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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sSLj4zR9aNE

This is the preliminary task in which we needed to focus of the 180 degree rule and also the shot reverse shot. When comparing the preliminary task with the film opening task, there were much more improvements. My steadiness had improved and this made the film opening look more professional.

A benefit of doing the preliminary task is that we were able to practise our filming and editing skills. We also practised on the shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule . this was great because in the film opening, we used these shots a lot.

Some camera shots that we used in our preliminary task were very shaky, for example the establishing shot in the beginning was very shaky. This practice allowed me to practice doing this types of shots..

4) Who would be the audience for your product? 5) How did you attract/address your audience?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V09xdmzDzro

This is the link for the commentary 


script:
(4) Our target audience were mainly females aged 15-25. Their social class would be C1 as they are more likely to be youthful and enjoy that sort of Genre. Females are also more likely to find musicals interesting especially because they can relate to the protagonist more. Usually, students (High school or Post Graduate) who enjoy music and enjoy comedy films. The narrative is easy to follow as musicals mostly focus on the visuals and the music rather then the dialogue.

(5) Our production card appealed to our musical enthusiasts as it presents the genre of the film. We chose a purple background which conveys feelings of happiness and joy, it also looks quite feminine. The title ‘musical note’ also shows the genre of the film which is about to begin.

The music we chose for our film was upbeat and would appeal to the audience as it is very common in musicals. It can appeal to the female audience as it is a young female singer so the audience would be able to connect with them . The lyrics ‘The best is yet to come’ also help to foreshadow future events in the film. In the opening shot, we decided to introduce the location. Piccadilly Circus is a very familiar public area which is often seen in musicals, as they are usually set in big cities. The protagonist is introduced as she is leaving the Underground Station so it is clear that she has travelled to this location. The illuminated advertising hoardings also give the location an appealing and harmonious look.  The font that we used for the title ‘Big City’ looks very fresh and will most likely appeal to the younger females between the ages of 15-17. The hat that Agata is wearing is common among retro teenagers which were part of our target audience, this would be something that they may be able to relate to. The quick transitions pick up the pace of the film, this makes the film visually appealing to the younger audience and keeps them engaged especially as musicals are often fast paced. When filming, the weather was sunny. This was beneficial as it reflected the characters happy feelings. The cold weather also gave us reason for Agata wearing a coat as we did not want to show her entire costume straight away.

The use of the low angle shot makes the protagonist look powerful and strong as she steps into the centre of Piccadilly, this may appeal to the young female audience as they would be able to connect with the character in terms of age and can earn the viewers admiration. From research we saw that low angle shots were often used by males such as in the hairspray to make them look powerful on stage. The Over-the-shoulder shot that I used helps the audience understand that the character is going to a theatre and the leaflet indicates which theatre production it is. We relied on props such as those to introduce the narrative without the use of dialogue. The introduction of Hannah, as she bumps into Agata may also appeal to the audience as it encourages the female audience to have sympathy for the character. It also shows the audience how fragile the protagonist really is in such a big city.

The foyer as after she enters the building may appeal to the older audience as it looks prestigious and visually appealing, it helps the audience to understand that where the protagonist is going is extravagant. The mise-en-scene might also interest the audience in terms of lightning and costume. As Agata takes of her coat we are shown a much brighter and visually enticing costume. Our ‘lay’ audience would find the bright glowing colours appealing, it also gave Agata a joyful persona. Agata’s costume was influenced from the character Rachel from Glee as they both look young and dress colourfully. The lighting may appeal to the audience as it builds tension and shows the audience that a musical number is about to take place. The use of the high angle shot may encourage the female audience to sympathise for the character as she looks timid and ambivalent. The lighting also helps to show that the character is completely alone and independent. From research we learnt that high angle shots are often used on stage as they can clearly show the characters body language in the shot and their movement on stage.

