Evaluation - Part Four

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Throughout the production, I have used media technology for research and to put together my media products. Programmes that I have used :-

• imovie HD
• Adobe Photoshop CS3
• Quick time
• Digital SLR
• YouTube - videos
• Mini DV camera, three CCD (chips inside the camera that control the colour)
• Google - images
• Social Networking Sites - Facebook.

Pre-Production

With-in the pre-production, I had gathered research to help me with my production. I used the Internet to help with most of the research that was done, this involved product research (secondary research), including posters and teaser trailers. I found Internet research to be the most useful, as it was to get hold of past products on YouTube and using the google search tool. theses were used to help find similar products to influence me with my product. Other types of research that I had to do was audience research, which was primary research.

I would mostly use YouTube to find teaser trailers, and Google to find posters and magazine front covers.
Google search engine was very helpful, as I was able to find many different types of posters and magazine front covers.
Overall using YouTube was easy, but found it difficult to find teaser trailers to gather my product research. There were other websites that I found, but was unable to embed them into my blog. Therefore I had to rely on the trailers, rather than the teaser trailers.

Production

Throughout the production I used a mini DV camera to shoot my scenes. The camera itself was easy to set up, as I already had experience with it last year whilst doing my AS production. Along with the camera I also used a tripod so that my shoots were stable and looked professional. I used this to create a panning shot and to also create many still shots, to zoom in and out. I would also use a hand held camera to create an unstable effect. The camera did have special effects that I could have experimented with and used in my teaser trailer, but my ideas were limited due to it being an independent production.

I used the digital SLR to take photos for my magazine front cover. As this was the first time that I had used it, I found it a little difficult. I had to focus on the mise-en-scene in order to replicate the glamour that it shown in the magazines that I have researched. therefore I had to have two spotlights on either side with a white backdrop. Throughout the process I had to adjust both spotlights to make sure that they were in the correct position giving the right amount of light in the right area. I didn't want to create shadows as it would not replicate my research, the glossy effect.

Overall the camera was helpful, as I was able to capture the right shot (long to mid-shot).

Post Production

Below is a print screen of a YouTube page where I have uploaded my teaser trailer to make it available to the public. This will help with audience feedback, although not that many people have a YouTube account, therefore I have uploaded onto my Facebook account.


This is because many people worldwide have a Facebook account. This has made it available for my friends. Web2.0 has increased the amount that people use the Internet in may ways. It has made individuals become more independent as they take control on what they want to upload on to their blogs/social networking sites such as Facebook. Therefore my products are found to be more appealing to an active audience, due to the fact that I have uploaded both my ancillary tasks and my main product to my Facebook account.

Evaluation - Part Three

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

To help with my audience feedback, I have uploaded my teaser trailer and both ancillary task to my Facebook account. This has allowed me to get feedback from my target audience, by looking at their comments on what they thought about the teaser trailer, and if they found it appealing.

Below are some of the comments that I received from the audience. Some also made suggestions on what I could change or add to make it more appealing and more relevant to the genre of a psychological horror.

Looking back at my audience research, I feel that I have meant the majority of the target groups expectations.

Below are the results from my feedback questionnaire to find out my audience's overall responses on what they thought about the main product as well as both the ancillary tasks.

Above is a bar graph showing if the audience thought that I have used and challenged the conventions of a psychological horror. Many found that it was successful, as it fulfilled their expectations of the genre. Although there were a few who found that it did not completely fulfill their expectations of a psychological horror.

Most of the targeted audience thought it did work well together. But a few thought it didn't this is because the music was quite repetitive and it did not have any dramatic sound effects. Overall they thought that the images itself did cause suspense and increase tension for the viewers.

Looking at the bar chart above, it shows if my audience thought the film was well promoted through the different media text; being a poster and a magazine front cover. Majority of the applicants thought the combination was well used, and advertised the film well to its targeted audience.

