Repost of our Preliminary Task and our Opening title Sequence

I have simply reposted these 2 videos so they are visible at the very top of my blog so they are easy to view:

The Depot Opening Title Sequence By Blood Rush Studios 2012:

Our Preliminary Task:

Evaluation 7 - What kind of institution might distribute my media product and why? (Made using "Kizoa")

Please click the right arrow/triangle button ON THE SCREEN/PRESENTATION itself to move through this presentation - not the keys on the keyboard. As it automatically plays itself, please make sure you start from the begging by either pressing reply or going back to the beginning by clicking the arrow on the left repeatedly:


Made using "Kizoa":

I suspect our media product to go far in cinemas, I believe it is original in the way the horror aspect converges with the thriller conventions. However, with our media technology constantly evolving I suspect films such as The Depot will be mainly be viewed on mobile devices such as iPod Touches and mobile Phones.

Evaluation 6 - What I have learnt about technologies in the process of constructing my product?

However, I did run into numerous issues that either prevented, delayed or decreased the quality of an aspect of my media product. For example, after making the company animation in "Aurora 3D animation", when I exported it into mp4/Quicktime format there was a watermark of "TRAIL" across the animation. Nonetheless, I increased the contrast of the animation so the watermark was nearly invisible to the naked eye. Another technological issue that I encountered was when my computer suddenly turned off, I was in the middle of writing a post on "Blogger". When I opened my Blog again, all my work was not present anymore. Therefore I had to re-do the post a second time. When editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, if I needed to delete a transition, the software would automatically delete the footage that was involved in the transition, therefore I had to add the footage again from the rushes - this took time and delayed edited. Unfortunately, our computer that we were allocated for editing did not have access to the internet, this made downloading and uploading data became far more time consuming and complicated as everything had to be transferred to and from my computer using my memory stick.

Evaluation 5 - How did I attract/address my target audience? (Voiceover)

Please make sure the sound on your computer is turned on/up

Evaluation 4 - Who will be the audience of my media product?

Evaluation 3 - What have I learnt from my Preliminary task in progression to the full product?

Evaluation Q3

I feel that by having a detailed storyboard, scrpit and schedule helped us achieve a better product as we were defiantly more prepared and organised. Preparing to film is incredibly important to achieve a good film, therefore in hindsight, a plan for our preliminary task would have been very useful in making it appear more professional. When filming our Preliminary task I didn't really know all the shot types and their purposes. However I was aware of them when filming our full product, so I used this knowledge when filming. As I have mentioned, a wide variety of shot types are needed to prevent the video from becoming monotonous. Unlike our Preliminary task which mainly consisted of medium long shots.

To conclude, I believe becoming familiar and knowledgable with the camera, equipment and editing software where vital in developing my skills in film making which allowed me do my best when making our opening title sequence.

Evaluation 2 - How does my media product represent particular social groups?

Our media product represents numerous social groups. The pictures on the left are the two characters in our opening title sequence:

1

The antagonist in our thriller is shown above (on the left), his clothing resembles the clothing of the KKK, the pointy hat is typically worn by an antagonist in thriller films. The pointy hat may be a sign of poverty characterising their background i.e. a poor man who has recently been released from prison. The dark clothing can also represent the clothes worn by thieves (as shown in two pictures above). Furthermore, the black leather coat resembles the one worn by Renard (Robert Carlyle) in the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough"(1999). In addition, the harsh tone that our antagonist uses represents an aggressive man. Furthermore, simply through the narrative it is clear this man is a violent man, as we see him suffocate another man with a plastic bag. We have created the image of this character as a working class, aggressive thug.

2

The protagonist in our title sequence is represented as a white, young man with a rather low income as he is working the night shift at a freezing cold bus depot. Simply by looking at the way he walks in the opening title sequence this man is portrayed as timid and withdrawn. We hoped to represent a lazy, shy, single depot worker who lives by himself in a flat who is struggling to keep up with the rent. We did this by choosing an actor with long hair, overweight who is shy when he is not acting; therefore he didn't really need to act to be someone he is not. 

Evaluation 1 - In what ways does my media product use, develop and challenge conventions of real media products? (Voiceover)

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Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Final Tweaking

Our post production questionnaire gave us some important things to change, mostly small details, yet they were incredibly important. For example the actors name was spelt wrong, and in the very last shot a significant error is visible; as the antagonist closers the 'door' of the cab it, the actor (who is meant to be at the back of the bus) is standing in the shot; in front of the bus! I was easily able to fix this by cropping the shot as show below:

1 Before cropping (actor in frame by accident):              2 During cropping:

3 After cropping:

Moreover, I had cropped a shot midway throughout the sequence to get rid of another error (the antagonist was standing in shot when he wasn't meant to be). However this caused there to be a empty space on the left as I has dragged the whole shot over to the right, i didn't make the crop quite so dramatic so there is no longer an empty space on the left of the shot.

