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

When we started this task I had'nt taken Media before, so everything was new to me. It was my first chance to use 'Adobe Premier Pro' as this taught me to cut and edit footage, add music and sound effects such as knocking. I also learnt how to use transitions appropriately such as cross dissolve as well as adding in special effects to our horror film. I learnt how to use all of the filming equipment such as the video camera and tripod which enabled us to film our footage steadily and under control.  At first I didnt really understand how to use the equiptment and the software, however, after completing my Preliminary Task I feel that I am now more confident with everything as we learnt how to overcome all of our mistakes in the preliminary task as well as seeing what we could improve in. 
I have learnt what the different shot types are such as high angle and low angle shots and how you can use them effectively to portray the genre horror in my horror opening. Also I have learnt the 180 degree rule to represent or portray continuity throughout the film ensuring that a sense of realism is established and the audience would be able to relate more. I found out that planning and research was the key to the success of our horror film opening as this made it easier to carry out our filming and editing to create a successful horror film opening. Overall I feel that my final product was completed to a high standard even though we had trouble with members of our group leaving and deadlines for our research were not made in time. 

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

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We used a fuji finepix digital camera and a sony handycam video camera and a sony tripod. This enabled us to get smooth and accurate shots which allows our shots to be steady and clear. We used the digital camera to take photos of our location and also to see what we could do within our location. We used the video camera to film our horror film opening.We used the tripod to enable a steady shot, however we also used the video camera as a handheld camera.  

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I used Blogger to upload all the information about the media course and add photo's and videos. Blogger helped us to create our evaluation among other aspects of our work. From using Blogger I have learnt how to operate Blogger and how to import images and videos as well as posts. I have learnt how to change the design and also how to change the text, font, colour and style.

                                           

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I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit and create our horror opening. From using Adobe Premier I learnt how to cut and move around segments of the piece. I also learnt how to edit and add effects and transistions to make the piece more effective and creative. We used a lot of  'cross dissolve' to make the transistions smooth and not over-exaggerated.

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I used Adobe Photoshop to create our pictures and also to transfer them onto Blogger. We were advised to use Photoshop rather than another programme as it has more tools and therefore can be more effective for our photos. I also learnt how to upload the photos from Photoshop to Blogger. From using Photoshop I have learnt how to add different effects to images and how to use the 'magnetic lasso tool' which cuts out part of the image which helps to create a better effect.

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I also used YouTube to upload my horror film opening to show how address and attract the audience. By using YouTube I learnt how to upload a video to youtube as well as how to annotate and publish a video. 

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I also used Google to find images and also to research different aspects of media as well as to find out information on certain things. I didnt really learn anything by using Google, however I have become more confident with different software's and technology.

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I also used Facebook to show my friends my Blog and finished Horror Opening which also received some good feedback from friends and family, such as 'this is really good, well done!' This contributed to some of our research into what our target audience would look for in a horror film opening. However, we had to also take into consideration that as they were friends and family they may not want to be critical.

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This image is a print screen from Facebook which shows two comments that we recieved after posting a link to our final horror opening.

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We also used a device called the 'ESI Rekord M' to record our voiceover and apply to our horror opening. The recording device was easy to use however I learnt about the distances of which you should stand away from the device so that the voice over sounds ok.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EjB-HJJTMs

This link takes you to my video of my horror film opening, 'The Missing' which I have now uploaded to YouTube. I annotated this video by using speech bubbles on the video to explain and highlight the ways that my horror opening attracts the audience. 

Overall I think that the main attraction for my horror film opening is the genre of horror. The use of colours, fonts, music and effects convey horror and show tension and fear. This then appeals and attracts my target audience as they generally watch horror films and also the ages of the characters relate the the age group of my target audience. 

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

Our target audience is mainly aimed at teenagers and young adults. This is because the characters in it are teenagers and young adults. Also the story line is something we feel that teenagers and young adults would enjoy and be prepared to watch. Also teenagers and young adults could relate to the story line. We don't have a target gender as either would enjoy the film. Our ethnic region is targeted at southerners as the characters and setting are from the south.

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

For this question, we scripted and did a directors style commentary voice over explaining and pointing out some of the key features of my opening as well as talking about production companies.

