Evaluation

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

In my media production, "The Assassin", i've used the forms and conventions of a Thriller, by keeping the character nameless, so they are unknown and more mysterious. I used typical darker lighting in the bedroom, and a night vision filter when outside. I tried to keep the colours, on the main protagonist, dark. I think i challenged the forms and conventions, by making my main character, a young female girl. In most thriller films, the main characters, are males. I thought by using a young girl, instead of an older male, it gave the film a new twist. I also challeged the forms, by making the actor look straight down the camera, at the point of her beginning to change into an assassin. I thought by making the assassin, quiet and withdrawn in school life and making her an assassin "by night" was also a good idea. I followed the conventions by making my titles stereotypical of a thriller. They are red and a thriller font and slow moving. They fade in and out.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? 
Because my main character is a white young female, you might think that the rest of the characters in the film are going to be of a similar age, and this film be somewhat of a teen thriller. However, as the film progresses, she is pretty much the youngest character. I think its different to see, the youngest character in a thriller, being the main character, especially when the character is female. In society, my main character is an outcast, until she becomes an assassin. I think this is unconventional, because often in a thriller, characters don't drift into other social groups. Her social standing changes throughout the film. She goes from one of the most overlooked and quiet people in society, to someone seen as a menace and a danger to other people. 

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?  
I would like my film to be produced by Warner Bros. I think that they do a great job with this kind of film and action/thriller. I like the way they produced the Harry Potter films and i think that they do a great job of promoting and distributing. For up and coming film "Sucker Punch" the film had an enormous amount of press, and i would like my film to get the same kind of coverage. I think if i let my film be published by Warner Bros. it would be distributed widely. I would ideally like my film to be a big budget film, however, i think smaller independent films are also a good idea, and would like to have a smaller studio also produce my film along side Warner Bros.

 4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
I think the ideal audience for my media product would be, teenagers. I think that because the character is young, it will be more relatable to the younger generation. Even though i do think boys will like it, i think that the film target's girls more. I think because its a thriller and later on in the film, it would include some gore, violence and horror, i don't think it would be suitable for anyone under 15, and i think the official rating would be a 15. In terms of social grade, class and ethnicity, i think it is suitable for everyone, apart from children.


5. How did you attract/address your audience?
I think i attracted my audience, by trying to try something new. I know i've talked a lot about the main protagonist, being a young girl, but i think this makes the movie stand out. I know that similar things like this have been done before. For example, The Uninvited, also has a young female protagonist (Emily Browning as Anna) but they usually don't follow the same story, that my character does. I think that even though the opening has little dialogue, you can still see what the girl is feeling, and know whats going on.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I've learnt how to operate a mini dv tape/ and camera. Ive learnt how to use a tripod. Before i started making this, i had no idea what a dv tape was, and now i can log and capture and upload it on to a Mac. I also hadn't used Final Cut Pro, before making this film. I really like using it, making transitions and especially laying a sound track over it. I made music on GarageBand for my production aswell. I've blogged before, but i thought recording our coursework, on a blog was also a really good and efficient way of doing it.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? 
I learnt that i can work on my own, and actually get things done. Im used to working in groups and not really doing a lot to be honest, but on this task if i didn't do it, then nothing got done, because i worked on my own. I learnt how to operate a video camera, and how to zoom on it, and do pans,cuts etc. I learned about filming sequences,such as match on action and the 180 degree rule, and i applied them in my production. I learnt how to use final cut pro, and use different soundtracks for different parts of the film.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros, are an American production company, who are a subsidiary of Time Warner. Warner Bros. itself has several subsidiary companies itself. These include, Warner Bros. studios, Warner Bros pictures and Warner Bros. animation. They also own half of the American TV channel, The C.W, which is responisble for popular programs such as: Gossip Girl, Hellcats and 90210.
It was founded by the Harry, Albert, Jack and Sam Warner, who had emigrated from Poland, in 1905. Waner Bros. celebrated its 85th anniversary, for films only on June 1st 2008. The year after Warner Bros. became the first studio to gross more than $2 billion, in just one year.

Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.

