Final sequence

Creative Critical Reflection Task 4 - How did you intergrate technologies - software, hardware and online

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Creative Critical Reflection Task 3 - How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

 

https://prezi.com/p/sblyqkmtza11/copy-of-zoe-cases-creative-critical-reflection-task-3/

Creative Critical Reflective Task 2 -How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Target Audiences

We wanted are target audience to be from older teens to young adults, people who have levels of high educations as this are the types of people who would watch psychological and understand them. The psychological thriller that have done well in media at the moment are the Nordic Noir such as 'girl with the Dragon tattoo'. Which Scandinavian films which are released on streaming sites that them go viral in the western world. We think A void is similar to this but the different is our is set in English and has more of an English culture and more western than other Nordic Noir films. 

Moments in the opening sequence that we like 

A moment in the sequence that we like and hint to the plot are the empty pills packet. By having a close up on her nails tracing over the empty packet suggests she takes pills everyday. This is show later in the film where the pills she takes stops her from memoring and by her not having any is why she has the flashback and hasn't had one before. This makes an audience acknowledge that she is taking pills which is common for a teen girl. This creates a engagment to what type of pills they are and why is she taken them. Making an audience question and leaves them waiting to see what happens nexts. 

One moment that i thought was really engaging to our target audience is, when Jules are main character is opening the pink trinket box and it cuts to the fake mother walking. The sounds of the footsteps and compare to the quiet bird in the background creates a tension and helps make the audience wonder if Jules should be looking a the trinket box? or has she done something wrong? It makes an audience question what is happening and what she is doing and builds a tension which is what would be expected in a psychological thriller. 

Another moment is the flashback, the mise en scene of the colours of the room and location. In the flashback we are surrounded by a cold colour suggesting its a not welcoming place as well as the background not being modern or that new/ clean creates an image that the flashback is from a poorer/ unsafe background. The darkness of the room is the opposite of what the bedroom of Jules which is warm and bright. As well as the action of the mother running towards the camera in a state of panic, create a tension and makes the audience question who the women is and what is she saying and why is she saying. Blummer and Katz theory, the dramaticness of the flashback peeks an audience interest as they want to entertained and the drama for the flashback makes it interesting to watch. 

After the flashback there is a sound of a heartbeat over the top of everything, the heart beat gets louder making it feel more intense and more paniced. It's Jules heart beat so we know she is on edge. The camera ends with an extreme close up on her eyes as they close, and then the ends of the opening. This is the first extreme close up in the film and it's there to show the panic in her eyes and face. This makes the audience question what just happen to her, is she okay?, who was the person in the flashback? This is makes an question what happen and what is going to happen next. This make the opening more griping to watch as we want to find out more about what is happening. Which what a psychology thriller fan would want to watch something that is gripping and make their heart beat fast as they question what is going to happen next. This is part of Blummers and Katz theory of use and gratification. The dramatic heart beating straight after the flashback takes the audience to this new story, which is entertainment as well as it's an escape to a new character world and interesting story from our own lives, leaving viewer wanting to watch what happens to Jules after her dramatic flashback and on cliff hanger which makes the audience inclinded to watch more. 

Did i engage my audience? 

I would like to think we were successful in engaging in our audience but i still believe that we could of engaged them more. I think that we should of shorten the amount of time to get to the flashback. I feel we could of done more shots of Jules getting ready but edit them very short together to build a pace up. Which an audience wouldn't find slow and boring. Then have a moment of slowness and slower cut when she looks at the box and necklace which then causes the audience to focus on the necklace. Then have the fake mother walking and cutting between Jules then into the flashback. 

The Poster   

(image found on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/725572189980081573/)

I edited the image to be more blurry and to be lighter to appear more vibrate and copped it to more portrait to fit into a poster.

