FINAL COURSEWORK

Here is our final opening sequence in a lower quality so that it can be hosted by the blog. However, we believe you should view this on DVD.

Evaluation of How We Have Appealed to Our Audience

This evaluation is another DVD extra task that can also be viewed here on the blog in a format with less resolution:

Evaluation of What Learned about Technology

Link to our PowerPoint:

What we learned about technologies

Progress from Prelim task to Final task

 1. Progress in research and planning:

Prelim - We didn't do any research and planning in the initial stages leading up to the prelim task, so had no focus on a target audience. Also we didn't really know what genre of film this task would fit into as we had done no research and had no overall context for the task at all.

We didn't relate the techniques used to a specific stereotypical genre, and so we had no focus on any genres common conventions. We also didn't about what music to add and whether it was a good idea or not. Finally no script was made, so we made all dialogue up on the spot. This all meant that our task did not have any focus or real meaning.

Final Task - For the final task we did a lot of research into opening scenes, this helped us to gather the needed knowledge of how they work. It was also important we had a focus on a genre because it meant we knew the common conventions, and could tap into a specific target audience.

 

Examples of our research into heist genre and opening sequences

In the prelim task, we didn't do any research on how much dialogue and camera movement was usually said and done in the first two minutes of an extract, but we did with the final task. We drew up and planned every single camera movement and did more research on how much use of dialogue is usually used in the first two minutes of a heist film. We also researched different types of music that genres like ours use.

Our researched helped us a lot. This is because it helped us focus on specific elements which were important in the final task, such as the music and dialogue. This was incredibly important as it played a role in informing the audience on what type of genre and characters we're trying to portray.

Some examples of our research include:

http://firelightmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/target-audience.html




2. Progress in story boarding and scripting

Prelim

Additionally for our final task we were prepared and had a storyboard of what we were going to film and roughly how long each scene was going to take, and this was drafted several times so that we had thought about every shot and camera position and had also started to think how it would be edited together in terms of transitions, title and credits.

Storyboard annotated with production and post-production ideas

We also created additional scripting before filming so that we were much more prepared.

In one of our prelim tasks we filmed in a room with low lighting. This affected what could be seen. We don't have lighting equipment in our department, so we learned from this and decided to film using natural light as much as possible for our real task.

We also did not write out a full script so actors improvised and we could not get proper continuity when it came to editing.


Screenshot of low key room

Final Task

In our final task, the storyboard was properly planned and well detailed. We planned the camera angles that we would use, possible sounds and dialogue for each character.

Photo of Full Storyboard

Preparing the storyboard helped us realise that some of the camera angles we chose may not be able to be carried out with the resources we had. Therefore we decided to leave them out.

This planning was effective because it meant we knew exactly what shots and camera angles to use as well as the duration of each shot. This made the filming easier and quicker.

Producing an animatic was a way of finding out if we had a good idea of the timing, and also looking at how the story ideas run together.

Photo of animatic

Able to play through and check timing of planned shots

Able to plan exactly what shot for what situation

The 'real' shot as planned in animatic 

Progress

The filming was very controlled and we didn't have a lot of problems with continuity because of our detailed preparation.

Also there was less time spent figuring out what to say, how to shoot etc. We were able to keep to our time limits and work efficiently on the day.

Evidence of better planning:

http://firelightmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/script_10.html
http://firelightmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/animatic.html
http://firelightmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/second-draft-storyboard.html

3. Progress in camera work

Prelim 

In this task we used a minimal range of camera angles, also our shot-reverse- shot was poorly framed and we only used one master shot in the main sequence which was disorientating for the audience. Some of our shots were quite wobbly as we were inexperienced in using and keeping them steady. When we did a panning shot at the start it was quite jumpy, as the tripod was not straightened.

 

Shot shows the blurred camera work

Tripod not balanced correctly

 

 

Framing and composition do not work well

Our establishing shots were hard to complete smoothly when we had to do a panning shot as we had not worked out how to use the tripod handle most effectively. Furthermore the shots with a camera zoom were also jumpy and poorly executed.

Final task 

We were able to complete difficult shots e.g. panning and tracking shots, as we were more confident with the camera. Another progression was we could place the tripod in the right position for each shot resulting in good eye level shots in the conversation scene. We also aimed for more variety with our shots and thought about interesting composition and framing our characters appropriately.