Warner Bros. is responisble for the highest grossing film series of all time, Harry Potter, with 3 out of the 4 top grossing films produced by them, being Harry Potter films. The other one is The Dark Knight released in 2008.

Warner Bros. have recently announced that they will be buying Leavesden Studios, the studios responisble for Harry Potter. This makes Warner Bros. the first studio, since MGM to have a permanent base in Europe.

The first film they made was Kaiser's Finish, and it was released in Decemeber 1918. They have gone on to make timeless classiscs, such as the The Green Mile, The Matrix, Space Jam, The Bodyguard, Million Dollar Baby, V for Vendetta and I Am Legend.

Warner Bros. new film "Sucker Punch",

They continue to  produce films, are are currently producing and distributing, up and coming exciting films, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Red Riding Hood, Sucker Punch, Green Lantern, The Hangover 2 and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Character Profiles - The Assassin.

For my opening i will only be using two actors, the main character played by Francesca Nevitt and a minor character played by Diane Northall.

"Assassin"

Schoolgirl/Assassin
Age: 15
Ethnicity: White/English
Style: SCHOOLGIRL: Geeky, glasses, braces, uptight school uniform, uncool. ASSASSIN: Black clothes, heavy make up.
Characteristics: SCHOOLGIRL: Quiet, reserved, uncontraversial. ASSASSIN: Loud, bossy and in control.

"Schoolgirl" look

Mother
Age: 45
Ethnicity: White/English
Style: Smart, fashionable, natural make up.
Characteristics:  Controlling, overprotective.

Match on Action.

A "Match on Action" or "Cutting on Action" is a technique used to show an actor's specific movement. The editor of the film would cut from when the actor begins the movment, to a close up view of the movement, and then back again. It can be used just to show the movement, or to cover any continuity errors.

The Pitch.

I am going to be using my thriller idea, for my film opening. Originally i did want to make a Rom-Com, however i thought my thriller idea was a stronger one.

"....I think having a younger character as the main protagonist is also very new, so i've decided on an idea that involves a young girl. She's bullied an taunted at school, for her hair and glasses and people in the city have started going missing.  She's a pushover and she just wishes she was someone else. She is obsessed with the idea of celebrity beauty, and cuts things out of magazines to stick on her wall, She has enough of being pushed around. One day she returns home, crying, after the taunts get worse. She turns into an assassin. Her assassin becomes her alter-ego, and she loses her mind. School girl by day and Assassin by night, she begins to lose her way, and eventually turns her back on everyone she loves, killing several people in the process. It all comes down to her and the boy she likes, does she kill him or not? Or does she self destrust and kill herself?"


I plan to use my sister as the main actress in the opening of the film. I want to show the change that she goes through and how unstable her mind is. I will do this by filming her change into the "assassin" from the school girl and leaving the house to go and claim another victim. I think that i will include a shot where the actress looks right at the camera. By including this, i think it will make the entire scene more powerful. I want to circle around her, to make it look like she is loosing her mind.


PRODUCTION SCHEDULE.
I will shoot this on TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, after college, so the setting is darker.

Codes and Conventions of a Romantic - Comedy.

In Romantic - Comedy films, or "Chick Flicks", they are usually told from the female point of view. They are set in usually a big romatic city, such as London, Paris or New York. Majority of the time, the characters (usually one female and one male) are introduced to us before they meet. They are very "boy meets girl" kind of films.  A rom-com will usually feature someone struggling with love, or the concept of being in a relationship. Alot of the time, they are set around Christmas. Rom-coms usually have voiceovers aswell. The soundtrack for a Rom - Com, is made up of light instrumental pieces, and timeless chart lovesongs. The characters are likeable and funny. The lighting is bright and airy. Alot of Rom-Coms are made by Working Title, this includes films such as, Love Actually and Bridget Jones's Diary.

Codes and Conventions of a Thriller Film.

A Thriller film, can combine alot of genres. You can have horror/thriller, spy/thriller, crime/thriller etc. But mostly the codes and conventions of a Thriller are the same, no matter what kind of genre they are combined with. A thriller usually has a lot of twists, and should surprise the audience, and toy with their mind. They usually have a gloomy feel to them. When music is used it is gloomy and tension building. In thrillers there is usually alot of mirrors and stairs. For example in the film "Black Swan" directed by Darren Aronofsky, mirrors are heavily used to show the mental downfall of the main character. If a killer is involved, a lot of action happens from their POV. A thriller usually includes some flashbacks, or flashforwards. A thriller usually gives the audience something to think about.

