London riot influence video

Introduction: In this blog post is just a quick video that influenced me to make my opening sequence the way I did.

Sound

Introduction: This blog post is going to consist of the issues and reason i chose a particular piece of music for my opening sequence.


Issues: The reason I am going to begin with issues is to justify the reason why I used copyright music. The biggest issue was the software and computer i was using, the software was windows live movie maker and i was honestly intending to use non copy right music till i came over this problem. While planning i spoke to my good friend Jedd Roberts who is a singer. I asked him for permission to use his music and he accepted, while choosing the piece of music windows live movie maker wouldn't let me attach the file and from then on it wasn't letting me add any other music and this was over the course of a few days. Too overcome the problem i found some music i used previously for another movie and added it to my current opening sequence and surprising it fitted really well along with it. I hope you can understand the reason why i had to use Copyright music.

Evaluation

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

Our opening sequence uses a lot of the conventions of real life dramas.

The opening sequence focuses on a teenage boy. Social dramas tend to focus on just one main character and my opening sequence does this as he is the only character who is seen, He fits with your average London/urban stereotype .
The typical clothing of the main character is that of a tracksuit, trainers, baseball cap and a hoodie. This is typical of boys his age and typical of how young boys are represented in real life dramas.
We tried to keep the story line as close to that of other real life dramas, a young boy running away from his evil surroundings and evil temptations for a better life, because these films are popular and work well with the normal conventions of a real life drama, as my piece is British i understand that this can come across as an "Indie" film.

Question two: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media product represents different social groups throughout. The first is that of teenage boys surrounded by an urban society.

Teenage boys are represented in our opening sequence as the main character who is the main focus of the opening sequence is a teenage boy. The audience can recognise that he portrays the typical aspects of being a teenage boy, he is dressed wearing a hoodie, a tracksuit and a baseball cap which are all items of clothing associated with this age range and fits with the stereotype, criminal and a thug.

The lower social classes are also represented in the opening sequence. The main character is obviously from a low social class as he is seen to have no money, he lives in a torn apart area and there is lots of poverty such as rubbish, stolen items and general messiness in the area in which he lives. The audience can recognise the portrayal of low social class by the area in which the film takes place, the area is typical of those areas within inner London as it is seen to be a place of high crime, drugs and violence.

Question three: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I think that the type of media institution that might distribute my media product would be London Microwave. London Microwave launched in 2006 as a way for new and unknown film-makers the chance to shoot a feature film on a budget of just £120,000. This is known as a ‘micro-budget film’. Only eight films have been produced so far by London Microwave such as ‘Ill Manors’.

Our film fits into the category of the types of films that London Microwave produce as it is produced on a small, limited budget and focus on real life locations and real people.

London Microwaves works in partnership with BBC Films and this would help in the distribution of my film as London Microwave ensure that the film is broadcast on the BBC and this would bring it to a wider audience.

Question five: How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience to my media product through my use of characters, the unusual plot and the location.

The characters attract the audience because it is the main person that is going to carry the plot and be addressed by clothing, body language and facial features are similar to that of the target audience, this means that the audience will be able to relate to the characters in the film and will be more interested in watching.

The plot focuses on a teenage boy who is escaping the crime fueled life he once had and the London riot is the perfect example of chaos just as whats going through the main characters head. This is similar to other films in the real life drama genre and is a situation that the target audience will either have been a part of or will know of someone who has been in that situation.

The location will also attract the audience because it will feature places that they either live or have experienced and they will be able to relate to a similar environment or find exciting and new.

Question six: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

In the process of constructing our opening sequence I learned a lot about different technology.

The first was that I used blogger. I was completely new to this and so I had to learn everything from scratch beginning with how to add posts to my blog. Throughout this process I have learned not only how to add posts but how to make them look more interesting and attractive by uploading pictures and videos from YouTube.

I had to learn how to use the camera a Canon 1100d in order to film the sequence. We experimented with using different lenses and a tripod, this was a trial and error process that resulted in us using the bigger lens as this provided a clearer picture when zooming in. I also discovered lots of new features on the camera that we tried experimenting with such as the timer which allows a countdown before recording so the actor has time to prepare before filming. I also discovered that using the tripod made filming a lot easier as it keeps the camera still.

