Final Cut

Voilà

Evaluation

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

My media product uses forms and conventions of real media products by using shots framed, generally, using rule of thirds which is rather a standard for shooting film. It also uses fade outs and ins another common theme in film openings.

It develops conventions by using pretty fast-paced editing which is pretty uncommon with the opening of a film, I also feel it develops the ways in which cameras are used and what kind of shots people try to achieve. I hardly believe I am the first to try such things but i feel I have developed that further in my own piece and hope to achieve new angles that people haven't seen before.

It challenges conventions of real media products in that we are not fully introduced to the main character as we never see his face, I'm not entirely sure if this is a challenging concept as I think I may have seen things similar, but most people comment on how they are directly introduced to main characters for the film in the opening section. I would say it also challenges conventions by not letting onto what he is doing/where he is going/what is in the bag. A more classic convention would be to reveal small clues and details which may lead the audience on to what the protagonist is doing, but oh no, not here, sir!

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents late-teenage, lower-middle class indie dudes I would say. It conveys them getting up with the aid of an alarm on an expensive, new and sophisticated, fashionable phone. Then first thing on our man's mind is to get slightly dressed into a comfortable dressing gown and making tea. With tea being very important to this social group, especially first thing in the morning. It shows the use of PG Tips and not a more working class tea such as Tetley's or Typhoo. Also the use of a more unique method of stirring the milk into the tea as opposed to just pouring it in then stirring it, thus implying a certain amount of care and attention towards the tea. The patriotic side of our loyalist teenager is then enhance by him coming out of the shower in a towel that resembles a large Union Jack. After getting dressed in the bathroom he exits wearing designer clothes and puts on a fine, old-looking pair of leather Chelsea boots and then donning a classic British Harrington, further enhancing his care for style, fashion and British class. He then gets an old-looking leather bag from his dedicated wardrobe. This shows more care for style, i.e. the bag, and care for his passion of clothes, i.e. dedicated wardrobe.

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

I feel my product would be distributed by any of the media institutions affiliated with Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie or Anton Corbijin. I believe this as these are my three main influences for my style of work and Quentin is a heavy influence on my editing style, especially for the quick paced sections. I feel if this were the real world this would maybe going under the same umbrella as Reservoir Dogs and Inglorious Basterds. Quentin and Anton both also use fairly basic title crediting throughout their work.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would be 17-26 years old. Keen interest in films. Dislike for Coldplay. Understanding of sarcastic comedy. Appreciates fashion, style, design and an overall sense of cool. They would probably be single and definitely secretly pretend to be a spy when nobody is looking because if they did it when people were looking, they wouldn't be a very good spy. They are probably influenced on their style by characters from iconic films or the actors themselves, rather than being influenced by models or trends.

Rough Cut

This is too long, and I would like to cut it down as I think it drags on a bit too much for this brief.

It is also lacking in credits. I also may cut out the laptop scene as people commented on not understanding that section.

Opening Titles

I have filmed my opening, now I must begin the tedious task of editing it together. In the end I decided to just concentrate on the part where our man wakes up and gets ready to go and meet the ColdPlay collector. For a taste of suspense and to hold the audience in, I have managed to film it all without revealing the actor's face but however still maintaing interest through what I think are quirky/clever shots, who knows. All will be revealed next time on the AS BLOG!!

Rough Ideas Shot List

Rough worded storyboard: Open with Universal Studios theme followed by a Production Company theme, then straight into black screen with Actor's name, followed quick paced editing of alarm clock buzzing, getting up, climbing out of bed, walking to bathroom, sound of flush and brush then out, quick paced suit donning whilst toast pops. Black shots with credits in continue through out. Man picks up package and struts down the road to his location past the camera biting his toast, credits still going, music fades out with that, new music begins as a low shot of the meeting point is show and the man's shoe steps into shot. shot of eye's and a wicked smile and walks up to the meeting. Tracking shot of him walking over CU with focus on his leather bag. Tracking shot round the back of the new man's car as we see our man walk up to his spot.they exchange in more quick paced editing and the man gets in the car and drives off. SHot of our man's face CU, with him looking down and the car driving off in the background and a wicked smile as he leaves shots and then moves off. Silence. Inside the car we see wide shot of the man in the back of the car with one or two bodyguards and he looks into the bag only to realise he's been duped, as he realises ColdPlay's Violet Hill kicks in and we see our man walking off into the distance to a remote factory still location, this is a track shot which follows the back of his legs then stop and allows him to carry on to the right of shot.

Preliminary Task

My Preliminary Video

Target Audience

Just about a 25 word statement which details the idea of the ideal audience for my film opening.