The final shot, a close-up on Agata’s face help to show the audience her expression, this helps the audience connect with the character as they can clearly see what she is feeling. We cut off just before a musical number is about to start. 

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the time of editing, I learned how to use a range of editing software. I learned how to use and effective tool called ‘Colour Correction’. This tool is used to brighten up the sequence. It taught me how to change contrast, brightness and saturation. These were very important in musicals as everything has to be bright and the protagonist has to stand out from the rest.

I was also taught how to use ‘Garageband’, we were shown how to create a track using a range of instruments as well as a piano or plain vocals. We used my creation for the production card. I now know how to use the program more effectively and can use my skills in later work.

As the camera man, it was also my role to film all shots and make sure that mise-en-scene was perfect before I shoot any scene. Agata and I would often discuss positions of the camera to shoot to make the shot more effective and we would look at lighting and practice shots to make sure that the final shot was as perfect as it could be. During this, I improved my knowledge on how to use the camera. 

3. What kind of media institution might distribute our media product and why?

After researching several distribution companies, I found out that 'New Line Cinema' distributed both of the Hairspray musicals. This was appropriate to film Big City as they were both aimed at the same audience, the narrative was similar to each others and they both aimed to attract the same audience.

'New Line Cinema' is an American film studio formed in 1967 and became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996.  The production card is a simple film clip with a blue glow around it and 'New Line Cinema' written in capital letters just below it. From research, New Line Cinema distributed films such as ‘Ghost of Girlfriend’s past and 17 Again’. 

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

We used only one main character for our film opening to make things clear. We presented our character as happy and cheerful. Our character was influenced by Rachel from Glee.

We used high and low angle shots to show the characters personality. The first low angle shot was used to make her look dominant in the city when she had just arrived, the shot before she is about to perform, the high angle shot makes her look shy and afraid. This shows that this could be her first big audition. This relates to Rachel from Glee who always wanted to be a star in the big city.

Musicals can be very stereotypical and so we decided to dress our character in bright colours to show that she is a happy and energetic person. The extra in our film plays as an unfriendly character and is dressed in boring, dark colours.

The personality our protagonist can also be compared to Rachel both are presented as having a gentle personality. For example, even though the extra is the one that barges into our protagonist, the protagonist graciously picks up the bag and apologises.

The music we used in our film also helped us to establish our protagonists personality. It helped to show how young at heart the character is and it seemed as though it was her voice we were hearing. The song was also very upbeat and showed that something happy was going on.

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

Location & Lighting

Most musicals are shot in big cities. For example Chicago is shot in Chicago and on a huge stage. We decided to shoot in Piccadilly Circus because it’s a popular place in London and it has loads of tourist attractions and a theature.

A hall or stage as a rehearsal area is also very common in musicals. In Chicago, the use of a spotlight is very effective, so we decided to use one as well.

Costume & Characters

Costume is very important in musicals because it helps differentiate characters and stereotypes. Even though in musicals, most characters wear bright colours, in Chicago they don’t. They were dressed in dark coloured clothing be it more of a serious, mature production rather than Hairspray were everything is happy and jolly.

 

Music

In musicals, the songs are similar to the films narrative. In our film opening there was no singing. We had our character going to practise for an audition; it’s a build up to the main performance which would come later on in the film. We used an upbeat son sung by a young person which was from the musical genre. The song fitted perfectly with the film because it fitted the narrative.

Shots used

Through out the research, we noticed that high angle and low angle shots were used a lot.

We used both low angle and high angles shots in our movie opening. These shots helped us show facial expressions and location. We used a low angle shot to show how small she is compare to the big city. This shot also helps us establish her excitement of the attractions. 

Filming

This is a shot of me filming in Bishop Thomas Grant School reception. It was a great experience but it came with a lot of distraction especially because I was filming in a school. 

This shot shows us filming in Piccadilly Circus. It was great fun, in my opinion it was better than filming in school because it fitted into our movie and there were no distractions from the public and no one looked directly into the camera.