Finally I had to learn how to edit the opening sequence using an old editing software called Serif MoviePlus X6. I found this difficult as I have been used to using iMovie and so I was unfamiliar with the way this new software. I had to use the new software as we did not have iMovie available when editing and the camera we used was not compatible with the iMovie software. Through using the new software I learnt a number of new and useful techniques such as how to add effects, music and text which were complicated processes.

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

From working on the preliminary task I learned lots of things that helped me to make the final product.

When making the preliminary task we planned out in advance every camera shot that we were going to use. This worked really well and helped us to have a clear idea of what the film was going to look like so we used this idea for the final piece by making a plan of every camera shot.

When we were filming the preliminary task although we had planned each shot we did not work out how long each shot was going to be. When we came to edit the film we found that the music we had didn’t fit with the length of shots and so for the final piece we made more of an effort to plan the length of shots to avoid this problem.

We also found from the preliminary task that filming outside and using natural light worked really well as we had a very small budget and it provided a natural look to the film so we decided to use this idea for our final piece.

Cycle of genres

Introduction: Throughout this blog post I am going to write about the cycle of genres, some mainstream some indie.


Cycle of Genres:  A film genre is a structure of a story that is repeated again and again. normally having the same setting, characters, storyline, conflicts and values. Covering themes, mood and formats. Genres such as westerns, romcoms, action and musicals. As Hollywood had previous success with genres such as these they keep repeating them as the know its guaranteed money and enjoyment from the audience, as new talent is continuously regenerating the audience quickly adapts to them and because they are new the audience will think that it is a completely different film in the sense that there is a new face starring. 

Film theorist Robert Stam

Some film genres never really trend for a long period of time, one moment westerns are huge then slowly dies down when new genres are trending then all of sudden they are back, this is usually to stop the audience getting bored and make them think they are watching they have never seen before. 


Conclusion: Researching this has made me realise that my personal opening seqeunce is very indie and unseen before, not mainstream unlike hollywood films all due to the genre.

Opening Sequence.

Introduction: This post is about my finished product "Londons burning" Click the video below to watch my opening sequence
. 

To justify the reason i used black and white and motion blur in my piece is to get across the idea of confusion and the truth being hidden. The main character is on a journey, running away from the crime filled life that he was once around and is trying to escape for a better life and for his innocence to be regained.

Filming

Introduction: Throughout this post i am going to write about when I began filming for my opening sequence piece and what it consisted of, the negatives and the positives.


Location: The location originally was going to be Thamesmeade but unfortunately there was some issues with transport so we had to change to filming local such as close by train stations and different spacious platforms to do some parkour techniques.
The picture displayed to my right is a still shot from one of the 
scenes filmed for the opening sequence, its around one of the 
corners of my house that i have purposely made to make it look
run down.  

Photo's to my right were taken on a self timer.



Filming: To film my opening sequence I used my Canon 1100d
on recording mode capturing stills and videos using auto focus
and manual focus as i struggled getting some of the long shots 
in focus. Throughout filming i did more or less every shot on a tripod, purposely adjusting the tripod to a tilt for abstract use of angles just to experiment with different ideas i had.


Mise en scene: Mise en scene wise it was pretty simple.
The clothes i was wearing was very stereotypical fitting with an 
urban thug and the location around me looked as it was in a
urban area so i feel that my audience will be able to instantly 
tell to what culture and lifestyle I belong to I belong to. 



Lighting: When filming the weather was perfect, a strong ambient light that created good shades on the character and the set the right mood i was intending to get. Everything lighting wise went to plan and i was very happy with the outcome. But if the weather wasn't so great it wouldn't of made a difference as while editing i used black and white and motion blur so it's difficult to determine what weather it was.

Location and plot

Initial idea for the characters: Personally I feel there should be one central protagonist that the film follows to introduce him to the audience and make it as clear and precise as possible to what group of society he belongs to.


 My character will be a young male aging from 16-18 and he will be fairly timid and shy, only to mix in with the wrong crowd and make multiple bad decisions that changes his life forever and attitude to life in general. Once a reserved boy, now full out demon to society. He won’t be satisfied till blood has been drawn.

