, costume and her house. she wears  fairly nice sports clothing, she has an iPhone and a pair of beats headphones. This is typical of a British teen who is middle class and lives in the suburbs especially the iPhone which is very common for a teenaged girl to have.The screenshot below shows Amy sitting in her nice modern living room,listning to music and texting on her iphone clearly showing her middle class and also privelidged lifestyle. These typical conventions of her social group will be familiarised with the target audiance because most of the audiance will most likely be her age and most likely to be white, British, middle class teenagers. Establishing shots of the house show that its a fairly large suburban home surrounded by forest, the house has a very old British design to it but has modern aspects to it especially in the inside of the house, this conveys the house as a nice middle class house which makes everything appear ordinary and relatable. (establishing shot of the house below)