Race Against Time

Question 7-Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the product?

In November, my group and I where told to take on our first ever proper filming work. We where put into a group of 3 which consisted of me, Derrick and Ibukun. We where told to film a little scene where we had to include different camera shots and techniques. This included shots like; mid shot, close shot, pan, tilt, long shot etc, and camera techniques such as; the 180 degree rule, match on action, eye line match and more.The film was really short and basically about a boy that was on his way to media, but sees one of his friends that he didn't know takes media. What I gained from the preliminary task was like a little warm up experience. It was just a preparation of our final film and gave as a little practice when taking into account the different camera shots and techniques when filming.  

During my Preliminary Task, there several mistakes that took place that we didn't notice. But since it was our first attempt on making a film, it was not too bad. One mistake was that the film when I was walking up the stairs was too long. When we were creating my final film, we realised we don’t need big chunks of unnecessary walking and how it could be cut down. Another thing we noticed was that ‘Ibukun’ first appears behind the door, then all of a sudden, he was at the end of the hall way. We didn't realise this till we started editing which means we didn't take into consideration of the surroundings. Another thing I noticed was that our 180 degree rule was not that good as well. It did not extend to how long we wanted it to.  The last mistake I realised was our eye line match was not very good as well. The camera was held for too long when zooming into my eyes and the zooming in of what I was looking at were not so good as well. We also didn't take into consideration the sound because towards the end, we hear derrick say ‘Yeah’ to indicate I was doing it right.

In the creation of our final thriller, I noticed a few mistakes which we made. For example, when the killer strangles the girl, she begins to shout. In reality, when someone is being strangled, they would be gasping for breath and wouldn't have the time to shout. Another mistake we made was around 2:40. When the killer runs past Richie, we see towards the ground but the girl is not there. During the creation of the film, the girl was not available so we had to try and record what we could without her. But this part is unnoticeable. 

Within this experience, I have learned various new things between both the preliminary work and my final film.

1. The first thing I have learned is how to really use the camera. During the preliminary task, I didn’t do any filming because I weren’t to comfortable when dealing with the camera. I didn’t fully know how to operate it and how to do certain things like zooming. But when it came to the creation of my film, I kind of picked up how to use it. Reasons for this was because there where some parts where I had to film and the other members in my group weren’t able to do.

2.The second thing I have learnt was how to use the tripod effectively. Although I already knew how to use the tripod, I learnt how I could use it more in an advanced way. For example, managing the timing of a tilting and panning shot. Also, how to get a low angle and high angle shot just by adjusting the legs of a tripod.

3. The third thing I have learnt how to do is use final cut express. During my preliminary task, although I did a little bit of editing I still didn’t feel confident when using it. This meant I had to learn how to take on certain things by myself. With the editing of our final filming, derrick and me took on the role of editing, but when derrick wasn’t around, I had to learn for myself. I learnt how to add music, cut and edit certain parts, add effects and many more. This was effective because I came back a lot during my spare time to edit and get the film one to a high standard. With the sound I added and the editing, I learned how to cross-fade certain parts and the impact it has when dealing with the interference levels. Also, with the editing, I learned how important continuity was. This made the film flow more and prevent unwanted jumps which would have made the film look unprofessional.

Question 6-What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Question 5-How did you attract/address your audience?

The audience for this film is quite diverse. Reasons for this because it was originally aimed at people from the ages of 16-25 but at the same time it could be older. It is aimed at 6 to 25 year old because of the several aspects we have consisted within this film. One example is the young characters. They attract the younger teenage audience because it enables the audience to put there selves in the shoes of the actors. This because they are the similar age and they have the mentality to think like them and know how they would act. Another way we have attracted our audience is how the actors are dressed. We have dressed them in the way that people of the ages of 16-25 may dress. These are things like jeans, hoodies, bags/pouches etc. This attracts our audience more because since they may be dressed the same they may feel that they could relate to them. Another way we have attracted our audience is by where we have set our film. We have mainly set it in an alleyway, which teens could be interested in. The alleyway kind of symbolises a rough place and some teens on the roads could have been brought up rough. This means that they could automatically relate to the scene. Also, some people that were not brought up rough may be attracted to it because they would want to see what things could happen in an alleyway. Another way we have attracted our audience is the action scene. Some people may be attracted to action type thrillers which mean they would automatically want to watch it. This is where the diversity comes in because people older the ages of 16-25 may enjoy action type thrillers and the fact that the murder scene leaves them on the edge of their seats which means they would want to watch it as well. I and my group believe that our target audience is the best option due to the theme of our film and the feeling which are expressed by the characters. One more device we used was the type of spying scene. This is when the main character is on his way to the murder scene. From my opinion, I thought it would be great to use because the age of our audience is the type to like all this build up in a film.