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

Above is a screen shot of one of our characters in our horror film, Andrew. Our inspiration and influence to create a character like Andrew is from films such as, 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'. Below is a picture of a teenage boy out of 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' which compares to our picture of a teenager, Andrew as they are both seen to be vulnerable characters. Teenagers alone are seen to be vulnerable and prone to danger. Our character, Andrew, is a stereotypical teenager he likes music and seeing his friends and keeps up with fashion as he wears the stereotypical teenager fashion of a hoodie, whereas the boy below is represented as a 'geek', he doesn’t socialise and is seen in the library a lot, He also is wearing a shirt instead of the stereotypical teenage hoodie or jacket. A stereotypical teenager is seen a lot in horror films which is another key reason as to why we chose to show teenagers and their vulnerability. Generally Teenagers are the age group that are more likely to watch horror films so therefore we decided to include teenagers as we felt it would be more appropriate and effective.

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

Picture Number	Analysis
1.       The Title	This title scene has a special effect called 'Slash Slide' which was used on Adobe Premiere Pro. The title appears after the masked murderer is seen. This suggests that the characters have been killed or taken. As you don't see the characters being killed or taken this creates suspense and tension for the audience. The title is called 'The Missing' because we felt that this title was very appropriate as previous horror films have short and snappy titles and start with 'the' such as 'The Strangers'. This develops the conventions of a horror film because it adds fear and tension which uses the original conventions of horror to create a successful and fearful horror film.
2.       Setting/Location	Our horror film is set in a house. We chose to do this as this can easily relate to the audience. Also, there are many other successful horror films that are set in a house such as 'The Strangers' and 'When A Stranger Calls'. This uses conventions of a horror film as most horror films use a house or ordinary setting to relate more to the audience and for the audience to believe the film.
3.       Costumes and Props	Our costumes were everyday clothes as this made our horror film easier for the audience to relate to as well as being convenient for us. We also used a white trestle mask for the murderer because we felt this gave our horror opening more mystery and fear. This develops and uses conventions of horror as its typical and stereotypical of a horror film so that it relates and communicates to the audience.
4.       Camera work and Editing	Our camera work was basic yet clever. We used shots to give a sense that the characters were being watched. This, in turn, created tension and developed the audiences idea of what was happening. The editing was used to make the opening run smoothly by adding appropriate and subtle yet effective transitions. Some transitions created a sense that time had moved on and some showed that the characters had moved into different places.The camera work and editing slightly challenged the conventions of horror as they were quite simple and we had to try and create a sense that the characters were being watched therefore they had to be successful.
5.       Title font and style	We created our logo and credits to relate to the conventions of horror to instantly create a sense of fear and suspense for the audience as most of our fonts and styles were in red and looked like blood or had some sort of effect that made them look creepy.
6.       Story and how the opening sets up	Our story is about a masked murderer who is linked to the house. We show this by creating two scenarios within the house. Also we show that it happens to everyday people as we use teenagers having a night in and also a young woman who is interested in purchasing the house. The opening sets up the film as it shows what the film is based on and instantly uses conventions of horror as it creates tension and suspense.
7.       Genre and how the opening suggests it	Our opening suggests that the genre is horror as it has creepy and eerie music as well as having effects which are related to horror such as the colour red to connote horror and death. The music also helped to build up a horrific climax as well as create an anti-climax to help change the mood and leave the audience in suspense.
8.       How the characters are introduced	Our characters were introduced straight away as they were all sat on the sofa being watched through the window, as this was happening their names appeared on screen as credits. The masked murderer was introduced mid-way through by creating a climax up to the point where you first see him. This uses the main conventions of a horror opening because most horror films have a 'normal, everyday' scene which then builds up to a climax.
9.       Special Effects	We didn't use too many special effects in our opening as we didn't feel they were needed, however after the audience first see the masked murderer we used a special effect which develops and challenges the conventions of horror as it isn't necessarily relevant however it separates the tension from the normality yet still keeps the level of suspense high.

Our Final Deadline For Coursework.

Our film deadline for all our coursework on our blogs is 

Tuesday 29th March 2011

Voiceover Script.

Script for our voiceover for ‘The Missing’ - Ashleigh, Toni and Charlie.

Ashleigh Flint:

A production company is in charge of creating a physical production of the media product. It could possibly be a big company like Walt Disney or a small company but they all do the same job. They sell the product with the help of the film distributor who distributes the film into the public. Our production company is called ‘HM productions’ which is a simple, low budget company which make and produce horror and thriller films. Our logo is simple, it says the name ‘HM productions’, with a metal like look and a blood-splattered background. It is simple yet effective and indicates horror which links with a low budget company.