This helped continuity of the stairs scene run more smoothly and was an interesting angle

When storyboarding our camera shots we realised that shots like 360 circling shots couldn’t be carried out to a high enough standard. So we left them out and focussed on what we could do, which we decided was creating interest with some unusual angles, which the heist genre allows you to do as it has an obvious editing style.

More interesting shot choice to show conversation

Generally we were able to use a much wider range of camera angles and shots. 

Prelim

In the preliminary task we were slow at editing as we did not have enough experience in Final Cut Express. We were also not used to using the time line which impacted on time management.

We were also not used to using keys on the keyboard which makes things faster. For example using the cut tool (using B ). We did not realise that you can cut the sound and the video at the same time. We did not think about re-voicing or adding non-diegetic music, credits and visual effects. It was just one video track and a audio track - which resulted in a basic video.

There were some poor matches on action due to less experience. There were also some boring scenes such as two shots of closing doors etc. We found it hard to achieve continuity most of the time.

Final Task

We learned to use Final Cut Express a lot more effectively. We used layering effects to organise our work and get the most out of the software (one video layer and eight audio layers). We also had better knowledge on many tools and also ability to use and explore new tools such as the pen tool to adjust sound levels.

We also managed to get our continuity very smooth and more aesthetically pleasing. We also manage to re-voice and edit it much faster.

We used other software such as After Effects and Live Type to create credits and indents. Specifically the use of After Effects was very helpful. We also used Final Cut Express to add a fade in filter to get a special effects to enhance the visuals of the scene, this is because it is one of the most important scenes (credits).

After Effects for title and credits

Use of graduated filter and credits for end sequence

 

We now understand and know how to combine and create good enough films. We used the editing packages effectively and products were created deliberately, they were also carefully planned.

Evaluate how conventions of real media products in your piece

Predictions

It is clear to the audience that this is a heist film because of the way we used stereotypical characters and locations.

Not giving too much information out in the first 2 minutes made sure that the audience were more engaged in wanting to know what would happen next.

I think it’s quite easy to make some kind of prediction from our opening because we have followed to some degree the common stereotypes given to the audience, for our genre. And the plot seems a conventional heist one.

Contact sheet

 

1.     Title

The use of red and white as the colour for our film title is a way to try and make the titles to stand out straight away, hopefully grabbing audience attention - shows it will be a stylish film as often happens in genre.

The colour red helps it sticks out more and can be an indication of danger e.g. stop sign. The red in the title symbolises the danger the film will have in it creating a tense start to the piece. White is the opposite.

Also the red shows the bad in what the group do (criminals) whereas the white represents the fact they are good guys and in the movie will be presented as the ‘good guys’, even if they are criminals.

 

Furthermore it suggests the film will include oppositions.

2.     Credits

A fire animation added on ‘After Effects’ placed over the word ‘firelight’ to create the effect of the word burning. The burning sound added to this enhanced the whole ident and brought it together.

This effect also tied in with our genre as it added to the representation that heist films stereotypically have explosions and fire in them. However, production idents are not related to the films that follow as hopefully our company will make many films. They do add institutional credibility.

The next set of credits are in red and yellow as these are eye catching colours to engage the audience and grab their attention.

The credits were made through the use of animations and effects all done on ‘after effects’ software.  They are used to pull in the audience and create a face pace exciting start to the film. This reflects the genre well.

3&4.Characters

Heist films are very different to ‘real life’; they are different because of the characters and the way they are portrayed. In real life if a group of men were to rob a bank or even plan to so, they would not be seen as the ‘good guys’

Each character in a stereotypical heist movie is usually from a different background. This helps bring equality, companionship and individuality with each character. Seen in many heist films - a team of disparate individuals.

They are not always poor wanting to steal, the characters are very often seen as quite well off, but not wanting to draw attention to them at the same time. This is how we tried to portray our characters.

Our main characters are all male and each from a different background, this enhances our above points.

The actors being from different backgroundscan reflect the fact that each character has a certain role in play E.g. Weapon specialist, muscle within the group.

The way the characters are dressed takes away the suspicion, the fact they are going to commit a crime but in suits doesn’t fit the common stereotype of a thief.

The ages of the actors in our film are un-stereotypical as they look young and not credible to be criminals let alone con-artists. So this mixes the heist genre with a teen element that can potentially refresh the genre.

The main character in our piece is clear for the audience, he gets the most screen time and is frequently referred to as ‘Boss’

At points our actors are stereotypical in the way they behave, for example the way they meet up on a roof. This is a common place for criminals to meet because it’s out of the way and discrete.