"Perry is 18. When he's not searching for fine tailoring and vintage records, he likes aesthetically pleasing cars, fine women and a good drink."

Audience Research

I've come up with a few questions for my audience research which I hope will give me interesting feedback and help whenI'm shooting/editing my work.


1) Can you think of any iconic film openings? If so, what do you like about them?

2) Is there anything you consider rather important in a film opening?

3) Would you prefer to be thrown straight in there with the action, or a more pedestrian start? If so, why?

4) Would you consider on-screen visuals, or dialogue more important in the opening moments of a film?

5)Do you think filming in black and white can suggest the wrong idea at the opening of a film, or intrigue?

Camer-work

Hate, unsteady shots. will not use ANY. All of my shots will use manual focus to achieve the exact image I have in mind or to try and find a new angle on a scene. I like to experiment with depth of field shooting so I will attempt to include some of this in my work. Also, I am considering having the final work entirely in Black & White but am yet to make that decision and will make up my mind in post.

Editing

I am a big fan of very quick, controlled and clever editing and do y upmost to make sure any editing I do is EXACTLY as I picture it in my head and strive to try in a variety of new ways aswell as my original concept, I also like to experiment with holdings shots for slightly longer than they should be held if the opportunity proves sufficient.

Mise en-scene

Flash, ocean's 11-esque, smart, cunning, fairly bright, mysterious (i.e. the package).

Action Plan

Preliminary Task - This consists of a short continuity task consisting of a short sequence of shots of a person going through some doors and a short, simple dialogue. This will demonstrate the basic skills involved with film production.

Task One - Film Research

Further research into other film openings. Analysis of some of the more effective examples including breaking down the camerawork, editing, quirky techniques, title sequence, mise-en-scene etc.

Task Two - Audience Research

Audience research. This will include deciding on my target audience, and carrying out various research tasks within that sector.

Task 3 - Planning

I will have to create a more concrete pitch for my film idea to maximise it's appeal and main themes. I will have to consider my own film script and complete it before I can shoot. Following this I need to decide on locations and photograph them to come back to later before shooting, as well as creating storyboards for my concepts.

By half term I would hope to have the majority, if not all, of my audience research and film research done. Ideally I would also like to have completed the Preliminary Task. This would leave me the following 6 weeks to shoot and then edit my work.

FIlm Openings Research

In our first lesson with Mr Cole, we watched a variety of openings. These are a few things I took note of.

Quadrophenia - We hear a track that contains parts from all of the songs that we hear throughout the film and we are introduced to Jimmy, although what we see is actually (in most people's opinions) the end of the film. In the next part we are introduced to Jimmy and his friends, the setting, London, the culture, Mods, and Friends/Enemies, Mods & Rockers.

Bunny & The Bull - Very very quirky and just my kind of opening. Shows us all the main people involved with making the film in an imaginative title sequence yet also shows us the mise-en-scene of he piece to follow, reinforced by the main music playing the background which is heavily featured throughout the film.

Breakfast Club - Upbeat. It introduces a group of friends and we are given a general idea of their personality (i.e. which stereotype they fit into), a bit about their background, and the common themes that tie them together.

In general, it would seem an opening has to introduce characters, and give the audience some idea of what they can expect throughout the course of the film. A general mood is clearly established from the start, normally by music and mise-en-scene.

Soundtrack

When the man in the flash car realises he's been conned for the first time and we cut back to our man walking of with the CD Coldplay's Violet Hill will kick in (an edited version most likely) and fade out the scene ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakDItZ7f7Q

(Coldplay - Violet Hill)

Film Pitch

Conventional film opening. We see a man waking up, getting ready etc. He puts on a suit and picks up a package which he puts in an old leather bag and walks out of the door. he then walks to another location likely a car park. where another man in suit is waiting for him with two bodyguards in suit, and he is stood in front of a flash car. Our man hands the package over to the other man and then walks away smiling. Then see the other man sat in the back of his car driving along squashed by his two bodyguards. He opens the bag and discovers about 10 CD's. We then go back to our man walking along holding the package we saw earlier. Then the title comes up. 'Coldplay's Last Album'. The rest of the film would go on to explain how Coldplay had gotten so dreadful that they became outlawed and thus all of their music illegal so it was all captured and destroyed and with just this last die hard Coldplay fan left trying to acquire his favourite bands music for him to cherish forever. Unfortunately for him the last copy in the world belongs to a man who has been on holiday for years only to come back home to the UK to find a copy his daft ex-girlfriend had given him as a horrible Christmas present one year. he soon learnt of this one die hard fan and goes on to tell him he will sell him the CD for a ludicrous amount of money, only to spend the rest of the film eccentrically pulling tricks on him and taking his money.