Question 4-Who would be the audience for your media product?

For our thriller, my group and I believe it should be from the ages of 16-25 and mainly ‘Males’ for various reasons. One reason is that the film is youthful which means that the audience can take in and relate to what the actors are doing. Reasons why the audience could be males because, it shows their dominance over the subordinates. In the film, we clearly see that the male is dominant and the woman is subordinate which means it could appeal to them more. It also shows the power they have which they may want to relate to within the film. The target audience for the film could also be working- class people. This is by the way the characters are dressed which means they could relate to easier. At the same time, I would have enjoyed for the film to be present to wider age groups, but that means they may not be able to relate to the film due to it being very youthful. Also, all the characters are youths which wouldn't appeal to some people. Another thing is that the target audience is people that are interested in watching film with a lot of action. This would prevent too much dialogue because the film is mainly based on the viewer understanding and acknowledging the surroundings of the film. We also believe that our audience is the perfect option because they may understand deeply how the characters feel. This is mainly because they are able to relate to them.

At the same time, our film could be targeted at people who enjoy watching thrillers, so this could over the age of 25. People may be used to watching thrillers and the excitement they have within them. E.g. the usage of the sub-genre. They may enjoy the fact that we have mixed action with our thriller which would attract them more. On the other hand, we realised that our audience may vary so it could actually be from the ages of 11-25. Reasons for this are because 11 is the age children start secondary school. Secondary school students will be an ideally audience to watch this film because it is the time they start to mature and understand what the film is all about. This means that they should be able to understand the fast pace of the movie and twists that come along with it.

We have also used the audience which where directed at Kidulthood and Adulthood. This means that this audience would automatically be attracted to our film.

Also by the fact that more people of the ages of 16-25 answered my questionnaire, it would have been ideally to create the film directed at them. 

Also, due to more people of the ages of 16-25 answering our questionnaire means that it would have been ideally to aim it at that age group.

Question 3-What kind of media institution might distributed your mediaproduct and why?

Evaluation question 3 from RichieIdemudia

Another way it could have been distributed was by social networks like twitter. The image on my left shows a real screen shot of my twitter account and shows how I have distributed my final film on there. It has also been retweeted which means that someone else has now distributed it through me which could go on from there. It has also been favorited which means someone has enjoyed it and also wants other people to see as well. By favouriting it means that they can always come back to it.

Question 2-How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

In my final product for my media film, I had to take into account several techniques in order to fulfil the thrill conventions. A Normal Thriller movie often uses several techniques in order to maintain the conventions and still attract the viewer’s attention. Some of these techniques that are maintained in thriller films are red-herrings, cliff hangers, Young attractive women, heroes and villains and many more. Within a film, I think cliff hangers would be the best way to end a film. It creates such attention that it leaves a viewer at ‘the edge of their seats’. This creates more of an impact because it makes the viewer want to view more and wonder what is going to happen next and it builds up such suspense. Within my film, I and my group tried to use a cliff hanger when the killer ran away but not noticing that Richie was just at the side of him. It creates such great tension because the audience would expect Richie to retaliate, but all he does is not react and pretend like he didn’t see him. Within our film, we were inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock Thriller ‘North by Northwest’ for the cliff hanger. But in our film, we edited it slightly as I explained. We were inspired at the cliff hanger when the characters are fighting for their lives on ‘Mount Rushmore’. We then had to end the film with a close ending when Richie said a simple sentence ‘The good ones always have to go’. By me adding the cliff hanger just before the end, it created which make the viewer want carry on watching the film so that they know what would happen next. Another convention we used was the usage of Heroes and Villains. The clear Villain was the killer which was ‘Nick’. We don’t know why he killed the girl but he just did. The Hero was suppose to be Richie but it was a race for him to get there on time which he didn’t (Hence the title of the film ‘Race Against Time’). My group was inspired by the hero and villain from the film Spiderman. We established that the hero was Spiderman but sometimes he was a bit too late when saving someone in a situation. The Villain was the octopus man and he was the one that killed people and wanted to rule the world. The other Convention we used was the usage of the girl character ‘Akua’. She was dressed in quite a revealing way from the waist down that’s why she wore leggings. We try and make the audience feel that’s why he targeted her, but they do not know the real reason. We also used a Red-herring when it came to the girl making a phone call. We make the audience feel like she’s calling someone she is suppose to be waiting for, but when she makes the phone call, she ends up calling someone which their phone is in their bag. It makes the audience think whose phone it is and why it is in her bag. This creates such great impact towards the film. We were also inspired with the Red Herring in another film by Alfred Hitchcock which was Psycho. The Red Herring in that Film was the $40000 which the woman had. But in our film, the red herring was the phone.