Toni Davis:

Usually in a horror film opening the production company, actors, title of the film and job roles are named throughout the opening. In our opening we have named all the job roles and production company, which are, ‘HM productions’,  ‘Andrew Wyatt, Ashleigh Flint, Charlie Hoxley and Toni Davis’ The names also have allocated job roles such as, producer, director, filmed by and photography.

Charlie Hoxley:

Our film is similar to ‘The Strangers’ as it has young vulnerable characters which are similar to our characters. Also they use masked characters as do we.

However, ‘The Strangers’ is an American produced film whereas ours is a British produced film.

Final Horror Film Opening - The Missing

This is my final horror film opening of The Missing.

Our Production Company Logo

This is our production company logo which we designed ourselves. We decided to call our production company 'HM productions' and gave the 'HM' a metal like look with splatters all over it. This was to add an effect and to show that this was a horror film company. Also was had a black background with red splattered in on the background which connotes blood, danger and death. This also shows the audience that this is a horror film production company. We have also added a few green and brown splatters into the red to make it look dirty and this can show that something could happen in a film, by this company, in a forest or somewhere muddy.

Questionnaire Results.

Overall, 15 people filled out my questionnaires. 9 males and 6 female, all 15 were from year 12 which is 16-17 year olds.

• 80% thought that the opening was overall effective.
• 80% agreed that the music was effective.
• 80% thought that the transistions and effects were smooth and effective.
• 70% thought that the lighting was effective.
• 100% agreed that the title related to the genre and made them want to watch it.
• 100% agreed that the production company logo was effective and related to horror.
• 85% thought that the opening was believable.
• 90% said that they would watch the end of the film.
• Most people commented and said that we should deffinatley use dialogue.

Questionnaire

After we completed our horror film opening we then created a questionnaire to show to other classes of different ages to get people feed back so that we could analyse the opening. We then made changes to our horror opening to ensure that it was successful. Below is a copy of our questionnaire:



Ashleigh Flint, Andrew Wyatt, Charlie Hoxley, Toni Davis.                        The Missing.

Please help us to analyze our horror opening. Please answer honestly as we need the results for our course work.

1. Are you: Male / Female
2. How old are you? ______

Please answer the following questions on a scale of 1-4.
1=Excellent    2=Good    3=Room for improvement    4=Must improve a lot
______________________________________________________


3. How effective is the opening overall? 1 2 3 4
4. Was the music effective? 1 2 3 4
5. Does the opening include effective and smooth transitions? 1 2 3 4
6. How effective is the lighting? 1 2 3 4
7. Does the title fit the genre and make you want to watch it? Yes / No
8. Is the production company logo effective and relevant?  1  2  3  4
9. Is the opening sequence believable?  1  2  3  4
10. Would you watch the rest of the film?  Yes / No

-  If no, please state what changes are needed: __________________________

Planning Our Questionnaire.

We had to plan a questionnaire about our horror film opening so that we could then see what our target audience thought about our film.We came up with 10 questions for the questionnaire. Our ideas were:

• Music
• Opening overall
• Transitions
• Lighting
• Title
• Production company logo
• Is it a believable opening
• Would they watch more
• Age and Gender

These were all thought of because it will tell us about what works well and what doesnt in our piece as well as what we could change or improve on. Some things may even need removing completing. We also thought about different peoples points of views due to their gender and age so we thought we would see what the difference in opinion was.

Music.

The music we chose for our horror film had to include sounds that created tension. We decided to have music that created a climax to help make the audience feel fear. We added in sound effects that created the sound of someone knocking on the door and dropping something. We did this because it had to show that there was someone in the house. We had to insert the sound effects at the right time so that it fitted in with our reactions. We first took out the dialogue in hope that it would add more fear but we saw that it was a mistake because for one, our mouths were moving and also because without the dialogue you couldn't sense the true feelings of the characters or completely understand what happened.

Characters.

The characters were:
- Ashleigh Flint (Teenage Girl)
- Andrew Wyatt (Teenage Boy)
- Toni Davis (Teenage Girl)
- Charlie Hoxley (Masked Murderer)
- Chantal Bobbett (Estate Agent)
- Suzy Bacchaus (Buyer)

Generally there are vulnerable characters in a horror film. For example; in 'Nightmare On Elm Street', 'When A Stranger Calls' and 'The Children'. These images all show vulnerable Teens. We decided to show teens in our horror film because people can relate to them and it creates more tension and fear.