From the content and layout of my poster, the applicants thought the genre was very clear and easy to understand. This is due to the programme that I used to construct my poster, Adobe Photoshop CS3. The target audience found that the colours used, helped to symbolise the genre that was being represented, therefore the combination worked well.

Most of the applicants thought that if a bigger image/photo was used, the poster would have looked more appealing. But on the other hand the image was small as I wanted to create a sense of discomfort and suspense.

Many of the applicants thought that the magazine was aimed at the right audience though the different techniques that I used on Abode Photoshop CS3. The layout at content went together with the lifestyle of my targeted audience. They also thought that it was an affordable magazine to purchase every monthly issue. This shows that I had kept in mind how much my audience would be wiling to pay for the magazine, as many young adults do not have a job.

My audience would have preferred that I did not go over images with text, but to write around the image. They left that some of the colours used were hard to read over the image. If this was taken into thought, the cover would have been more easy to read.

Most of the applicants thought the use of editing and camera movements throughout the trailer worked well. The use of editing between the shots gave a continuous flow to the narrative. the applicants also thought that the music worked well with the moving images.

Many of the applicants were expecting to hear more sound effects due to the genre; horror. As my trailer was an independent production, I wanted to focus more on the images to increase the viewers tension rather than relying on the sound.

Evaluation - Part Two

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

In all three of my products, the main product (teaser trailer) and both the ancillary tasks (poster and magazine front cover), all share the presence of the protagonist character. This is because I wanted to show obvious links between them all, as I feel they would work better together as promotional material.

Magazine front cover and teaser trailer

Looking at the mise-en-scene of the snap shot from the teaser trailer (top left), and the context and layout of the magazine front cover (right), there is a similarity such as sartorial codes. The teaser trailer has a pink duvet and the magazine front cover has Rashmeet wearing a pink scarf. This shows links to her innocents as a protagonist character and her in a personal view.

In the trailer, she has been presented as innocent but with a sinister look to her character. In the magazine front cover, I have presented her as a stereotype of my target audience. This is done through the use of sartorial codes as it presents her as an individual, making it feel as if we the readers are getting inside the stars life.

Overall I feel that the combination of both the trailer and the magazine front cover work well together. As the magazine itself would be another way to promote the film when it comes nearer to the release of the film. Although, teaser trailers are shown a few months in advanced, making it harder for the audience to remember the film. But on the other hand, it could be a reminder of the film, which could create a wider audience through word of mouth.

Poster and teaser trailer

In both the poster and the teaser trailer, I have used and challenged the conventions of a psychological horror. This is shown through the use of complementary colours, black and white. the dark colours merging with the light, connoting how darkness is taking over innocence, as the halo around the bed is too dark to symbolise purity. I have used the bed as my main image on the poster, which is shown in the trailer through a pan shot. The bed used here, as she has dreams, can do the least harm to anyone. I have subverted the ideology of the bed by using binary opposites, where the most innocent of things can be dangerous.

Looking closely at both the trailer clip and the poster, they show the same scene. As both are more closely related to the film itself, I thought that by using similar images the audience would be able to connect the both, making advertising easy. I have used the same style of text for the tagline on my poster, as I have used throughout the teaser trailer.

Thematic - The genre is expressed through a serier of familiar character types and conflicts, moral narrative (ideologies), and an approach grown out of the socio-historic. Looking back at my research on teaser trailers, and psychological horror trailers, there have been many characterisitics that have become part of the traditional representation of the genre. I have also used these conventions, such as use of narrative to tell the story, as it narrates what the film is to explore. The idea is then developed throughout the teaser trailer, by showing conflict through the use of editing (transitions), and length of the shot.

Iconography and visual imagery - The genre is explored and shown through the mise-en-scene, icons and symbols, and visual conventions. "Behind this approach is the argument that in film genre it is logical to look for defining characteristics in the visual imagery, in 'what we see on the screen'." (D. Pye). I feel that both my teaser trailer and poster share elements of this genre theory. I have used the so called typical conventions of a horror, making it easy for my audience to identify the genre. These typical conventions include: use of colour-mainly black and shadows, use of camera shot/movement/angle-mainly handheld and closeups. The protagonist is reperesented as issolated in the poster, whereas in the trailer she is shown as she being part of the others by her issolation in her dreams.