 During the opening sequence I will concentrate on keeping my character shy and vulnerable, and create tension using mid pace music as he gets on the train to create an element of warning and fear for the consumers to give them a good idea of what this film has to produce. Initial location ideas The opening sequence will be set in England and the time will be present day.

 My first and best location possibility is Thames mead also known as the concrete jungle, the location is mainly made up of concrete platforms and flats. I feel this will work best as my opening sequence requires an urban area and an open space for parkour and free running elements. This would suggest that the film will be set on fast pace editing and many tracking shots creating a certain audience expectation and it would hint at what genre this film is. The use of a train station in my opening sequence is to set up the chase; the passing of the train will indicate when this chase shall begin.

 Initial plot: At this moment in time I don’t want to give away too much about the 

openingsequence its self but the plot is that a 16 year old male rings up his friend and the friends mothers answers telling him how her son has been killed mid way through conflict in the London riots, this makes the main character leave London due to the stress and violence seeking for a better life and expressing his feelings through parkour.

Hollywood vs British cinema

Introduction: In this blog post I am going to research in detail about the difference between Hollywood cinema and British cinema to get a better understand for my opening sequence.

Hollywood vs British film: Hollywood is a place in Los Angeles that attracts all talent due to the glamorous lifestyles. On average around 80% of UK box office come out of mainstream films distributed by America. Many British films are also distributed by american companies. The reason Britain can't compete with Hollywood is due to globally we are very small and inferior, a cottage like industry with the industrialized american model. Another let down on Britain side is the fact that 95% of British production companies employ less that 10 people making it very difficult to grow any bigger, Hollywood also benefits from synergy (1+1=3). On the positive side Britain have some brilliant and very successful film studios such as Pinewood and shepperton and having fantastic post production facilities including framestore CFC offering world class special effects to global customers such as Hollywood. Another reason Hollywood are so successful is due to internationally distributing their films and other products so they invest heavily as they know its definite to get income in return. And everything Britain does film wise is through American companies so no money made is going back to the British film industry.


Conclusion: To conclude i feel that researching the one sided competition between Hollywood and UK film has made me realize that my opening sequence is a prime example of your average British film, non mainstream and covers a real life topic where as Hollywood is the same over and over again but grows bigger and bigger due to synergy. Finance film wise is something that Britain lacks in and won't grow till we create our own British companies where there will be a continuous cycle of income.

Rule of thirds

Introduction: In thing blog post i am going to explain what the rule of thirds is and what part it plays in film. I will then experiment myself using my own camera and start gaining an even great understanding.


What is the rule of thirds?:  The rule of thirds is a concept in film and video which plots the frame into 9 sections as displayed to the right. This create reference points which more or less
acts as guides for getting the right frame for an image. Two vertically spaced lines
and two horizontally spaced lines which creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than normally centering the subject would.

I have taken this video from YouTube as it explains perfectly why the rule of thirds is so important when taking stills and filming.

Camera Angles

Introduction: To begin this post will be made up detailed research on the different camera angles used in film and what i have learnt from this.

Research into Camera angles:  Camera angles play another vital role in film it is important that you do not confuse camera angles and camera shots. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of setting, themes and characters. Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters. These are very important for shaping meaning in film as well as in other visual texts.


 There are a variety of different camera angles such as these, Birds eye view a shot shows a scene from above and makes the audience feel god like
.  High angle is very similar to birds eye view but isn't directly above and not too high up, making what ever your aiming the character at making it feel small and insignificant. Eye level camera angle making the audience feel they are actually in level with the focus. Low angle shots are too make something look much bigger and dominant and make a character feel much smaller. Oblique/Canted angle is used to create a mood of unstable and resembles a point of view from a character. 

Representation

Introduction: In this blog post i am going to study representation in social drama type films. Understanding how stereotypes are presented, and how i have presented them in my personal opening sequence.

Representation: To represent something is to describe or depict it, how something is built up in the mind by description or portrayal. It is probably the most important key concept in film, TV and media studies. It breaks down the way we think about certain groups of people and can depict cultural differences, and its all about the way that people, ideas and events are presented to us. Everyone stereotypes and thats a fact, here is a list of some stereotypes.