This video shows how the title sequence from the film 'SE7EN' has been laid out and what impact it has upon the film itself. After I watched it, I noticed how they laid it out what creates the impact. For example, the name of the cast. They created the text to match the mood of the film and the opening. I think this has a major affect onto the film because it sets the mood for the film. Another way this title sequence has been impacted is due to the music or sounds. It creates such an impact which emphasises the names of the actors.

Recipe For James Bond Thrillers

Permission to use music

I have found some non copyrighted music to use for my final film. I found it on YouTube 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II9QSOcxmv4' but in the comment section, it said that  was able to use the song.

The image on the left shows that the song was produced by 'PhatRecordsMusic'.













This image shows the comment section. I have highlighted where it has confirmed that I am able to use the song. 

Mise-en-scene

The Mise en scene of a film is basically the way a scene is laid out and within the frame. This could mean; the characters, costume, lighting, cinematography  Mise en scene is a French word which means ''placing on stage''. In addition to that, the camera work and what is being viewed within the frame also contributes to the Mise en scene. Mise en scene is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theater or film production which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story". 

Order Of Title Sequence

After the IDENT use a FADE IN. The titles should then be in the following order:

(1) 'Your Production Company' Presents

(2) A Film by 'One name - usually the director'

(3) Starring or With

(4) Male star

(5) Female star or other way round

(6) Title of film - or could be at the end

(7) Also starring - 2/3/names - each on seperate title

(8) Then 3/4/5 of the following - you choose - each on seperate title

Editing

Music

Cinematography or Director of Photography

Casting

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Script

(9) Then Producer(s) - can be more than one

(10) Always finish with Director - one name, usually the same as A Film By ...

(11) Could put title here

Remember to use LiveType and try to make titles interesting. They can be either over black or superimposed over your film. Space them out over the two minutes of the film.Give the audience plenty of time to read the titles. 

(12) Finish with a fade out & fade music out

No Country For Old Men (2007)

No Country for Old Men was produced in 2007 as an American thriller which was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It was originally based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name. The film stars actors such as Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem. The film is basically about a story of an ordinary man who has luckily been delivered with a fortune of cash that is not his. Then the story becomes some sort of cat-and-mouse drama as three men zigzag each other's paths in the desert landscape of 1980 West Texas. 

• Director: Joel Ceon and Ethan Coen
• Minutes: 122 min

The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate was first produced in 1962 and is an American Cold War suspense thriller film which was directed by John Frankenheimer.  The screenplay was produced by George Axelrod based on Richard Condon's 1959 novel. It stars actors such as; Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh. In addition to that, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, and James Gregory as excess actors. The film is basically about the son of a prominent, right-wing political family which has been brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy. In addition to that, the film is about a former Korean War POW which was brainwashed by Communists. They then turned him into a political assassin. The other side to it was that one of the prisoners remembers a few things and finds ways in order to remember the past with a bit of help. The film was released on Wednesday 24^th October 1962 at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The film was well established and ended up receiving a nominations for two Academy Awards. 

• Director: John Frankenheimer
• Writers: Richard Condon (Creater of novel) and George Axelrod 

This Manchurian Candidate was produced in 2004 as an American thriller film based on the 1959 novel that Richard Condon created. It was a reimage of the previous 1962 film. The main actor in this film was Denzel Washington as Bennett Marco. He acted as a stubborn, virtuous soldier who set a quest to remember the past and figure out who he really is. The film also starred people such as; Liev Schreiber as Raymond Shaw. He was a U.S. Representative from New York and he was manipulated into becoming a vice-presidential candidate. Also, Jon Voight who starred as Tom Jordan was a U.S. Senator and also the challenger for the vice president position. The last important actor was Meryl Streep as Eleanor Prentiss Shaw. She was a senator who was manipulative and a ruthless mother of Raymond Shaw. The film was basically about during the midst of the Gulf War, some soldiers were kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.

