Research and Planning - ALL 3 Products Completed!

Sound effects, voice over and everything anything trailer could possibly require! We've finished all 3 of our products, finally :D

Evaluation: Question 4: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

 

I've used a wide range of technologies during each process of the making of my advanced portfolio.  Here are some of the technologies that I've used during Research and Planning:

Garageband: The reason for me using this within research and planning is because I didn't actually use this for my production,  I used this to experiment within a preliminary task and plan what type of genre I wanted our trailer to feature.

Word it out: I used word it out to generate my production company name and distribution name by putting random single words down, and the program would generate my ideas together to give me a more broad view.  I'll show my use of knowledge within this program on the video.

Mozilla fire-fox: is the MAIN source of my research. Without this I wouldn't be able to access any information or magazines that I've retrieved and helped me to plan my work.  It also granted me access to programs such as Word it out, Prezi and Blogger.

 Blogger: This website basically contains EVERYTHING that I've researched, planned out, documentation of my production process and soon to be completed evaluation!

Prezi: An online program I use to place images on and annotate, like a presentation slide but more quirky. Helped me research and plan into what my price, colour code and genre was at the beginning of the project.

Microsoft Word: Produced all my production schedules on here, as well as shooting schedules and planning of locations.

Media Technology used in Production:

 Sony SLR HD camera: Used this to produce our main filming and used all different filters and settings.

 IMovie: used this program to edit my movie with the sound

Magix: Used to produce my soundtrack (home programme). I've added different loops into the programme to create a tune and added scores with a drum for instance - and then changed the pitch etc.

SLR Camera: Produced photos for magazine and poster with high quality.

 

Photoshop: Used  to produce my actual magazine and poster and edit pictures etc.

Magix in production (I could not do an ishow you video for this due to this being a programme i have at home)

ALSO PREZI doesn't seem to be running through blogger sometimes due to the site and it's own technical difficulties, so please click on the title 'untitled prezi' and it will divert you to the site where you can see the prezi there. SORRY!

Evaluation - Question 3: What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

• Interviews: We gave people a set of questions that were based on two proposals and included questions about locations and such and all in all helped us find an age range of our trailer and definitely include a female character that would be aimed a male audience.  We also gathered our audience would prefer a montage pace and a voice over - which we did infact include in our finished trailer!
• Chelsea was the one who was in charge of finding a name and through Facebook found a name suggestion of Alexis and Fury.
• Teacher feedback gave us the idea of an attatched name such as 'Alexis Von-Fury'.
• Feedback on trailer:  Enabled us to provide a voice over to provide more narrative and a scene of Acura company as the audience wanted more story.  I also increased the volume and pitch of the soundtrack as people wanted more sound effected music.
• Feedback on all three products: Basically we already knew what we wanted to do and they all liked our products and due to previous improvements on voice over etc we just had to add our pictures.  Someone gave me feedback in order to change my masthead so I did, I changed it to a more bold font that gave the magazine a better look.  I was also given feedback that suggested I added a gradent over my work to darken it in order to make it look more suited to the genre such as a dark violent theme, so I did and I added the red to it.

Evaluation - Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

Throughout the film we discuss:

Representations of characters: Alexis Von-Fury remains consistent throughout the movie; same leather clothes, makeup, weapons, stance and the Zombies remain consistent too such as the make-up and the way they act - it isn't like "fake acting". She's presented the same throughout such hero vs villain in the trailer.  Both our magazines show how she's the protagonist with the main photo being her.

Good Vs Bad: Clear contrast between hero and villain in the trailer as throughout the montage she's always attacking the zombies.  My poster also shows the bad one as well due to her being in the middle of the eyes of a zombie to imply they're "watching" her. My magazine doesn't include and bad but still you can tell she's the hero as we state "zombie hunter" in bold to imply she's the hero.

Colour and Lightning:  Filmed in a blue filter to imply cold/dead/evil and so she's alone and isolated.  Also included CCTV to show she's also being watched and filmed in sepia to show past tense and provide a little hint of narrative behind the trailer.  I've chosen a dark red colour gradient to go over my poster to imply 'violence' and 'blood' and also darkness so it suites the genre of horror especially with the eyes being brightened so they're 'alert' and always watching. My magazine was in a blue gradient and adjusted similarly to the trailer again to provide a dead/isolated feeling, and both my poster and magazine have the same font colours red and white, red to provide violence.

Location: We chose a deserted place to show that she was alone and that everyone had been affected by the virus, so it was an obvious outbreak.  The same location is implemented in both our posters and magazines so we're consistent.

Text:  'Shaun of the dead' font used throughout both trailer, movie and poster to be consistent and be thorough with the horror zombie theme and also on my magazine provided a 'blood splat' font that also gives a sense of action and violence! All 3 products contain font that's consistent throughout.