A title that we did not use is shown below, the night before we timed we asked Steve (the man who kindly allowed us to film at the Depot) if it was possible to print a title on one of the destination blinds, he was happy to help so we sent him the following:

We filmed this shot however we felt it did not fit in to the title sequence. The place (in the timeline) that it needed to go would force us to deviate from the traditional title order (shown in one of the previous posts) as the name of the director must come towards the end and this shot would not fit in if placed toward the end of the title sequence:

Furthermore, it was pointed that numerous shots needed to be brightened using the editing software as they were difficult to see due to the poor lighting in a shot. For example - the long show of Steve (antagonist) holding the bag over the protagonist:

Unfortunately, some shots (such as the one above) were not possible salvage simply because it was not lit well as you can see from the poor lighting. However other shots could be improved by using lighting effect tools such as these:

Finally, there was something I noticed in the sequence that may confuse the audience and go against the 180 degree rule. When the audience see two shots of the antagonist's feet walking from 2 angles, they are shot from directly opposite sides. So the first match on action shot is the man walking from right to left of the frame, then the second is the man walking left to right. This is very confusing. Therefore I deleted the second match on action shot so the man is walking from right to left into the next long shot. These pictures illustrate this:

1.

2.  Deleted shot was here, but now there is continuity so the man walks from right to left in both/all shots

3.











I also rendered our whole title sequence so frame is improved, to when all frames are played one after the other, it creates a far more fluid video:

Post-production Interview

Post-production Questionnaire - Results

 

Post-production Questionnaire - Screening

We showed a group of people our opening title sequence at lunchtime, we then gave them questionnaires and asked them for feedback. The questionnaire was the same as the "Survey Monkey"one, however it was simply printed out. This proved to be very useful as we made numerous improvements to our title sequence because of their feedback. See the post: "Final Tweaking" to see these changes/improvements that have been made.

Post-production Questionnaire - Made using Survey Monkey

This is our survey which have sent out for people to fill in, we also sent them the youtube link so they could watch the opening title sequence as a reference. They had complete control over the video on youtube, they could rewind it to a specific point or freeze frame to analyse the shot(s) if they wished. Therefore, they were able to answer the questions in more detail which would benefit our product.

The Depot By Blood Rush Studios (Opening Titles)

This is my Media coursework - the final version:

Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Adding Titles

We were able to add titles with ease in our editing program. The font that we have decided on is Myriad Pro - Bold Condensed:

This font resembles the font used on the front blinds of a London bus; in addition it is all in capitals. This stands out and is memorable. I believe the font of the titles can inform/hint to the audience what genre of film it is and what the rest of the film is going to be like. The font is also fairly typical of fonts used in many thriller films as it is rather 'masculine' and 'tough'.

I decided to have the titles fade in and out while on screen, they slowly track across the screen. It is rather subtle. I hoped this gave the impression of a journey (back to past events) which is what the film is about as well as a sense of the movement of a bus on its journey. Originally, on the second shot (tracking shot of the buses) we were going to have the titles in perfect time with the buses so it appeared as if the titles were 'stuck onto' the front of each bus. This was inspired by the opening titles of the film "Speed". Unfortunately, I thought it did not go with the overall atmosphere so instead we had consistency in our titles as they are all similar in the fact that they fade in and out and track smoothly and slowly.

 However, the shot where the antagonist steps up onto the bus, we decided to not fade in the title, instead we made it suddenly appear in time with the footstep:

These are some screenshots of me adding, editing a title to be put into the opening sequence on the timeline. As you can see, the editing of any title is carried out in a separate window which is opened by double clicking the title:

The title to show our film name: "THE DEPOT" took the most amount of time to achieve. A fade to black transition (the black background) had to be timed perfectly with the bus movement. We used the select tool, the title writing tool, the rotate tool and the resize tool to edit the title once we had created it on the black/blank background. The speed that the words came into the frame had to be timed perfectly as well. As you can see from the following screenshot the tracking was set at 30; the font size and aspect were also considered to create the effect that we desired for this particular title:

The Traditional order of the Titles in the Opening sequence

The order the titles are placed in at the beginning of the film is far from random - there is an established order in which they are placed. I hope to use this specific order of titles when it comes to adding titles to our thriller opening:

• NAME OF THE STUDIO

• NAME OF THE PRODUCTION COMPANY
• A FILM BY (DIRECTOR NAME)

• EDITOR or EDITED BY

• STARRING

• FEATURING

• CASTING or CASTING BY

• MUSIC or MUSIC COMPOSED BY or ORIGINAL SCORE BY

However, there are many variations of this. For example, the following titles are alternatives to some of the ones above:

