Successes in film style

Showing our film opening to Alicia prior to upload confirmed to us that we had largely fulfilled our initial aims for the style.

• Contrasts in light levels
• Almost make the audience feel on edge, eventually achieved through periods of silence, title font/colour and black screens
• Teenage-Young adult audience
• Solely teenage cast, sense of isolation for the protagonist
• Recognisable settings containing more extreme circumstances

Final Film Opening

Prior to uploading the final version of our film opening, we watched through the clip numerous times to be sure of no errors in sound, footage and titles. Our opening for Dazed is based upon heavy contrasts and continuous sudden straight cuts to partially mirror the mind set of the leading character. A key example of such is at 1:07, the only use of black screen and ringing sound effect outside of the titles. The choice for such rapid cuts leading into a black screen containing titles not only mirrors the overwhelmed state of the protagonist but immediately builds suspense for the audience if the film was to continue to the length of a feature. Following our preview to the class and specifically Yasmin's feedback, we re recorded the voice over following the running sequence to avoid echoes or any other signs to suggest it was recorded inside. Instead, we recorded it a second time outside.

Evaluation Questions

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation include:

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

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

4) Who would be the audience for your media product? 

5) How did you attract/address your audience? 

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

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

 

Isobel Evaluation (Focus on Contrast)

Sound Poll Results

After asking numerous people to watch both versions of our glitch sequence, one with whispering and one without, we came to the decision to have no whispering. The absence of sound enhances the contrast between the party and being alone already established through the lighting. The partial awkwardness of the silence was what divided opinion, however after watching the opening in full, the silence proves effective. We asked numerous people to come and watch the full opening finalised without the whispering. Isobel, who had voted for whispering, said that in the full 2 minutes the only absence of sound being in the glitch actually made the whole sequence stand out and emphasise the use of lighting. Blog post about this evaluation in further detail to come soon. 

Class Feedback

After finishing the editing of our film opening, we decided to show it the class for feedback and possible aspects to improve that we may not have been aware of. Sharing our film opening with the class for the first time highlighted to us how opinions vary heavily from person to person regarding the editing. Sophie questioned the quite jumpy nature of the film, which we had intentionally placed emphasis on, whereas Alisha said that she liked the straight cuts between scenes and locations. Abbie questioned Helin being at the party then outside in the next sequence however the shots are not continuous. Similarly, the glitch sequence at the party is followed by a full body shot of the character running out the flat but there is in fact time between the two occasions . Within the party, my character is never tracked to the door or leaving so this signifies the time difference with the following shot. A key piece of feedback came from Yasmin regarding the quality of the follied sound onto the black screen, the only dialogue in the opening. The shot prior to the black screen is outside whereas the sound was in fact recorded inside which she said she could tell by the background noise or lack of. Will we re record the sound outside and re edit it in as we had previously overlooked sound quality. 

Overall, the ambiguity and suspense created in the opening appears to be effective and we also gained useful critiques to encorporate as they may have gone unnoticed otherwise. Hopefully we will be able to show the film to the class again closer to the deadline to fine tune any small details. 

Editing in Production Companies

Though the inclusion of production companies do not gain marks, we wanted to use them as a way to establish a tone and quality for the film as well as a sort of colour palette. The use of bright block colours throughout the film amongst the often dark, cold, grey toned settings is consistent in our opening. Examples of this are the lighting of the party glitch scene and the use of pink titles to almost trick the audience into an almost false sense of security for what the film entails.