3. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?






The preliminary task was a fantastic way for us to learn the basics of camera angles, scripting, editing and acting. When replaying the preliminary we were able to realise things that could be improved in our main thriller and also things that should be repeated.

continuity

During filming we found that continuity is hard to perfect. In the preliminary we accidently filmed objects that were not there in the shot before. When this happens it diverts the audience’s attention from the actors and losses the sense of realism that has been created. We were therefore more careful when filming our actual thriller sequence. The props were kept together in-between filming sessions so we could easily locate them. We took photos of each of the actors at the beginning of the first shoot so we could remember exactly what clothes they were wearing.


Match on Action Shots

These shots required a lot of concentration to detail. We found when filming the preliminary that every difference would be highlighted when the shots blended together. For example when shooting a hand opening the door it would have been very easy to distinguish the hand of the actor in the previous shot and the hand tuning the handle. Timing was essential when creating match on action shots, if the actor is to quick or slow in his reactions then the entire sequence will not work. Lighting can also cause difficulties, often match on action shots take place in different rooms or even completely different locations so it is vital that the lighting is the same, this can be achieved by saving the white balance to the camera.

180 degree rule

We learnt the importance of the 180 degree rule when filming our preliminary. If the camera strays over 180 degrees from where the actor is positioned it will look wrong to the audience, the entire shot will look wrong which will distract the audience from the realism of the peice. We had to be particularly careful of the 180 degree rule when filming our main thriller sequence. This was because half of it was a conversation between two characters with each other. The camera needed to be either in front of both of them or focused on one from an opposite angle.

Storyboarding

The storyboarding enabled us to have a clear idea in our minds of the outcome of the film. When we arrived on location the first thing that we did was study the storyboard. For the majority of the time we were able to keep our shots fundamentally the same however there were some instances where change was inevitable. This occurred when we realised that the location would not be suitable for a certain shot type or movement. The script was also followed perfectly for the majority of the time however during shots an actor would occasionally add an extra word or phrase that suited the character and situation incredibly well. If this occurred we would continue shooting and keep the adaptations in.

Time management

Time management was esential when filming our main thriller as we had limited time to spend shooting in our location. To make sure all our actors and crew were at the correct location when needed we created a filming schedule

Filming schedule

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

Our media production mainly represented white teenagers living in cities. From the questionnaires we distributed before filming showed that characters aged 17-20 were the ideal age group for our target audience. However although the characters social representation is very limited the location enabled us to appeal to a wider audience. A large variety of people drink in pubs and live in the same urban environment that our film was set. Likewise the situation was not specific to age or colour, arguments occur between couples in all races and ages, and murder is certainly not limited to white eighteen year old males.

Despite the fact that the location and storyline could represent any type of social group the film itself was focused mainly on the younger generation. Public arguing is less common in older couples as they are more reserved in public areas.

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

The overall genre for ‘Reflection’ is undoubtedly a thriller; however we were careful when mentally constructing our ideas to include elements of romance and mystery. We were keen to include most of the elements that are related to the thriller genre including fear, excitement and violence. However in order to create a successful production we felt important to focus on sub-genres. The argument between Tom and Amy provided a romantic hint. In addition to romance another sub-genre was mystery. The audience is unclear as to who the killer truly is (due to the fact that his face is covered for the entire film). This gives the rest of the film a purpose, as none of the characters or the audience know the killer.

The idea of displaying multiple stabbings without actually witnessing the knife enter the body was influenced by the film Psycho




We used the same technique of shot-reverse-shot on the killer holding the knife then onto the victim. This enabled us to display the murder without having to deal with the complications of showing the knife enter the flesh, something that if not done properly could be disastrous.
The particular scene (the shower scene) was particularly inspirational to us as it clearly contained all necessary thriller elements. The bathroom setting, which is part of the mise-en-scene gave the audience a false sense of security. A bathroom tends to be the last place people fear attack. When creating our thriller we too wanted to surprise the audience with the location of murder and realised a public toilet would be more unsuspecting than a dark alley or basement.

Mirrors - 2008



The mirror scene in this trailer was incredibly inspirational for our thriller. The fear created by the sudden image was something we wanted to replicate.

We used various aspects to create a sense of realism in our film. To us making sure the mise-en-scene was as realistic as possible was incredibly important. The location was a huge part of that. This was why we were adamant from the very beginning that whatever story we ended up filming it would be set in a realistic location. This involved us viewing several locations including boxing rings and sport centres for a previous idea. Creating the timing was incredibly difficult. The plan had been for the film to be set at night, however the only time we were able to secure our location was between nine and eleven in the morning. Our solution to this was to film in locations where natural light was at a minimum. We were incredibly lucky in that we found a suitable area of pub were there were no windows and fairly low lighting. We filmed in the knowledge that once editing we could darken the lighting. Making the murder scene in the bathroom realistic was more difficult. We really wanted the scene to look realistic but limited funds and resources meant a lot had to be improvised. For example we used watered down ketchup as a substitute for blood.