Codes and Conventions of a Horror Film

There are lots of examples of horror films for example:

• Psychological  - The Shining
• Religious - The Exorcist
• Gore - Saw
• True Story - The Amityville Horror
• Monster - Dracula
• Disease - 28 Days Later
• Apocalyptic - Dawn of The Dead

They are designed to get the heart racing, and make the watcher feel frightened and panic. People often feel alarmed and dread watching them. They tap into our worst fears, and almost make us live them, by putting us straight into the action. However they keep us hooked with twists and turns, and usually a big unexpected finale. Horrors are recognised by being produced by Hammer Films, which are responsible for films like Dracula, Let Me In and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. The lead character in the film, usually survives/or is the killer, and the killer will often be known for killing his victims in a certain way (i.e masked, particular weapon etc). Some horror's inflict fears with monsters, like zombies and vampires.

Ideas for Film.

Rom-Com
If i make a rom com, i'd like to have English characters, who contrast each other a lot. Id like the female major character to be a free spirit, independent, jobless person, who is interested about getting the most out of life. And i'd like the main character, to be a male, who is uptight, and is only concerned about his job and money. Id like to tell the story from the male's point of view, because it is stereotypical of a rom com to tell the story, from the woman's point of view, The film would start with her running through the city in the morning, without a care in the world. She'd run into the man, and spill his drink everywhere. He'd try to get her number but she'd decline and run off. A voice over would start and we'd learn more about the man, and his unsuccessful encounters with love. The film would be the male pursuing the female, and on their journey together, he learns that money and his job aren't the most important thing to him, but she is.
Film Title - The Pursuit

Thriller
If i make a thriller, i think i would have a female main character. It is stereotypical for a male, to be the lead in a thriller movie, so i'd like to break that convention. I think having a younger character as the main protagonist is also very new, so i've decided on an idea that involves a young girl. She's bullied an taunted at school, for her hair and glasses and people in the city have started going missing.  She's a pushover and she just wishes she was someone else. She is obsessed with the idea of celebrity beauty, and cuts things out of magazines to stick on her wall, She has enough of being pushed around. One day she returns home, crying, after the taunts get worse. She turns into an assassin. Her assassin becomes her alter-ego, and she loses her mind. School girl by day and Assassin by night, she begins to lose her way, and eventually turns her back on everyone she loves, killing several people in the process. It all comes down to her and the boy she likes, does she kill him or not? Or does she self destruct and kill herself?
Film Title - The Assassin

Horror
For a horror film, i'd like to have some kind of mutation, or disease causing a people to turn into killing machines, who are indestructable. I would want the disease to become and epidemic and there be only a few people in the world, who knew how to kill them. As the world reaches and apocalyptic state, they join forces, but not everyone survives, and some succumb to the disease. Will the world ever be safe again?

Zombieland - Directed by Ruben Fleischer.

Zombieland (2009) is an American Zombie-Comedy, starring Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Adventureland), Emma Stone, (Superbad, Easy A) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, My Sisters Keeper), directed by Ruben Fleischer. It is about four misfit American citizens, who end up going on a road trip together, to find a zombie free sanctuary. It is the top grossing zombie film ever made, in the United States.

The beginning begins with what appears to be a normal American flag, at a close up shot. The sound in the background is a distorted version of the American National Anthem, which plays all the way through this short pre-title sequence. A voice over begins, and the camera zooms out and flips around. We are now aware that the flag we were looking at was upside down, on an upturned presidential vehicle. The shot zooms out and we now have a master shot of the White House. This could connotate that literally thanks to this virus their world, has been turned upside down in more than one way. Then the shot zooms out, and zooms out until we have a shot of an apocalyptic world, that is on fire.

