In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I will need to consider ways in which my short film might differ from other films of its style. Does it contain stereotypes or challenge constraints? In what way - the storyline, imagery, sound, editing, shots, etc.? I might need to compare it to other shorts within the same genre, which would include a certain amount of research and consideration. The same or similar audience is also likely to support my evaluation.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
The ancillary text should compliment the main product in a way that encourages and persuades audiences to watch the short, just as in any marketing campaign. It should indicate a clear style and genre that is likely to draw in the correct audience. Images or text should be fairly consistent, so that the pieces work together rather than apart. I should be evaluating whether as a group, the products promote one another.
How have you learnt from your audience feedback?
Feedback is essential to gain a clear understanding of whether the target audience consider the short to be a success or a failure. If information is gained during the production stages then changes might be made to improve the final product. From this, I will need to consider what changes have been made and how they have caused improvement.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Throughout every stage of development I will need to have used technology to support my ideas. The choice of technology is likely to have a huge influence over my final creation. Why did I choose specific equipment or software? What did I use? Did I attempt alternative methods?
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Thursday 14 June 2012
Section A: Questions
Digital Technology
How has technology helped you to capture your ideas for media production?
To create my movie opening, I used a range of media technology throughout the production stages. This included a camera and computer; using software including Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe After Effects. I documented my movements through the form of a blog.
I used the camera for film and stop motion animation, which enabled a consistent quality.
Adobe Premier Pro was easy to use, which supported the editing process. Along side After Effects, it enabled me to create titles and alter the way they appear on the frame. This meant that I had the opportunity to vary the presentation of clips and alter the frame where mistakes were made during filming.
I also learnt about applying settings and ensuring that the files were the same. This was important for importing and exporting the files. I generally stuck to QuickTime so I could be confident that my opening would be viewable on YouTube and on my blog.
Creativity
What features of your work would you say are original to you?
The storyline aimed to be quite unpredictable. The use of stop motion animation is not often used in the Romantic Comedy genre. I chose this because it has close connections to fantasy/fairytale imagery in terms of it's other-wordly illusions. Animation of this kind is usually lighthearted and positive; or dissimilarly, eerie and unpredictably peculiar (as in the case of Tim Burton). I attempted to keep the imagery traditional and comforting in the case of items such as the russian dolls and mannequin - but also with the choice of objects which could be seen in more than one way for multiple meanings. I used lighting and soundtrack to hint that the couple would break apart and that this isn't a comforting world.
Research and Planning
How did your research in to genre contribute to your production work?
Looking in to films like Music and Lyrics (mainstream) and 500 Days of Summer (independent) have given me a good example of the types of expectations and results of such films. They also offer comparisons between mainstream and independent movies and suggest alternative movements and endings. Knowing the audience of romantic comedy films helped me to aim my movie opening accordingly. These types of film often appeal to the teenage and adult female audience.
Post-Production
How much of your text was 'created' only in post-production?
After filming, I adjusted many of the shots by recolouring the clips slightly; and therefore emphasising the style and concept. I used subtle transitions in some cases to make the opening run more smoothly, so each focus of shots ran off from one another.
I also created the opening credits and ident using the techniques I learnt from Adobe After Effects. I added the credits by placing them on top of the images in Premier Pro.
Using Conventions From Real Media Texts
In what ways have your productions used or developed conventions adopted from real media products?
I tried to challenge traditional convention in some way, by offering a less predictable storyline and an opening which could almost suggest an alternative genre.
However, I still maintained some stereotypes; including the types of characters. As with most films of this kind, the main couple are young and still figuring themselves out. This is because these are the types of viewers that are most likely to relate, and also fit a wide range of audiences (for example, a teenage audience is likely to watch a film with older actors whereas adults are unlikely to be drawn to a rom com if the main characters were teenagers. This makes the film more accessible).
How has technology helped you to capture your ideas for media production?
To create my movie opening, I used a range of media technology throughout the production stages. This included a camera and computer; using software including Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe After Effects. I documented my movements through the form of a blog.
I used the camera for film and stop motion animation, which enabled a consistent quality.
Adobe Premier Pro was easy to use, which supported the editing process. Along side After Effects, it enabled me to create titles and alter the way they appear on the frame. This meant that I had the opportunity to vary the presentation of clips and alter the frame where mistakes were made during filming.
I also learnt about applying settings and ensuring that the files were the same. This was important for importing and exporting the files. I generally stuck to QuickTime so I could be confident that my opening would be viewable on YouTube and on my blog.
Creativity
What features of your work would you say are original to you?
The storyline aimed to be quite unpredictable. The use of stop motion animation is not often used in the Romantic Comedy genre. I chose this because it has close connections to fantasy/fairytale imagery in terms of it's other-wordly illusions. Animation of this kind is usually lighthearted and positive; or dissimilarly, eerie and unpredictably peculiar (as in the case of Tim Burton). I attempted to keep the imagery traditional and comforting in the case of items such as the russian dolls and mannequin - but also with the choice of objects which could be seen in more than one way for multiple meanings. I used lighting and soundtrack to hint that the couple would break apart and that this isn't a comforting world.
How did your research in to genre contribute to your production work?
Looking in to films like Music and Lyrics (mainstream) and 500 Days of Summer (independent) have given me a good example of the types of expectations and results of such films. They also offer comparisons between mainstream and independent movies and suggest alternative movements and endings. Knowing the audience of romantic comedy films helped me to aim my movie opening accordingly. These types of film often appeal to the teenage and adult female audience.
How much of your text was 'created' only in post-production?
After filming, I adjusted many of the shots by recolouring the clips slightly; and therefore emphasising the style and concept. I used subtle transitions in some cases to make the opening run more smoothly, so each focus of shots ran off from one another.
I also created the opening credits and ident using the techniques I learnt from Adobe After Effects. I added the credits by placing them on top of the images in Premier Pro.
Using Conventions From Real Media Texts
In what ways have your productions used or developed conventions adopted from real media products?
I tried to challenge traditional convention in some way, by offering a less predictable storyline and an opening which could almost suggest an alternative genre.
However, I still maintained some stereotypes; including the types of characters. As with most films of this kind, the main couple are young and still figuring themselves out. This is because these are the types of viewers that are most likely to relate, and also fit a wide range of audiences (for example, a teenage audience is likely to watch a film with older actors whereas adults are unlikely to be drawn to a rom com if the main characters were teenagers. This makes the film more accessible).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)