Narrative:  Easily shown through all products. Trailer: We show the girl protagonist, kinda like a "final girl" and the montage of her fighting them off.  Poster provides narrative with the tagline 'they just keep coming back for more' and a longshot of her to show she's the protagonist and finally, the magazine shows it through her being the 'zombie hunter' and that she's there to kiillllllllll! as you can see with her weapon shown throughout all 3 products :o hehe

A video I recorded asking a member of our target audience revolving a question around how all 3 products represent the same thing.

ANOTHER TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO IMOVIE THIS MOVIE WON'T CUT FROM 18 MINUTES LONG, IT'S INFACT ONLY 9:30 MINUTES SO PLEASE STOP NEAR 9:30!  IT WOULDN'T CUT :(

Evaluation - Question 1: In what ways do your media products use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

NOTICE: If the Prezi powerpoint does not work due to software problems as it usually randomly occurs, then please click on the title 'Untitled Prezi' and it will take you to the site where you can preview my answer there and flick through the slide. 

Research and Planning - Finished Trailer!

Finally completed the trailer! Sound effects added, voice over and editing transitions thanks to Chelsea!

Research and Planning - Magazine done!

Finally completed my magazine! Completed the barcode and changed the colour of the titled cover lines.

Research and Planning - Poster done!

Finally completed my poster! Amended the steel tongs and added the production logo!

Research and Planning - Production and Company logos

Chelsea made the logo as it's part of her mis-en-scene etc and will be added to the trailer!

Research and Planning - Location Recce 2 for Poster and Magazine

Another area we took photos for, but I haven't used them in my magazine and poster.

Research and Planning - Location Recce 1 - Poster & Magazine

This is one of the locations where we even filmed our trailer and saw it fit to take photos as we could then put them on our poster and magazine and both of them actually do.

Research and Planning - Risk Assesment for Magazine and Poster

Considering me and Chelsea took the photos at once and together, our risk assesment were the same so this is what we cameup with as risks for what could of happened when taking photos and the precautions taken.

Research and Planning - Poster update

Research and Planning - Magazine update

Research and Planning - Poster update

Finally nearly finished my poster! Just got to add the tag line which I'm not quite sure on yet and possibly feature Chelseas name in it, but I'll do those quickly next lesson.

Research and Planning - Magazine update

Also nearly finished my magazine! Changed the colouring of the background and also changed my masthead font to Bebas Neue as it looks more bold, the other font didn't look right. I've also changed the font of my cover lines to fill more space and make the magazine look more presentable.  I'm yet to put something across the top above my masthead that features titles etc, and I'm also to put something like a "PLUS" in the red box that I may change.  A barcode is definitely needed! I'll do this all next lesson :)

Research and Planning - Photos for zombie on poster

I took these photos as I wanted to use them for my poster in the background.  I tried different shots and close-ups and also used different settings with brightness and contrast and different flash types - I obviously found out one was too dark and one would be too bright to place into my poster.

Research and Planning - "Ideal poster look"

OKAY THIS IS REALLY BAD QUALITY...

BUT

I did this at home only to mess around with the tools so I could filter one of my zombie images into the poster and considering I don't have the work at home I've not had the layers to go off :( So I've just had to cope and make due with a simple poster JPEG but I can get an idea of what I want.


I've kind of used a mixture of tools ranging from eraser with different opacity settings to try and slowly fade it out into the background.  I've also used the smudge tool to try and blend the ending of the image into the background so it doesn't look like a 'straight cut off'.  Also used the burn tool around the eyes and on the pupils but then using the dodge tool to whiten the actual eye and make it stand out looking quite vibrant.  The sponge tool has been used around the eyebrows but I kind of don't like it so I'm not going to use that in actual practice tomorrow.

Research and Planning - Poster update

I'm still yet to edit Chelsea into it properly and place a faded out zombie face over the layer of the clouds, so it fades out kind of. Final changes to be made throughout the week!

Research and Planning - Magazine updates

I've added a background to the magazine but haven't fully completed it yet ofcourse. Yet to re-crop the edited picture over the masthead and place the image back underneath. Final touches to be made throughout the week!

Research and Planning - Location Photos

Photos taken with an SLR that can be used for mine and Chelseas poster and magazine :)

Research and Planning - Film Mag Improvements

Used the magnetic lasoo tool to cut over Chelseas head and create a new layer so her head can now finally rest over the masthead!

Research and Planning - Test Voice over

We had somebody made a voice over for our trailer but we're not sure whether to use it or not just yet :D

Research and Planning - Update of Film Mag

I've trimmed the white edging around Chelsea by using the eraser tool and also used the brush tool on her hair to create a darker colour as the cropping of hair is quite tricky. Also adjusted the brightness and contrast so it stands our more and I'm yet to place her head over the titles and photoshop some of her make-up. More improvements throughout working progress to come :)

Research and Planning - Audience feedback on trailer etc

some of our feedback for our posters, trailers and magazines, we're going to improve on what our audience states :)