We then have a crane shot, of a football field. The camera sweeps in and there is a medium two shot of a zombie chasing after a man. The voice over continues and talks about "rules" to follow in Zombieland, The camera then returns to a crane shot, and the word "Cardio" appears. This kind of rule appearing in, a subtitle kind of way, appears throughout the film when necessary, and is animated by the appropriate thing that is happening in the film. The text is 3D. It makes the film seem game like, and connotates the fact, that surviving in Zombieland, is like a game. As the zombie gets closer, and catches the man, there is a close up of the zombie eating the man.

There is then a master shot of a rainy, American town. You think that this town, might not have been effected by the zombie's yet, but then two cars crash in the shot, disturbing the peace, as the Zombie's come out and begin chasing people. The shot spins round and you see further havoc. There is a long shot, of what seems like a regular police man, until he gets hit by a car, and the shot turns into a medium shot and you can see that the police man is a zombie too. He chases a woman and there is a two shot as she shoots him. As she shoots him, the second rule "Double Tap" appears. There is a close up of the woman's face, to show her upset, at almost being killed. The camera switched round and there is a close up of the zombie, as he awakes and starts eating the woman. The voice over still continues.

Another master shot follows this scene. It is of a bathroom. There is then a low angle shot, of a man sitting on the toilet. The fact that the shot, is a low angle, could show that he is the victim and inferior, to the zombies, or that something bad is going to happen to him. There is a close up of a zombie's face appearing underneath the toilet door. There is a shot reverse shot, and a close up of the man's face as he screams, and the zombie approaches. The master shot we had at the beginning of the scene appears almost the same, but from a different angle, with the zombie's legs poking out from under the toilet door and there is loads of blood. The rule "Beware of Bathrooms" appears.

The setting changes again. We have a medium shot of a woman sitting in her car, frantically crying and trying to start the car. The shot then becomes a master and, it is of a suburb and a childrens party. There is a close up of the woman trying to close the window as quick as she can. Then zombie children appear, banging up the windows, and there is a selection of medium and close up shots.  There is a medium shot of the woman screaming, and the camera zooms into the face of a zombie child. There is then a medium shot of the back of the car, and you can see further zombie children hanging on to the car and the car starts up. The camera swings round to the right, as the woman begins to drive off, and the children stay holding onto the car. The car then, is acptured in a long shot, and the children are still hanging on as the woman builds up speed. They fall off, and there is a close up of the woman's face as she becomes relieved that she has escaped them. She carries on driving, and there is a close up of a toy in the front of the car. The shot zooms out and you can see the woman, not concentrating and looking at the toy, in a medium shot. There is a master shot of some cross roads, and a yellow truck blows its horn, as the woman crashes into the side of the truck, and is catapulted out of the car, through the windscreen. The woman appears to slide toward the camera, and then it flips up into a crane shot of her skidding across the floor, and the rule "Seatbelts" appears as she skids past it. There is a close up of the woman.

The titles begin, the voice over stops, and a eerie rock track begins. The titles are in red, and there are slow motion shots of zombies, and close up, medium and long ranges. They are chasing people and causing havoc. A man breaks through the Zombieland title, with a golf club which could show that the humans are starting to fight back. The titles finish with a zombie falling and smashing a windscreen, which could connotate that the zombies have disturbed the peace.

 all screencaps are from www.screencaps.org

Development of Logo.

My logo for my production company took alot of development. I experimented with alot of different shapes and designs and looked at alot of other production company logo's to draw inspiration for my own.

I noticed that some logos, have animals, or nature references in their logos.



Tristar has a horse in their logo.



 I dew inspiration from that, for the tree in the middle of my logo. Another connatation of the tree would be, that our production company is constantly growing and trying to get to new heights with its film production.

I also noticed that alot of film logo's were either circular in shape, or square. I used this inspiration to make my logo a circle.



Warner Brothers logo is circular in shape.

My logo is a circle with a tree inside, the background of the circle is clouds, used in alot of logo's to connatate that film, have a dream like quality with them, and when you are watching them your head is in the clouds.

The Dreamworks image also features clouds.

I think my logo is a typical film logo. I wanted it to show that my movies would have an escapism element to them, and by including a tree, it would symbolize the growth and development of new ideas and breaking the codes and conventions of film, to make fresh and exciting pictures.

Main and Major Characters of a Thriller Film.