• The royal family (posh, snobby, wealthy, popular)

• British accent (cockney 'alright geez' how's it goin'? posh, 'Tally ho' old sport, this weather is exquisite)

• Sexism ( A man goes to work and earns the money, the woman stays at home and cooks and cleans while looking after the children)

• Sexuality (Being gay is wrong and immoral. Any feminine man is gay and any masculine woman is lesbian.)

3 critical questions that need to be taken into consideration and thought about.

• Who is represented (Age, gender, class, region, ethnicity, sexuality)
• Identify a lack of representation
• Deconstructing how they are being represented (Technical and cultural codes) to the audience

Understanding the difference between what is real and what is represented is vital to our understanding to any media text.

Representation of Social drama: Social class is the main focus while looking to Social dramas representations. The reason social class is some important in social dramas is because that is what we judge people on, by their occupation, income, manners, background and education. You have the upper class, often people inherited with wealth and known best for their money, then you have the middle class including industrialists, professionals, shop owners and business people. Then last but not least the lower or working class people whop are agricultural, factory workers and some miners. In my case I portray myself as a lower class teen, you can judge this by the clothes I wear, a hoodie, baseball cap and tracksuit bottoms. Also throughout filming my opening sequence I use basic forms of transport such as trains, the audience can instantly tell what class i belong too and can have a very basic understanding of my background all down to the stereotype. So overall I feel that i have carefully thought about how my character is being represented and should cause no offence due to my basic imitation.  

Target Audience

Introduction: Throughout this blog post i am going to research in depth about my target audience and what keeps them engaged this is a follow up post too my previous Target audience post, the reason I decided to do this was to go in more depth.

Age: Age in my eyes is a key factor in choosing your target audience. Age can depend on what piece you are intending to create, for example if it is a piece about a murder, themses would consist of violence, foul languiage and what not. Themes such as these will cause the Age rating to incease to 15/18 years of age this is why when Social drama covers themes such a these they are normally rated high. When putting an apporpiate age rating on our piece we decdided to put it as 14-25 years of age, mainly aimed at males as the main charcater is a male and only follows his journey and is asscoiated with parkour and different elements of free running.

Gender: The gender of this piece is massivley male dominated, due to the fast pace edits, the main character being male and themes of free running. Not much stereotypically that can appeal to women but either way it can still be enjoyable to watch. Males from different locations such as thamesmeade could maybe relate to the main charcater much more as the clothes that he is wearing are fit the strerotype of that area, that stereotype being an urban society, a rundown poor place.

Education: The social drama's audience can only be genralised, people that are interested in genres such as these can vary in intelligence, its too big of a audience to go into detail about but again depending on the topic of the piece the audience can react them differently.

Conclusion: After carrying out this research i feel that i have got a clearer and more educated understanding on my target audience, mainly male dominated and varys from the age of 14-25.  

Mood Board

Introduction: Throughout this blog post i am going to display a mood board, all images in the mood board will be taken from google images.

Mood Board: A mood board is type of collage/poster design its is mainly made of photographs and small pieces of texts and is mainly made to give a taste and idea of what to expect from something, a basic design concept. Me personally i am using one for inspiration for my opening sequence.

 

Casting My Main Character

Introduction: To begin, in this blog post i am going to research in detail all the posiblities i have for choosing my main character. I will study different people to see who fits best with playing the role of a 16 year old male.

Posibilities: I have a couple different people that im considering to use for my film, they must fit with all requirments listed below.

NAME        GENDER      HAIR COLOUR        SKIN COLOUR

Kyle             Male                     Blonde                          White

Sonny(Me)   Male                     Brown                           White

Alex             Male                     Blonde                           White

Will              Male                     Red                                White

Merlin          Male                     Brown                             White

Can              Male                     Black                              Mixed

Choosing my character: When it came down to choosing our chatrcater the group came to a final descion, that descion was picking me for our main charcater due to my previous experience acting in a number of different productions and films. I also fit with the requirements needed, we based our height limit around 5-7 to 5-9 foot me being 5-9 we all felt that i fit best. I also felt very comftable playing the role of a 16 year old misunderstood thug, firstly because it became realistic as i actually am 16 years old and secondly because i portrayed my character well in

Me and Can on a film set

the sense of using the right clothing.