Filming.

Charlie Hoxley filmed most of the opening scene of our horror film as the other three of us were in the opening scene. I then filmed the remaining shots that i was not in. We all agreed about the camera shots and the acting. When we filmed the first part of the opening scene we used the window ledge to have the camera on. This was because we wanted the audience to see the characters as if they were looking through the window to add more tension which also gives the affect that someone is watching them. We also put the camera on the top of the stairs further on to show us walking down the stairs. We also put the camera on the tripod and held it up to look down on Andrew Wyatt in the bathroom which again, looked as if someone was watching him.

Props.

The Props that we used were:
 - A digital camera. This was used to take photo's of our location.
 - A video camera to film with.
 - A white mask. The masked murderer wore this.
 - We used a tripod to hold the camera for a steady shot.
 - We used a hardback folder for the estate agent when she was showing the house.
 - We used the car to show the buyer coming to the house.
 - We used keys to the house.
 - We used a newspaper for the buyer to see and to see the history of the house.
 - We also used a mirror in the bathroom for the masked murderer's face to first appear.
 - We used a Pringles Pot and a Mug to show that we were all at the house chilling out.
 - We also used a TV remote to show that we were watching the TV.

Our First Deadline.

Our final deadline for our horror film is

 Thursday 20th January 2011.

This will be shown to year 10, 11, 12 and 13's. We have made a questionnaire for them to answer so we can see if our audience thinks it is a good horror film opening.

Production Schedule.

Where: 

We filmed our opeing horror film sequence at Toni's house. We decided to do this because it was easy to get to from the school and it was perfect time for us to film when we wanted to. The house is the main setting throughout our film. Its all about the house and what and who is in the house. This will create tension and dramatic irony towards the audience as they will hear the noises and wonder where it is coming from. However, they will find out what is in the house before the characters do, which is dramatic irony. We also done this as it was an everyday household which was also near a school. This is an unexpected place for something to happen, like it does in the film. 


When: 

Date(s): We filmed during our free lessons on Tuesday 14th December. We arranged a time when we were all free so that we can film. We all had free periods during period 2, 3 and 4 so we went to our location to film. 

Time(s): The time we filmed was from 9:55am til 1:15pm. We had enough time to film all of our opening, however if we had ran out of time we had more time last period which is at 2:20pm til 3:20pm, which we could have filmed the rest of our horror film opening. During this free lesson that we had, as we didn't need to film anymore, we started to upload what we filmed onto Premiere for us to edit next lesson.

The Missing. First Draft.

^^This is the first draft of our horror film. After some feedback we saw that we needed to add in dialogue and also cut out some parts of scenes to make the film more effective as we felt that it didn't explain the story well and didn't run smoothly. The transitions weren't very good, so we have made improvements on them such as, deleting some and adding some to make it look more professional and so that it flows smoothly and efficiently.

Plot Of The Missing.

We did have a story board of our horror film opening, however, due to some difficulties we could not get it scanned in, therefore I have written the plot out and showed the changes that were made.

(production company logo appears and fades) SCENE 1
scene opens as if someone is looking in through a window, looking in on 3 teenagers.
there is a knock on the door but nobody is there.
the teenagers resume watching their film when they hear a loud bang from upstairs.
nobody else is in the house so the three teenagers decide to go and investigate.
they walk up the stairs and into the bathroom, there is nobody in the bathroom.
as they leave camera is on the mirror. a masked face appears.
they enter the bedroom, again empty, but this time the camera see's the masked man walk down the stairs behind them.
the characters walk down stairs to resume watching their film.
the masked face appears on screen with screaming.
(title screen and a 1 month later.. sub-title appears) SCENE 2
an estate agent in an office waiting for a client.
the client arrives and they both drive to the house.
both client and estate agent enter house.
client looks around the house and finds a newspaper.
she picks up the newspaper and reads that the house she is viewing was the house that three teenagers went mysteriously missing from.
she drops the paper and the face appears and there is a scream.
(blackout.)

This was the original plot, however we felt that scene 2 was not only too long, but too complicated there fore we changed it.

(title screen and a 1 month later.. sub-title appears) SCENE 2

an estate agent outside of house waiting for a client.

the client arrives at the house.

both client and estate agent enter house. 

client looks around the house and finds a newspaper. 

she picks up the newspaper and reads that the house she is viewing was the house that three teenagers went mysteriously missing from.

she drops the paper and the face appears on the screen and there is a scream.