• Director: Jonathan Demme
• Writers: Richard Condon (Creater of novel), George Axelrod, Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris

Unknown 2011

This film was produced in 2011 and is a psychological thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It stars some actors like Liam Neeson (which is the main character), Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella. The film was mainly based on a French novel which was published in 2003 in English as’ Out of My Head’ by Didier Van Cauwelaert. What basically happens is a man who awakens from a coma awakens to discover that someone has taken on and become his identity. What makes it worse is that no one, not even his wife believes that his identity has been stolen. He gains some help from a young woman who joins him on the quest to find out who he really is.

• The movie is 113 minutes long.
• Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
• Writers:  Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell and Didier Van Cauwelaert from the novel.

Questionnaire Results

Cast

 'Richie Idemudia'- The main character

 'Ibukun Johnson'- Part of the filming crew

 'Akua Ntiamoah'- The girl who is murdered

 'Nickolas Ahorituwere'- The killer

'Seye Adebowele'-A background character

Script

Richie: Is that the time?
Akua; Huh?
Richie: Oh Sugar!
Akua: AHHHHH!
Richie: The good ons always have to go!

We did not use that much dialogue because we did not think it would attract the audience as much. We thought if we kept it short and simple and only speak on relevant times, they would enjoy them more.

Animatic

Shot List

Scene	Shot Number	Description
1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	Mid shot & close up, tilt and low angle shot. (This is when the main character has the vision). Long shot, close ups, mid shots, high angle shot, point of view, pan shot, tracking shot and high angle shot. (This is when the girl is strangled to death). Mid shot, close up, tracking shot and long shot. (This is when the main character wakes up and realises his late). Close ups, tracking shot, mid shot and extreme close ups (This is when the main character is about to stop the dead but is late).

StoryBoard

Contingency Plan

Costumes & Props

Shooting Schedule

Location Sheet

Programme Title: Timeless Production Client: Robert Clack Media Department Writer: Derrick Odafi/Ibukun Johnson Producer: Richie Idemudia Director: Derrick Odaffi/Richie Idemudia Date: 12/02/13

The image on the right shows the first place we filmed which was in Robert Clack lower school. We had to film the main character which is 'Richie' having the vision and all the trouble he went through before that. This images on the left shows an image of a bit of the road where we will be filming. A small scene may take part on this road because not much of the focus is around here. The name of the road is St George’s road/Westfield road. The image is quite an old picture of the road due to it being a previous view from Google maps. The forth scene is going to take place within this location. The image on the right shows an image of the entrance of the alleyway where we will be filming. Within this part, we are planning to get an actor walking into the alleyway. Within the alleyway are where most of the scene will take place and where one of our actors will get murdered. Again, the image is quite an old picture of the road due to it being a previous view from Google maps. The third scene is going to task place within this location. Due to the Google maps, we cannot really have a close view inside the alleyway. The image on the left is an image of Richie’s house (not specifically identified for personal reasons). A bit of the scene has to be filmed inside his house where the main character has to get ready. The main actor within the film is going to be Richie himself. Also, a bit of the scene may be filmed outside of his house but we are not too sure yet. The second scene is going to take place within the house. In order for us to get to this location, we would be meeting at Richie’s house and walking from there because it isn’t too far from his house.

Health and Safety Issues to note: ●      Be gentle when taking or handling the camera and tripod to different locations. ●      When filming on the road, make sure no items are left on the road and make sure no cars are driving past. ●      Make everyone knows where all the objects are.

Potential Filming Problems : ●      If we film on different days, the weather may change which could be noticed. ●      The camera has to be fully charged before we have left. ●      Make sure it is not raining so that the camera does not get damaged.

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc) Looking over the weather forecast, we have noticed that the two days we originally wanted to film on one day the sun was going to be out and the other day, it wasn't. So now we have to change our schedule in order to maintain the same light used. Another thing is that we have to go out to find or buy a chain for a certain scene within the film. On the day we are going to go out to film, we have to make sure other actors which are participating have to be there and on time because we cannot have any delays when recording. Another thing we have to take on board is to film at a time when not that much people would be about so that they do not cause a distraction towards the filming.