DISTRIBUTION - Both poster and teaser trailer will be distributed to their audience in similar ways. Two ways in which I will be able to reach my target audience is through the Internet (active audience) and at the cinema. Web 2.0 has increased Internet usage of my target group, as it is at the audience convenience, they are able to do what they want when they want. The teaser trailer and poster of "Sweet Dreams" can be found on the Internet. Places in which it would be found is on msn news and hotmail homepage. In particular the msn news is were I will be able to reach the majority of my target audience, as they tend to use it every day as means off communication. In hope of this promotion through the Internet, my teaser trailer will further be promoted through word of mouth. Posters will be displayed on walls in the cinema, making it noticeable. Along with this the teaser trailer will also be shown before a film is about to start. This makes people aware of the up coming films that may be at their interest.

Evaluation - Part One

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

All three of my media products are aimed at a young audience, aged 15 - 20. Because I researched each of the forms I was to produce, teaser trailers, posters and film magazines and lifestyle magazines, I was able to make good use of their conventions.

Teaser Trailer

Conventions of a psychological horror :-

• Shots that create danger, fear and a sense of being trapped.
• Characteristics create discomfort, mentally affecting the audience.
• The genre relies on the characters fears, guilt, beliefs.
• Strange and weird sound effects, to increase the tension and further the plot.
• A troubled character, who is going back for revenge.
• Group of people who are known to be in danger.

My teaser trailer "Sweet Dreams" has subverted the conventions of a psychological horror, as I wanted to make it appealing to a niche audience, due to it being an independent film. The Hide and Seek trailer is one of which that has inspired me throughout the production of my own trailer. I have replicated the character of the girl, who has a child like appearance.

Both have an innocent, but sinister look to their character. In my trailer, a panning shot of her bed is inter-cut into the scene to punctuate the dominant ideology. This leads up to her appearance in the final shot of the trailer. Through the use of mise-en-scene I have shown the characters innocence, by placing pink duvets and soft teddies surrounding her.

However, the use of inter-cutting creates a sense of discomfort as the audience become suspicious about the protagonists character. Throughout my trailer I have challenge typical conventions of a psychological horror. These follow as, non-diegetic sound and female as the protagonist character. I have used a sound track that is very repetitive rather than using dramatic sound effects, which creates a more comforting atmosphere. However, I have relied on the images to tell the narrative and to create a sense of discomfort, which would keep the audience engaged and would slowly increase their tension.

Overall I chose the protagonist character to be a female as I wanted to subvert the mainstream ideology because they are most likely to be a male character.

Hyperdermic Syringe Theory - This theory states that massages, morals of the story are being injected into the audience. The audience of this media are viewed as passive recipients. In relation to my teaser trailer, I have used images and text to inject messages of the protagonist character into the viewers. This has helped by telling the narrative of the story, making it more understandable for the audience. Through the use of sequencing I have only shown and given the audience one side of the story, making it a bias view. The audience are not able to make much out of the information that is given to them.

Reception Theory - This theory stats that the audience receive a media and make many meanings from the same media. In relation to my media, the teaser trailer, the audience will have different views on the characters. For example the protagonist would either be viewed as a negative character who has some sort of magical powers, or be viewed as a positive character where the audience have sympathy, and feel like they can relate to the characters. This is due to the way in which I have represented the protagonist through the conventions of the genre.

