Feedback

In order to assess the quality of our film, we had to gather multiple reviews and feedback from various audiences. Here are some comments made by our test audiences.

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Richard: 

On our PC dark sequences too dark, notice board behind Female at 2.00 should’ve been blacked out, would have omitted last shot, form outside, and left it as bursting thru the doors from inside to fade to white.

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Martin:

Great opening audio

I’d like to see the rest of the film – it’s good

Female seems to smile – doesn’t look like a caught terrorist facing torture

A cross between Blair Witch Project and the computer game “fallout”

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Andrew:

Excellent opening sequence –catches the interest.

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Paul: 

Sets the scene for the story very well. Tells you just enough. 

Very “Orwellian” use of terms like “citizen”

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Amanda:

Very good - but dark sequences too dark (probably our PCs)

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Michelle:

Thats scary!!  Good but not my kind of movie - Mark would like it. (her Husband)

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Ian:

Was there a continuity error in the end sequence?  The final doors they burst thru didn't seem to have windows and had another set of doors behind.  The shot just before (from inside) obviously had bright light on the outside.  Something didn't look right - just saying! 

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The following comments were made on the YouTube link. YouTube allowed us to show people our video without having to go to them and collect the review in person. It saved us lots of time, which is very important when making a film.

The feedback was very helpful as it helped us to spot errors which we might not have spotted ourselves. If we had more time to work on the film, we would go back and ensure that these errors were corrected. The feedback also provided us with positive comments, which helped us to assess just how good the film was.

Director's Commentary

This is the commentary by our director, explaining some of the effects and shots which we used. It also explains some of the techniques we used in the programs.

NOTE: You may have to turn up the volume to hear it properly.

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

In the progression from the Preliminary Task to the Final Product, I have learned many things.

Lighting

With this shot, the lighting is quite cold, with a blue tone to it. This was the natural light of the place which we set the clip in. In our Final Product, we ensured our lighting was predominantly controlled, or if we could not control it, we found a place where the lighting was ideal.

In this shot, we see that the lighting is very controlled, as we have adjusted the light so that it provides just the right amount to the scene. We controlled it so that this shot with the outline of the Male's head used the lighting effectively.



 Setting

In this shot, we see that the setting is in a room, with a lot of objects in the frame. This could distract from the main focus point of the two people having a conversation. When choosing a location for our final product, we considered the background, ensuring that the setting was ideal.

In this shot we chose a location which had the appropriate mise en scene for the story which we wanted the background to tell, giving extra detail which the radio broadcast neglects to tell. The fencing and barbed wire contradicts the freedom spoken of in the broadcast. This shows why location was crucial for storytelling in our final product, or in any film.

Story

One of the things we improved the most with was the storyline. In the Preliminary Task, our storyline was very basic, one person meets another and they discuss how to exit a building in a fire. We were told that the storyline wasn't important in the preliminary task, that it was just about the technique. However it was very important to the film opening as the first few minutes of a film usually give details of what is to come, therefore it was important to know where we were going, before we began.



This shot depicts the twist in our story as one of the interrogators pulls out a gun and betrays the other by shooting him. This was an important shot as it showed exactly what was happening, and it also allowed our story to take a new turn.

Angles, Transitions and Shot Techniques

The shots in our preliminary task we very basic. There were no interesting angles and there were no interesting shot techniques. We focused on the basics of '180 degree rule' and 'Shot/Reverse Shot', not confident enough to try any more complex angles or techniques. We also used simple cuts, not fades, as we felt that they weren't necessary.

In our Final Product, we were much more creative. We used interesting angles, such as the high angle shot from the balcony. We also used interesting techniques mentioned in a previous post, such as foreshortening and manual focus pull. Finally, we also used fades in some of the transitions as we felt that they would fit the sequence. The main fade which we felt was most important was the fade between the circular dish on the radio mast, and the light in the interrogation room.

6. What have you learned about technologies from the process ofconstructing this product?

We used a lot of technology to create our film opening. Here are some photos of us filming with the HD cameras which we used.

Here are a few annotated diagrams of the cameras.

We used the tripod to prevent camera shake. The lens is the part of the camera which detects the images in front of it.

We didn't actually use the zoom button whilst recording, however in techniques such as foreshortening, we zoomed in prior to pressing record. The viewfinder shows us what the lens is processing.

The slots for the USB Cables allowed us to plug the camera directly into the computer to download all of our footage. The manual focus dial allowed us to manually adjust the focus of the shot. This was used in the 'Manual Focus Pull'. The record button, the round red one in the centre, tells the camera to begin capturing the images it sees.

We also used microphones to record the radio broadcast.

This is a diagram of the microphone.

The microphone pics up the sound spoken into it. The pop filter eliminates 'popping' sounds caused by the impact of fast moving air on the microphone during recorded speech. The mixing desk allows us to control several microphones at once, for example in a group recording. However, we were just using the one microphone so we turned down all the other microphones.

We also used several programs to create our product.

Adobe Photoshop was used to create the logos for the media industries, as well as the title sequence.

Adobe Premier was used to edit the footage together. We also used it to add effects to the video, such as the lens flare for the gun shot, and the high contrast colour alteration for the flash back. We also learned how to add titles to our footage using Premier. The key frames allowed us to manipulate the movement of the titles, causing them to slowly move across the screen, fading in and out.

We decided not to use Adobe After Effects as we felt that the effects we could create on there were too dynamic for the style we wanted. We also felt that in the time we had, it was too complicated and the effects were unnecessary. The effects of Premier were sufficient for our needs.

We used Audacity to record the radio broadcast. We also used a function in Audacity to generate white noise, or static, which is heard in the broadcast.

We used SoundCloud to get sound effects such as the wind, the static, and the music which was played during the clip.

Finally, we posted our video on YouTube, an on-line video sharing website which allowed us to collect responses to our video, as well as the ability to distribute it. 

5. How did you attract/address your target audience?

One of the ways we stirred interest in the film is by making concept art.

Battlefield Horizon

Many films release concept art to entice their audiences to watch the film. They also provide an alternative visual to trailers and posters.

The first section of our opening will address artistic types, as there are many artistic shots.

The second section will address a wider audience, with the unveiling of the gun addressing a typically male audience, although it will also appeal to some females.

4. Who would be your typical target audience?

 

Our target audience would be between 15-24 year olds, as we feel this audience would generate the most profit for our film. We feel that the content of the film opening would probably suit a 12 certificate.

A typical member of our target audience would be a student, either male or female, who enjoys hanging out with their friends. They like the blockbuster films which are usually aimed at them. They might go to see our film in their local multi-screen cinema with their friends. If they like the film, they may buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray so they can watch it at home with their friends.

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

I think that our film would be distributed by a company such as the fictional 'Midnight Pictures' because we felt that we couldn't decide which company the film would best suit. 'Midnight Pictures' would be a reasonably mainstream distributing company, though not as huge as Warner Brothers or Disney.