Within the group there is a division of power, the younger get treated as such whereas the older more experienced characters are portrayed as perfectionists.

Most heist film such as ‘Takers’, have a stereotypical character that is unable to keep up and struggles at times to stay at the fast pace, this means they make mistakesor needs to have help(this is seen as the feminine role).

5&6. Mise-en-scene

Common stereotypes in Heist films are that plans that are created for future jobs are set in either a run-down location that is not much visited e.g. abandoned warehouse, or the opposite in an expensive private place e.g. hotel

The main characters dress to fit in with location they are going to heist. For example casino = suits, and a ‘Drug lords’ or gang = casual clothes as to not look different from surroundings.

In heist movies they often use weapons such as guns and knives - see e.g. "Lock, Stock". This makes it look more threatening and creates a sense of excitement for the audience. We chose to also use a gun but only show the weapons expert loading it. This meant he is distinguished as a character and creates a tenser atmosphere for the audience.

Different locations were used in our piece because it meant we looked more professional as it’s common that in heist films the group move around a lot to avoid detection.

Our first location is used to show how to a certain extent the environment was quiet and out of the way. This was to reflect the fact the group were meeting in secret and wanted to avoid detection.

The next location was a rooftop. We used this because the same as in heist movies it’s important for the group to remain undetected so a roof where no one goes is an almost ideal location.

The last location was at the back of the bank they were going to perform the heist. We see them in this environment as they are scoping out the job they are about to do. As in a heist film stereotypically they do this.

The suits make them seem like no threat, as well as boosting the appearance of power and social status. Financially they do not look like they need to rob a bank.

7, 8& 9 Camera work

The main shots we used were close up, and group shots. We did this a lot because it helped show the relationship between the characters to the audience. This is also a classic shot for a heist genre, as character relationships are key.

This is very typical in heist films because it’s important to create character profiles and see the on screen relationship between the groups, theses shots allow you to do so.

The use of the group shots can create a sense of friendship, but at the same time for others create intimidation. Strength in numbers can on screen be seen through a group shot, for example the ‘hero’ shot at the end of our piece. Classic shot used in many heist and gangster films, slow motio group walk, low angle e.g. "Reservoir Dogs".

The use of close ups were mainly used to show power in conversations, for example when the boss is talking on the roof to the group he gets more screen time. This gives him more authority over the group.

The younger character ‘Sean’ is not given a close at all in this conversation as he is again singled out, but through the use of camera work this time.

We also used the common over the shoulder shot for when the ‘Boss’ is talking to ‘Sean’ on the roof. This shot is always used in all types of films and is just a good way of filming a short conversation.

The shots we used are quite typical of an opening scene, especially the panning shot. This shot is used when the ‘boss’ is walking to the meet point. In films they are used to show the whole distance the character travels, it’s a transparent use of camera work. Therefore you aren’t supposed to really be aware of the transitions between panning shots, and therefore stay drawn to the action.

10. Editing

We used an ellipsis twice to try and give the sense of time passing. This was necessary because in the short time frame we had we could show how the group got from the first meet spot, to the next, and finally the back of the bank scene.

It’s common in heist films to have time changes like this.

We used a cross cutting technique at the start to cut between the panning shots of the boss and the titles. This was because the fast past titles made the otherwise basic and plain walking seem more exciting for the audience.

11 &12. Sound

The main sound element used in our piece was high tempo piece of non-diegetic music. It was played almost throughout the whole opening except from the conversation between ‘Sean’ and the ‘Boss’. It was turned down in post production to balance with the diegetic dialogue.

The background music here adds excitement to the scene, for example the high tempo sound along with the cross cutting between tittles and the scene creates a much more visually appealing scene. The sound complements all of the editing effectively.

The dialogue used is vey important as well, this is because it re-enforces the way the characters are all friends but at the same time individuals. For example when my character says “How much we talking” he is seen as asking more for himself, almost wanting to know how much he will get. Then the boss responds by saying “Enough for an early retirement”, this implies there is enough for everyone to have a lot.

The characters all speak like they have known each other for a while; the use colloquial language shows they are comfortable with one another.

For example when one character says “That’s what I’m talkin bout”.

This kind of dialogue is typical in heist films because it shows the audience the relationship between characters and this is key.

Other uses of dialogue shows how one character doesn’t really trust ‘Sean’, he says it in way that shows he still likes him as a friend but is unsure he can effectively step up and complete the job at hand. “I don’t trust Sean, boys”.