When casting actors, we were focused in presenting the production as realistic so in regards to the ages of the characters (18-19) we decided that we would only use actors with a minimum age of seventeen and a maximum age of twenty. The dialogue between the characters was suited to the age group that they were portraying. It was a balance of finding the words that fitted the scenario we were trying create yet not making the conversation too young for the characters or too old.

By starting with a Point of view shot it allows the audience to enter into the story through the eyes of an unknown character. The audience is unsure what events will take place once inside so it creates suspense. The journey from the outside to inside the pub gives the viewer a sense of the location they are in. They are aware that this pub is situated in an busy urban environment. Once in the pub we use a medium shot + two shot which allows the viewer see the expressions on both the boy’s faces. Once the argument between Tom and Amy begins the angle changes and it becomes Matt’s POV shot, this shot not only allows the camera to get the best possible angles but makes sure that Matt’s presence is not forgotten during this tense moment.
The bathroom scene is a combination of POV and Match on action shots.

How to edit

1. Open Adobe Premier and create a 'New Folder'

2. Insert the tape in which the footage has been filmed into the machine.

3. At the beginning of the footage click the In/Out button and at the end click it again. This now means all the footage has been captured onto the computer.

- At the bottom of the screen there is a long bar. Once you have captured the footage it appears under the title you have given it on the bar. On top of the bar is time line. Clicking on the time you want allows you to see the shots that amount of time into the sequence.

4. Using the 'razor' slice the different shots - this allows you to move them around individually

- Once this is done you can play around with the sequence, changing the order of events to suit the purpose. This means that everything does not need to be filmed in order.

- By clicking the scroll button on the keyboard at the same time as the up/down button the bar at the bottom of the screen stretches or shrinks, this allows you to make more accurate cuts down to a tenth of a second.

Sound

In order to change sound elements you must separate the sound from the visuals. The sound has its own bar at the bottom of the screen and can be cut and sliced using the ‘Razor’ tool exactly like the visuals. The cut bars of sound can then be moved around in a different order, not necessarily in going in tune with the visuals. This is used to create sound bridges.

Importing sound: Download the sound onto the system, once there it can be used in the same way as the sound captured by tape.

Research For our Thriller

At the very beginning of our project we came up with two vague ideas that we could base our thriller around. They were 'A part situation' or 'A sports situation'. We also focused on our ideal age group, deciding that 15-20 year olds were ideal targets for cosumption. From these decisions we created a questionaire which we distributed to people of that age group.

Sample Questionaire

The Questionaire contained a combination of open ended, closed ended and multiple choice questions. The questions focused on themes and genres enjoyed by the participant in adition to the type of characters and senerios they relate to and enjoy.

The Results

In our planning and in our final product we tried to include many of the elements enjoyed by those who filled out our questionaire. This included romance, murder mystery and surrealist qualities. It of course was not possible to include all ideas given by the participants but those we choose really helped to enhance the film.

The Boxing Pitch

The results concluded that a large percentage of the people we asked would enjoy a sports themed thriller. We began to work out an idea which centred around boxing. We began to map out a storyline in which our central character would be murdered just before he enters the ring to fight.

In theory this was a good idea, in practice however it had unseen complications. Our first problem was finding the ideal location. We used websites to find suitable boxing rings in which to film, for example: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/whatson/boxing-gyms-in-london-recommended-london-499.html.

We made several visits to Boxing clubs in a bid to find a suitable location however two factors made this job impossible.

1. The price of hiring a boxing ring for an hour was incredibly expensive, many costed as much as £300 per hour which was out of our bugdet

2. The locations in which the boxing clubs were situated meant that getting there with the equiptment would have been a near impossible task

The Party Pitch

Having failed to find a suitable location for the boxing idea we moved our thoughts to the party idea however we faced similar problems when finding a location. Another problem that arose was the amount of extra actors needed for a party. We would need a minimum of twenty 16-18 year olds, which was simply not possible.

The Pub Pitch

Filmining in a pub seemed like the perfect choice. We combined many of the ideas that we had brainstormed when considering our first two pitches into the pub situation and found that the idea worked perfectly.

Location:

Choosing the location was extremely complex. Once we had decided on our storyline we were faced with the challenge of finding a suitable set in which to shoot it in. There were a variety of locations in which we could have fitted the story into, for example abandoned warehouses and houses, however after negative responses from their collective owners we began to look at other alternatives. Shooting the sequence in a pub had never pictured in our initial plans however after a brainstorming session it became clear that it was the ideal location for us. We then researched the pubs in the area surrounding where we live, so we would be able to access them easily. After searching online we found our ideal location. It was a pub called ‘The change of hart’ located in Edgware.

Later that day we visited the location and found that the pub had a distinctive tone, the lighting was very dark, perfect for us, as it meant filming could take place during the day whilst still giving the illusion that the action was happening at night. The outside of the pub was surrounded by old slightly odd looking buildings which were perfect for our establishing shot

Having decided on our location we wrote a letter to the manager asking permission to film in the establishment:

We then followed up on this letter with a phone call in which we were granted permission to film provided it was between 9-11am when the pub would be empty of customers

Upon arriving on location to begin filming we presented the Manager with a Risk Assessment