Hinting in our Poster 

The poster hints at girl/ person surrounded by smoke. Or some kind of water, with their hand near their throat and their eyes closed it makes it seem like she is struggling. The picture hints that something has happen to this girl and she is not awake and almost fading away. This suggest there is some sort of danger to the the girl in the film or she is having some sort of hallucination either way it is not normal/ uncomforting image to look at so these makes the view of the poster is interested. 

why the poster would help sell the film 

The poster would help the film sell due to its image. The image looks like a hallucination, which is intriguing to a viewer and make them more inclined to watch it. And by it looking like some sort of hallucination that makes an audience of psychogcial thriller fans interested. Also the 4 star rating from a newspaper is impressive for a small film, by the film having a good rating it helps the viewer see that others who have watch the film have enjoy it and it's not a waste of their time to watch the film.  The age certifcation is not too high so more marketable to a younger teen, so group of teenagers could go watch together.  Also the released date is not in the middle of exams which tend to be in end of May/June and not in the summer/ Christmas/ halloween slot so not competing with big blockbusters films. It's a boring time of year where the weather is cold so people are more inclinded to stay inside and watch a film. 

studio that could distribute you film 

A studio that is of a smaller scale that is good with releasing independent films. Something like Belstone pictures, the film doesn't need a huge budget like a Marvel film as the film does not have big a list stars and a lot of special affects on screen. We also need a studio that is okay with the film being released to streaming sites and that the main way it's released and that is good marketing at for streaming sites. 

Marketing campaign 

I think the film would be bested marketed by being on streaming sites. We would have smaller trailers on the streaming sites with large posters and adds on the streaming site to watch it. Also to create a trailer and releases to different youtube channels such a the studio that distributing it as well as the streaming site its on channel. Also reaction channels on youtube. I would have no physical media marketing and all online, due to it being cheaper and with the view is already online see a advert then could just click to the streaming site and start watching. Also have any cast who is in the film, put it on their social media like instagram for word of mouth. Even though the actor will not have the largest following, it still will appear to a bigger audience and people will be inclined to watch it. The aim for the film would to be able to have it be  released on Netflix and have it in the section of top 10 watches today on the home page. As when in the top 10 even more people view the film and this spreads to a wider audience. But realistly the film would be great on 'shudder' or some sort of smaller scale streaming site that is made for psychological thriller so the product is shown to the right audience

Creative Critical Reflection Task 1 - How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

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Last Editing

Our Last editing Session was today!! We needed to finish the sound and the getting the front of our tittles and edit them on. Also pick a Title for our work. We wanted a title that would work with the films themes of memory and not knowing what is and isn't reality. So we started with very basic names like 'forgotten', 'flashback'. We then came to the idea of 'Blank' then to we like the idea of having it like a computer failing so 'system fault' and 'mind default' we did like this but didn't rally fit with the film concept. Then we thought of breaking words up or words that overlap. Thats how we came up with A Void. It works as its the main character being Avoided from her childhood memory's as well she should be avoiding her new parents. 

The fonts 

We went threw a lot of fonts and picked the ones that we thought could work. 

1)Classic Robot 

2)Cormorant Garamond 

3) Van Helsing 

1.  

2.  

 

3.  

                

    We chose number 2, Cormorant Garamond as it looked the best, it was readable and clean. We didn't want the text to be like a typically thriller which is what Van Helsing made us feel. Classic Robot felt too techy for us, and didn't fit the theme we wanted for the film. We then added the all the titles, we had to change it around a couple of times such as doubling up the names due to wanting no titles on the flashback. 

Once we had finish the added the titles we made sure that all the sound smoothly work together, had to do a little bit of editing. Then we watched it three times and we where happy and A Void was complete!

Style and Order of Titles

 The basic order of titles

This was what the order we ended up with for the opening sequence. 

1. The distributor: - Pulp Studios 
2. The production company - Pillback Productions
3. Director - Jack William's film 
4. Cast - Lucia Mont, Anna Zach, Mia James, Maya Smith    
5. Casting director- Oliver Murphy 
6. Costume designer - Alison Turner
7. Editor - Tom Robert 
8. Production Design - Marie Stone 
9. Executive producers - Ronald Evan 
10. Producers - Harry Philips
11. Director - Jack William's film  
12. Film title - Avoid 

The order of titles is important due to an audiences interest up so they carry on to watch the film. 

The director is mention twice due there are most important and the actor are mention near the top due to the interest of an audience if then know/like an actor and will be be more willing to watch the film.