• SET DESIGN
• COSTUMES
• HAIRDRESSER
• MAKE-UP ARTIST
• SOUND RECORDING
• VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR or VISUAL EFFECTS BY
• DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPGY
• PRODUCER
• BASED ON BOOK/PLAY
• STORY BY
• WRITTEN BY

The opening title sequence from the famous film "Se7en" is a classic example of the order in which titles are placed in the opening of a thriller film:

Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Sound track

Choosing the sound track is crucial in any film, to demonstrate this significance I have looked at one of the scenes of the film "Scream 2". If you watch it with sound you will be able to see what effect it has on the audience (e.g. builds suspense). However if you watch this scene on mute you will notice the difference between the two, the lack of a score truly takes away from the scene:

We used this royalty free ambient sound track which is audible at the very beginning of the title sequence. It is called "Through a Dark Window - Alone in the dark". It is very eerie and spooky; this is exactly the kind of atmosphere we want to create in our title sequence:

I for our main soundtrack/score I used a free track from the royalty free website: Premiumbeat.com:

I downloaded a trial track for free after looking at numerous options, this track was much shorter than the full version but only thirty seconds or so is needed. The track I chose is written by "Alex Khaskin", it is called "The Warning":




I hope the combination of the tracks work and create a atmosphere of suspense and fear. I know I will have to edit the position of this track to fit well with the ambient sound that is already in place. For example:

Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Adding Foley Sounds

Foley sounds are non-diagetic sounds recorded separately from the diagesis. They are added onto the footage in post production (editing) after the filming has taken place. These sounds may include things such as footsteps, punching sounds, the sound of a closing door, a car crash or an explosion which add realism to the film. Foley sounds are created by a Foley artist to enhance and replace sounds that were recorded when filming as they may be insufficient due to background noises and other factors . The aim is to not allow the audience to discover that there are foley sounds present that were added in after filming. They are added in after for numerous reasons. Firstly, they allow the editor to have complete control over the sounds in the film. Secondly, the sounds may not be practical/easy to create when the event/action is being filmed so sometimes it is easier to record the sound after when all concentration can be focused on making just the sound, not the action and the sound at the same time. For example this is a photo of a film company recreating the sound of footsteps:

Our Foley Sounds

For our thriller title sequence we wanted to add foley sounds so it would create realism. We also wanted to record these sounds as they were not present or not good quality when filming. For example, I recorded sounds of the bag being scrunched into a ball, the sound of the bus depot worker struggling to breathe as he is being suffocated and the sound of the depot worker hitting the ground. I used my friends recording equipment to do this:

I then edited the sounds in "Garage Band" to simply split up the sounds, delete recordings that were no longer required and delete the gaps in between each foley sound (the silence):

These are just a couple of the sounds I recorded which will be added:

I then put them on my memory stick to bring them into school and import them into our editing program - Adobe Premiere Pro. I am happy how the foley sounds work with our film footage. The sounds are far higher in quality and are not distorted at all. I feel they help bring our thriller to life and help to create realism in the depot.

I wanted to include a sound of the bus engine starting at the very end of the title sequence. Firstly, I attempted to record the sound my mums car starting however it was clear that it is not the sound of a bus engine but simply the sound of an car. So after school I spontaneously recorded the sound of one of the school buses on my phone however the quality was inadequate therefore searched the internet for the sound of a bus engine starting instead of just a bus engine. We downloaded and imported the sound from the website Sounddogs.com:

The Importance of Different Sound Techniques

Sound is one of the four key areas of filming - it is a vital part of any film. Without it, the film becomes unrealistic and uninteresting. For example, if somebody watches a horror on mute, they will not become scared; if someone watched an emotional film on mute, they would not cry.

So I felt it was important to know and use the correct techniques when it came to sound editing as I recognised their importance. I decided to research the different types of sounds, why they are effective and when they are used:

1) A Diegetic sound (audible/recorded when filming) would be used to allow the audience to hear realistic sounds and to make the film more authentic.

2) A Non diegetic sound (added in after filming) helps create realism; the use of music can also create feelings such as atmosphere or excitement.

3) A director would predominately use synchronous sound to allow the audience to view the film as authentic with the sounds matching the on screen action of the thriller.

4) Sound effects are used to create a sense of reality in the film (e.g. the sound of an explosion or punch).

5) Sound motifs may be used to allow the audience to expect a significant character/event is about to appear or reappear/occur.

6) A sound bridge is used to create a confortable transition between two (visually unrelated) scenes without jarring.

7) Dialogue is used to allow the audience to understand what is happening in the narrative as well as a deeper insight in to the character speaking. Recently (2011) and for the first time in many years, a silent film called "The Artist" was made which has no dialogue in the film whatsoever. However, it still won many awards.