The way the characters all address each other is a clear indicator to the audience that they are not strangers to the ‘heist’ business. “How much we talking” and “Let's make it smooth” are examples. They both show how they have more than likely done this before.

Evaluation of target audience

Evaluation of Distribution Institution

From left to right: Jordan, Shehan, Kennedy

 

This DVD extra feature can be seen on the blog in a reduced quality format. 

Evaluation of Representation of Social Groups

Evaluation of Representation of Men

Our cast is a heist film, with an all-male cast, as is very common with this genre of film. As our piece has an all male cast the representations are mainly focused around men.

There is in our piece a common convention of a traditionally 'feminine' role being played by a male actor.

This can be classed as a more stereotypically female representation because the ‘damsel in distress’ or the one who needs assistance the most is often a woman.

The character Jessie Attica, in the film Takers is the one who fills this role. He is the one in the film who ends up in trouble and almost getting caught by the police.

In our piece Caleb plays the same stereotype, he gets singled out more because he is the youngest (the same in takers) and he is in need of reassurance to make sure he stays on task.

He also makes a big mistake by setting the alarm off in the building, almost getting the team caught, and turns up late.

This fits in with the stereotype of the feminine role because it’s common in film genres such as ours, that the women is the one who is always in need of assistance or reassurance of her role in the film.

You could argue that by having a male taking this role, we are breaking stereotypes and broadening traditional gender roles.

However, as pointed out, we have an all male cast so this role is filled by a man by necessity.

Thornham would argue that the fact that we notice that it is a man in this role actually reinforces the fact that it is traditionally a feminine role, when it would receive little comment.

Creating Representations through Roles

The Weak Link

Elements such as mise-en-scéne and camera angles and movements help to create this stereotypical role in our piece.

The use of actor creates a sense of vulnerability as our actor is young; this gives the impression that he may make mistakes because he is inexperienced.

Also close up shots such as below, along with the dialogue used show how he is singled out more, and is in fact the ’weak link’ within the group.

Our use of editing during the rooftop conversation scene show how Caleb’s character has no authority and is the one character who almost ruins it for the whole team.

This is done through our shot-reverse-shot sequence.

The focus is mainly on the boss and his talking to Caleb, this use of screen time shows authority and power over Caleb’s character.

His position of relative weakness and isolation in the group means that this is a negative representation; suggests that to be a 'real' man, you need to be accepted and cannot make mistakes.

Caleb rooftop scene

Chris Brown (Jessie Attica) chase scene

The Weapons Expert

 

Another stereotype that’s common in the heist genre is the‘weapons expert’. This character shows power not through dialogue or screen type necessarily, but more through his skills and his abilities with weapons.

As in our piece my character is the one with the gun and the only one to be seen with any kind of weapon, this creates shorthand to the representation of power.

 

My character is toward the end of the two minutes shown to have a gun, and because of this one particular shot he gains power over all other characters except the boss.

 

Through the use of a close up shot we see where my character gains his power; my character is cocking the gun in a way that seems like he has done it before.

 

This is the same in the 'Takers' movie where the character Jake Attica also gains authority and power in the scene through holding the gun in a particular way to show confidence and experience.

 

 

Jordan  AKA - weapons expert

Micheal Ealy AKA - weapons expert

The Boss

The boss will always be shown to have the most power because he is the leader of a group of men that in some ways can be seen as a gang.

Stereotypically the group of males in a heist film coming together in a heist movie are always going to have a lot of power.

And are seen to come together to cause some kind of trouble (gangs) and when it comes to their leader he will still be represented stereotypically as the one character with the ability to hold the group together and harness this power.

In our piece represented by the hat (not taking it off shows lack of subservience) and the amount of screen time. Boss dominated opening. First seen in low shot of feet walking up stairs - traditionally connotes a person to be reckoned with.

Hat and waistcoat

Low angle - mystery

Summarising Our Representations

Adorno believes that stereotyping of characters is necessary in art forms such as film, as it creates a shorthand of meaning that can be conveyed in a quick and more efficient way to the audience.

As our piece is only two minutes in duration it was very necessary to do this use of stereotyping characters as we wanted to get the characters across to the audience.

The representation of each character is also hard to present to an audience in a heist film unless you are using the common character stereotypes.

As we have an all male cast, men in our film necessarily are represented in a number of ways as they have to play all the narrative roles.

However, some roles are clearly presented as more desirable and the representation therefore more positive e.g. boss, weapon's expert.

Therefore our representations tend to reinforce the idea that these roles are the most aspirational for men.