5th editing

We found the beginning of the sequence was getting really long, we then cut Haley yawn, then in the bathroom we cut her from drying her face and her going straight to the pills. This gave us more time to lengthen the action of the sequence. Iside came up with some fake name for the sequence, while i came up with names for the 'production company'. Vita check over the the sound, and was crossfading all the sound together. Iside and Me look on the website 'Dafont' for fronts. We liked

We have talked about cutting the diegetic music, as it doesn't add anything and is likely confuse the viewer to where the music is meant to be diegetic or no diegetic. 

We used the sound effect over the transition flashback, we  

4th Editing

Editing..... cut cut cut 

We edited a lot out due to it one being too long. It took nearly two minutes to get to the flashback! This caused us or anybody watching to lose interest. We cut the walking and stretch to the bathroom. Then we also cutting the whole part where she is washing her face. We try to fix some of the sound, and add some new parts. We added a sound effect for when the flashback happened, Vita being the better one at working the software added it and edited the sound. We didn't have time to finish the sound editing, we didn't have any audio on of the mid shots.

For next time editing 

-we need to finish and pick a font for the titles and add them in 

- clean up on some of the sound editing. 

- PICK A NAME!!!

3rd editing

Vita and Iside and i work on the flashback!

We started editing the part after the bathroom and before the flashback. We decided that the switch between Jules sorting through the box and then fake mum walking down the hall. This helped build a tension when watching. We then started editing into the flashback. The flashback was rather difficult to edit. We decided to make the flashback mostly the POV shot. We talk about the ending of the flashback transition and changing it. Rather from what we had in our storyboard which was to go back to younger Jules to older Jules, we thought it was better to have her blink but into the scene still in Pov. So it would fade into the fake mum speaking.

Our aim was to look and shortening and finishing the picture editing. 

Saul and Elaine Bass

Who are these people?

<——- Mr Saul Bass himself 

Saul

Saul Bass hugely developed what opening titles were. His career over 50 years, he collaborated with some of the most top director and top movies for example he was asked by Alfred Hitchcock to help with the shower scene from 'Pyscho', which is arguably one of the most famous scene from a film, along with traumatizing my brother! Also he has one Oscar. 

Elaine 

She was born in NYC,  she the youngest of 3 older sisters, they had a singing group 'Belmont Sister'.  She was the lead singer and sang on the radio from ages of 14-18, they stoped due to one of her sisters got married.  She went into the fashion industry in New York, made a small name for herself from her singer she then moved to LA, she found a found in a design apartment but wanted something more difficult. There was a job for Saul basses pa,  she knew some of his work but didn't hugely care for his name. She apply and got the job 

Saul's first big work

Saul Bass is mostly know for his work on title sequences, starting really with Otto Preminger's the man the golden arm 1955  (The Jazz musician who has a drug addiction)

Was one of the first title sequence to be more then just titles and add design while the titles are present. The added animated features the white on black paper of a cut out arm of an addict relating to the style and content of the film. 

Saul's aims for all sequences was to 'try to reach a simple, visual phrase that tells you what the picture is all about and evoke the essences of the story'. 

Saul and Elaine work together

1955 Elaine joined with Elaine and in 1960s she directed and producted this title sequence under Saul (Spartacus). The following year they got married.Then both carry on making work with their latest being Casino (1995) he died the following year. Although after his death people have carried on his style such as movies such as 'Catch me if you can' and 'X-men;first Class' with his graphics and animated sequence. 

2nd editing

Iside was sadly not in so it was just me and Vita! But we did our aim! We sorted the issue with the bathroom, we changed the order of the bathroom sequence, so the continuity would work with glasses in and out of the mirror. We did this may using the tap to break up two shot of Jules looking in the mirror as she enter then cuts to tap and then cuts to placing her glasses down and going to wash her face.

 adding on from what we did the first session ^

We have realised that we have got too much footages as we are nearly at 2 minutes but have not done the flashback yet or ending. We are going to do the whole sequences then edit then cut down afterwards on shots thats are not that strong and taking too long. 

First Editing Session!!