Cultivation Theory - This theory states that the audience begin to believe what they are shown, which then results in stereotypes. looking at my teaser trailer, the protagonist resembles the character of an underdog. The narrative suggests that she goes on a journey to find herself, were she overcomes obsticels put forward by the three chacartes. I have challegend the strereotypes as the protagonist first appears as a sweet inocent girl, but at the end of the teaser trailer we come to know that she has a dark side, just like every innocent one does. Therefore the protagonist is stereotpyed as the underdog hero, by its veiwers. The three other gilrs who are shown as issolated in the shots, are known as the "popular girls" who are represented as mean. Therefore they are stereotyped as the typical teenage girls, by the viewers.

Post-modernism Theory - This theory states that someone is choosing what the mass audience would prefer to watch, rather than targeting a niche audience. In terms of my teaser trailer, I have chosen the clips that I feel would pull in my audience and make them want to watch more. As my teaser trailer is aimed at a niche audience, I have had to use the feedback that was gathered from my audience research to help in finding out what they find the most interesting in the genre of a psychological horror.

Poster

Typical conventions of a poster :-

• To show the genre through the use of colour, text and image style/size.
• Use text that stereotypically replicates the genre.
• Positioning of the text and images. For example if it's a mainstream film, an actors or directors name will be placed at the top of the poster.

As my teaser trailer is a psychological horror, I had to replicate these conventions so they can be used on a print format. I had to focus on the context and layout of my poster.

I have used a typical style of text, that relates to the genre of the film. Further more I have printed it in yellow, which adds to the mysterious feel of the genre. When I was deciding what colour my font should be in I thought to use yellow as it is similar to stars. Stars are usually seen in the dark, this has a connection with the narrative of the film. It gives the audience a hint of the narrative.The colour black is typically used for the horror genre, therefore I used it as a background gradient around the image. This creates a shape similar to a halo, around the girl, again giving a sense of innocents making it seem as if she is the victim and is seeking comfort in her bed, curled in the foetal position. This suggests a sense of not being able to see and vulnerable, something is hidden and we the audience have to find out. It also links back to the narrative, the story is told through the girls dream.

The names of the main actors are placed at the top of the poster, not in any particular order. In comparison to the ones that I had research, they had used well-known actors to increase the target audience. But on the other hand they would only use one of the most popular actors name. Therefore my teaser trailer being mostly an independent film, I have placed all the main actors names on the top. Closely looking at the order of the names, I have placed them starting off with the three actors that play a negative role, with the protagonist at the end of the list.

I have also used other text in the poster to give a hint of the narrative to the targeted audience. Below shows what the style of the text is. In other posters that I have researched, I have noticed that they use a tag line that will persuade the audience to watch it. Therefore added this to my poster, increases the target audience's intention on wanting to watch the film, as they have been given a slight insight on what to expect from the characters involved in the film.

Magazine Front cover

Typical conventions of a glossy magazine:

• rule of thirds - three colour palette
• main cover line - image is normally placed over the top
• a well-known star used as promotional material
• many tag lines used as on what the readers should expect to come across in the magazine.

As my film has been targeted at a young audience, I have also looked at magazines that also target the same age group. My magazine has replicated glossy teen magazines such as, Glamour and Cosmopolitan. The composition of my magazine is similar to those of which I have researched.

One example of this, is that the image has covered the title, which suggests that its a well-known magazine. Although it not completely covering the title in the middle, it just slightly covers it, making it more readable than well-known.

I have also used the three colour palette colour scheme, by coding it with the colours that Rashmeet is wearing.

I have also used many cover lines that I thought my target audience would find appealing. This gives the audience a guide in the order in which they would come across when reading through the magazine.

Rough Cut - Teaser Trailer

Overall the sequencing of shots works pretty well, especially the last shot. The sound that accompanies this shot also helps to create suspense and to build up tension, as the girl appears to give a sinister character.
However throughout the teaser the trailer the sound does not accompany the moving images as supposed to a horror trailer. To improve this is would either use more sound affects to create a sense of thrill building up throughout the trailer, or to use a sound track that creates suspense and tension.
The moving images do speed up however the sound is what creates the thrill effect. Therefore to improve it would appropiate to add more sound effects to increase the tension, to follow the images.

Final Magazine

Final Poster