8) Voiceovers are used in films to gain insight regarding the characters thoughts. It can help create a bond between the audience and the character.

9) Ambient sound informs the audience of the films authenticity with its use of natural background sound.

10) A score/ soundtrack is used in films to understand the tone or mood of the film when it is used.

Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Cutting the shots and adding transitions

We then started to work throughout the footage putting them in the correct order, cutting them, adding transitions and changing the sounds of each clip (making them audible or mute).

We were able to precisely add transitions and effects to the clips to create the title sequence we wanted using the window which gave us exact control over every aspect of the footage, transitions, lighting effects and sounds:

We did face numerous issues with these procedures. Firstly, in some cases the group disagreed on whether to have transitions or simple cuts from one shot to the next. So at the very beginning we used the dissolve transition to create atmosphere and when the characters started to interact and more significant events happened, we used straight cuts to create the illusion of no cameras being present. We used continuity editing. Secondly, once we had a transition is place we struggled to replace it with a different transition. If we deleted a transition the program would automatically delete whatever footage was in the transition. However, there was a wide choice of transitions to choose from and I was able to precisely cut shots using the razor tool, select tool (the "V" key on the keyboard) and the cut tool ("C"):

Choice of transitions:

Cut and select tools:

I was able to precisely edit using these tools as I was able to zoom into the timeline whenever I wished. I could see less of the timeline but in far more detail as it was larger on the screen:

Editing our Thriller Title Sequence - Splitting up the clips

Once we had captured our footage and seen all of it we started to edit it. We used the same editing software that we used to edit our preliminary task so we were familiar with it - Adobe Premiere 2.

As I am a more experienced editor than the other members of the team, coupled with the fact I thoroughly enjoy it, I spent many hours after school editing our film.  At first all the shots were in one long section of the timeline so the rushes were split up in to the different shots so they could be rearranged and easily moved:

Editing Techniques and their importance in Film (Orson Welles)

Editing is incredibly important in making a successful film. Even if the rushes are superb, if the editing is not done well - it can ruin the film.


Orson Welles stressed the importance of editing when he said: "For my vision of the cinema, editing is not simply one aspect; it's the aspect".

Before I started to edit, I wanted to research the different editing techniques that are used in films so I could use these techniques as I edit our footage:



1) Continuity editing is used to allow the audience be drawn into the thriller and not be distracted by 'obvious editing'.

2) Parallel editing is used to allow the the audience to see that two story lines are progressing at the same time throughout the film.

3) Cross cutting is used to allow the audience to allow the audience to see that two groups/events or characters are converging/coming together, to show a link between the two.

4) An editor would use match cuts to allow the audience to see the events on screen from a variety of positions; this helps hold their interest.

5) A shot reverse shot is used to allow the audience to see a conversation or conflict from both sides, alternating between viewpoints.

6) An eye line match is used to see what the main character was looking at (the object was out of the frame at the the time).

7) An editor would use a cross fade transition to show that time is passing; it can create atmosphere and smoothly take the audience from one shot to the next.

8) Slow motion is used in thriller films to understand that the action onscreen is significant, dramatic and powerful.

9) CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) is used to create something that would be extremely difficult/expensive to create in reality so instead it is created in the editing suite.

Film Company - Animation

I downloaded a free trial program which allowed you to make 3D title animations; it is called Aurora 3D Animation. Here is a screenschot of me making one of the company animations using the software:

I found the software user friendly. I especially liked the layout of the software and the timeline along the bottom allowed me to edit each second of the animation precisely. I was able to customise the animation with many different tools such as the text tool and the light tool. I was able to move each word or object three dimensionally and I was able to add pictures to any point along the timeline.

I then exported the files, imported it into iMovie to add music/sound effects over the animations. I also edited the speed of the clips, for example I increased the speed of the animation at the beginning of one, and decreased the speed in the second animation. These are example screenshots of this:

These are the finished Animations. We hope to put one at the very beginning of our thriller title sequence:

My inspiration for this animation is from "Dimension films":

As well as making these Animations, I decided to make a a stop motion flip book animation as I have recently become intrigued by them as they are  a completely new type of film to me, I achieved a more authentic feel which I believe is a good thing; this is where this animation contrasts the ones above. This has originality while the ones above are far more modern. I continuously took photographs of me writing out "Blood Rush Studios". I then imported them into iMovie (roughly 500 photos) and added foley sounds such as the sound of the pen writing on the paper and the sound of the paper being scrunched up into a ball:

However, I am not going to use this company 'Animation' as I feel it may be inappropriate for our thriller. However, I feel it would be fitting if our thriller was something like the film "Psycho"as it has a very old, authentic feel to it.