First Editing Session!

Today we got 40 seconds done! We had to sort around our shots as we didn’t shoot it in the right order. We have gotten up to where she enters the bathroom. We found it for the most part easy, we had the shots we need and changed. Such as the opening, we changed what was on our storyboard. It took us a little time to get our head around how to change it. We starts with the the blurred shot to a close up on switch then to a mid shot. We are playing around with what works. We are were starting to struggle with the bathroom as we didn't get haley moving on action, plus her taking her glasses. We got a lot done but will have to fix some of our errors. We have agreed to meet on Thursday activities and Vita will do some work on Wednesday while Iside and Me our on a theatre trip. I started on the computer editing first then Vita and then Iside. We all put input when others where on the computer.

Aims for next session was to get the bathroom part edited and start her exiting the bathroom

This what we got done ^

Mise-en- scene video

 

history of opening titles and credit research

The opening credits that would classify as an opening title sequence were at the start of paramount pictures film ‘A Farwell to arms’. Opening credits used to be simple cards with text on them. These cards are the next step forwards for silent films. Sheets with credits/ titles were rolled in front of the camera to create a ‘title card’ Later on transparent sheets were for title sequences. 

watch up to 1minute and 15 second, for the opening titles 

‘A Farewell to arms’ started the new trend of making these credits more exciting by having a plane then a explosion then the title edited on the screen and credits with dramatic music in background. as had text on the screen telling what’s happened. Reminded me of star wars.

Walt Disney's Fantasia with opening with credits 

1940 ‘ Walt Disney’s Fantasia’ was first sound film to have NO opening credits, it did how ever have end credits like many movies today. 

reflection video

 

after shoot report on the day

8:50 The start of our shoot day! We meet by the our classroom to get the fairy lights, props. We went through to the studio to get to the camera equipment and camera. 

9:10am We met with Haley and got on the bus with our props and equipment.

9:25am We got the Hurtwood Inn, left our equipment in the bus to go pick the room. We picked between two rooms. The first room was too nice and looked very much like a hotel. We picked room number 12 the second room we looked at as it was more homely by the window and blankets and desk made it feel like more like a teenage bedroom. We then got the prop and equipment out of the bus.

9:30am Bethan arrived. We began dressing the room. We placed the fairy lights behind the bed frame, unplug an alarm clock/charger. We removed the coffee machine and cups. We unstuck the signs on the wall, we place a calendar on the back of the door as us could not remove a fire safety sign. We place books on the window and one the desk a pencil case so it looked like she does schoolwork. We put all our bags in the bathroom. 

9:40 We finished dressing the room and then explained to the actors the hold shoot, shot by shot. Haley got changed into her the day costume. Started to film the part of her walking out the bathroom to pack her bag and find the box that causes her to have a flashback as Haley had to leave for 40 minutes for a drama performance. We set the camera up facing in the room. We shot two wides, two mids and two close ups on her face expressions and her hands.

10:10am Haley left, we shot Bethan walking towards the door. Then we did the POV from Jules of fake mother walking in. We had to redo this as we forgot the aim the shotgun mic at Bethan when saying the lines. This was all the shots we could do without Haley. We then realised that we would need to change re shoot the close up we did on Haley as her heads needs to look up so we could cut on the action.

10:25am We then shot  part of the room like the calendar and the fairy lights as cut away shots, all to show what the room is like. I shot with Vita the books and calendars. 

10:50am Haley came back we reshot of the previous close up shots as we need haley to look out so we were cutting on action, so in post it would work better to cut on that action. 

11am We then shot Bethan and Haley together. We shot over the shoulder,  we also need shot from Haley's POV of Bethan. We moved the camera to where Haley was sat, and cheated it slight by moving Bethan more to the left, one because of the 180 degree rule, two because it covers the door lock. We need her to cover the door lock cause it didn't work for a bedroom. 