(blackout.)

We felt that this was easier and quicker to present in our horror film opening.

Location Photo's.

These are the photo's we have taken for our horror film. We have decided to set our horror film in this house as it is easy to access and is a simple setting which can relate to audience's as it is a realistic setting.

^^This is the front of the house which will be seen in our horror film.

We think this is a good setting as it looks secluded which is a perfect

setting for a horror film.

^^This is the living room in which we are basing most

of the beginning of the film in. Also this is where you see

the buyer at the end as well as where you see the masked murderer.

^^This is the stair case that the characters are

going to walk up to investigate the house. We

wanted stairs that didn't have a banister so that

we could get easier camera shots.

^^This is the bathroom in which you will first see

the masked murderer. This is a crucial point in

the film as it will be the audience's first glimpse

of whats to come.

^^This is the bedroom in which we enter to investigate

where the mysterious noises are coming from.

We can get some simple, yet effective camera shots

in this room as it is simple and open planned.

^^ This is the top of the stairs which the characters will be

on for some of the film and also where you see the masked

murderer go down the stairs.

Originally, We took Location photo's in another house as when we had to take the photo's one member of our group was absent and we were supposed to use her house to take photo's in. However, when she was back, we took photo's of her house so that we could use our original plan and idea.

Production Company Logo's Research.

I decided to research production company logo's to see if they were all similar.
Most had plain background and the font was the main thing that stood out.

20th Century Fox Televison

Universal Studios

Walt Disney Pictures

Pixar Animation Studios

Lionsgate

Horror Research - Nightmare On Elm Street

Nightmare On Elm Street.
- high pitched, slow music. heavy breathing.
- someone making and welding knives and weapons.
- white and red writing.
- again, high pitched music.
- slashed cloth.
- young, vulnerable, alone girl.
- she is running through a tunnel into a boiler room.
- a man's face darts across the screen.
- there is noises of the boilers.
- the girl is being chased by the man.
- there is fire.
- dim lighting, he appears behind her and grabs her.
- the girl wakes up to her mother in her room.
- the girl looks down and her clothes have been slashed.
- she prays and grabs a crucifix.
- cuts to young children playing and singing.
- long shot of car with young teenagers in it.
- they arrive at a school, light.
- they discuss nightmares.

Horror Research - Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers - eerie music - low pitch.
- black background with white writing zooming in.
- cuts to a light field and a car getting closer on a hot day.
- faint sound of talking and the car.
- 2 young people, siblings, male and female.
- they talk and bicker about irrelevant things.
- you can hear the radio.
- they overtake an old couple in a portable home.
- they then get aggressively overtaken by a vehicle.
- they then mention death of people they new on the same highway.
- the pair stop to go to the toilet and then get back in the car.
- they drive off talking about their mother being unhappy.
- they then see the vehicle from earlier on unloading dead bodies at a barn.
- the man from the vehicle spots them and they drive off.
- the man gets into his car and drives after them, gaining speed.
- their phone dies and there is fast paced music.
- the vehicle rams into their car until they get run off the road into a field, then the vehicle leaves.

Horror Research - Halloween

Halloween.
- creepy music which was repeated over and over with a high part and a low part which created tension.
- red and yellow writing which instantly connotes horror.
- a picture of a pumpkin, flickering light. the pumpkin looked tatty and worn.
- black background.
- zooms in on pumpkin and eventually fades out to black.
- says the date, 1963 and states that it is halloween.
- hear children singing rhymes and comes to a sudden stop.
- there is silence as the camera pan's over a house. the only noise is of the wind.
- zooms in on house and continues to pan around the house watching a young couple inside.
- mid shot of couple on the sofa kissing.
- the male puts on a clown mask and taunts the female.
- still watching through the window, the couple leave to go upstairs, the camera then goes through the door and into the kitchen.
- camera pan's around house and you see a knife being picked up.
- the young male leaves and you hear a clock chiming.
- the clown mask is found on the floor and placed over the lens of the camera.
- you hear the girl humming and singing to herself.
- you then see the girl and she says 'Michael'.
- the girl then gets stabbed by the character(camera)
- the character(camera) leaves the house as a car pulls up and a middle-aged couple get out of the car and say 'Michael?'
- they remove the mask from the character and there is a zoom on out on a young boy in clown suit holding the blood covered knife.