11:30am Bethan was wrapped and Haley changed into nightwear and we did the shoot chronologically order. While Haley was changing i ran through scene and then what types of shots we needed and which to do first. We had to change the idea for the first shot, we were meant to have as it was meant to be a blurred POV of haley opening her eyes, everything out of focus but the issue was the room and decor were all white. So when blurred looks rather plain for an opening shot. We decided to change the shot to a mid/close up on haley getting up with it out of focus until she put her glasses on, then we would change to being in focus. We had another shot of when opening after Haley put the glasses on turns on the lights, for lighting purposes when had it for when she turn one light on all of the lights were on. Vita was filming while Iside and I were ready to press the other lights in the room. 

12:50am we finished the the bedroom shots and then we work on the the bathroom. The bathroom was rather cramped, Vita was standing in the bath for half the shots. One of the last shot we did was POV from the bin as Haley drops the empty pills packet in bin. I lay down under the sink with the camera on my chest as i film the shot, I did shut my eyes every time it came close the packet was dropped.

1:40pm We finished all the shots with Haley and wrapped her. We then packed up and loaded the bus. We took photos before to stick the signs back were they were at the beginning. I put the coffee tray back where it was kept and plugged the machine in. We packed up the camera equipment and then left to loaded every thing in the bus. 

2pm We then had lunch, as we weren't need to be at our next location till 3/4. 

2:30pm We then got on the bus and left the hurtwood inn 

2:45 Arrived at school, we left our bags in the bus and we waited for Annie 

3:10 Annie lesson finished at 3, we left school with Annie to headed to turret

3:25 We arrived at turrets, we dressed the set by removing an another fire safety sign, removing the quick cooker and removed anything that didn't fit in the shot. We spoke to Annie what she would have to do.  We had a view items for Annies costume. We quick pick it out of the clothes we had and then she changed while finished setting the set.

4:10 Karen arrived in costume and makeup done, we talked her through what to do and say. We added a white light, this make every colour in the scene washed out, it looked more like a flashback. We had only 3 part to what we had to do, but as we had alot of time we filmed the piece in slo-mo which was at 50 frame a second. We cut a close up on Karen's hand, as it didn't work while filming. Karen had to do the same thing for 2/3 for every shot. 

4:50 We shot everything we needed to and wrapped the shot day.  

REAL MOTHER CASTED!!

 We had a lot of rejections, we email Karen Barter the day before the shoot. She said yes and gave us the time she was free. Which lucky fit into our the shoot day perfectly.

shoot table/ communcation with cast

 

Genre research

Psychological Thriller 

What are psychological thrillers?

Thrillers are a diverse type of fiction and share many key features and characteristics of a mystery fiction. Then is an issue/ conflict that often arises from a crime or suspicious act eg. murder, robbery, disappearance or sometimes supernatural. The plot drivers towards solving this conflict as a result, thriller are suspense-filled, makes viewers at the edge-of-your-seat. 
Psychological thriller explore darker ideas and thought, normally on human behaviour or the mind. There tends to be an issue with reality, mind. The narrative is normally told from a mentally ill/psychologically stress character or an unreliable narrator. They feature antagonists and protagonists driven by violence/ on obession. 

Types of psychological thriller 

Domestic - which are the most popular psychological thriller. The setting is of everyday type of person then something happens to the main characters.
Dark - Antagonists is often a serial killer or a creepy disturbed individual who has found them selves trapped in a deadly situation. 
Workplace - is set in a professional/ work environment, the characters often risk their lives/work to solve a mystery. 
Supernatural - the paranormal of the world such as ghosts are involved in the narrative, haunting a character.
Adaptions - The plot twist and cruel dark portraits of humanity, they tend to have flawed characters with gripping narratives.

Origins

Texts from Middle Eastern Folks such as One Thousand and One Night. which contains tales of mysterious murders, courtroom drama and haunted houses. The old tales are the first view/idea of a psychological thriller.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is viewed as a father to psychological thrillers. His poems and short stories invite the experience of terror and anxieties the are told though secrets and characters trauma.
Sigmund Freud's Psychological research is a key role to nowadays psychological thrillers. Freuds thoughts on the spilt into different states of conscious. The discomfort and stress we experience is Freud's idea, he helped reach a deeper psychological meaning in modern day films. 

Information found from https://celadonbooks.com/what-is-a-psychological-thriller/