Main Character :-  Emma Stone
Age :-  17/18
Gender:-  Female
Appearence/Costume :- Young, School/College girl, bullied, glasses.
Characteristics:- Quiet,  Withrdrawn at School,  but outside Loud, Bossy and Demanding.
Accent:- English

Main Character :-  Jake Gyllenhaal
Age :-  20
Gender:-  Male
Appearence/Costume :- "Jock" like clothing
Characteristics:- Loud, Cocky, Arrogant.
Accent:- English

Title of Film and Production Company & Synopsis for Main Idea.

When i first began making a film i was making a Rom - Com, but however i had a better idea for a Thriller film, so i went with that instead. My film is going to be about a bullied teenage girl, who finally snaps, and turns into an assasin. She trains with other assasins, falls in love with one, but in the process loses her mind and eventually ends up killing everyone she cares about apart from him. She has to face the decision whether to kill him or finally accept help from someone outside of her "assasin life". Faced with this burden she eventually feels so pressured, she kills him and herself. As a side plot, she also uncovers that her father, who was never around, was also Assasin and trained along side her for a while, but is killed during the film, while trying to assasinate someone.

The title i originally had in mind, was Assasin. But i think that title, has been sen too many times before, so i came up with "The Assasins Daughter" instead. I thought that usually a protagonist in an "thriller/assasin" film is usually male. Recently there has been films released, such as Salt,  breaking the codes and conventions of a typical thriller film and casting women as the lead, instead of the stereotypical male lead, in a thriller film. I have followed suit and casted a female lead, to be the main protagonist. I thought "The Assasins Daughter" would be a good title, as it hints to the side plot, that she may find her father, but also tells the audience that the main character is going to be female, before they have even seen the opening.

My title of my film company, is "Another Level Pictures." I chose Another Level, because i think that films, should be an escape for people, and take people to "another level" of reality. So i chose the name another level, so people know as soon as they see a film endorsed by my film company, they know that they are going to enjoy it and be totally submerged into the film from beginning, to the end.

Rom - Com Main and Major Characters.

Main Character :- Gerard Butler
Age :- 28
Gender:- Male
Appearence/Costume :- Rich, Suits, Stressed Out but Clean Cut.
Characteristics:- Lonely, Tired, Bored of his everyday/office life.
Accent:- English





Main Character :- Blake Lively
Age :- 26
Gender:- Female
Appearence/Costume :- Not alot of money "wellish dressed"

Characteristics:-  Fun, Full of life, Young

Accent:- American

Questionnaire Findings.

1.What’s your favourite genre of film?
This question was mostly answered Rom - Com but Thriller was also voted for alot.

2.Would you prefer the main character to be Male or Female?

Most people answered this male, but there was more people answeing female than i thought.

3.Do you like lots of blood and gore in a film?

People generally answered no to this question, they said that the blood and gore took away from the storyline of most films and distracted their attention.

4.In Rom- Com’s do you prefer there to be actual songs as the music, or would you prefer there to be just music without lyrics?

Most people preferd there to be actual chart music, so people recognised the songs, instead of music without words.

5.Do you prefer to know who the killer is at the beginning or at the end? 

People generally answered this, at the end. They thought that if the killer was inveiled at the beginning the storyline was generally weaker.

6.Do you prefer an unexpected ending?

People answered Yes to this. They said a predictable ending bored them.

7.In a Horror, do you like incidental music to build up the tension?

Majority of the people i asked said Yes, the tension is built up more, and the audience experiences more or an adrenaline rush.

8.What is your favourite film?

There was alot of answers to this, including films like Harry Potter, James Bond, The Sound Of Music and Zombieland.

9.Do you like a prologue?

People were indifferent to this, they don't mind if it adds to a storyline.

10.If there is a flashback, would you prefer it to be in black and white?

People answered that they didnt mind, they just prefered it if they could see, a clear change between a flashback and the present.

 

Thriller Moodboard.

Thriller Mood Board.

I put a picute of, Micheal Myers and Hannibal Lecter on here because they are stereotypical killers of a thriller. I used a picture of someone being stalked because in most thriller films, somebody is stalked or followed. I put a photo of someone breaking in on the mood board, because they often break into houses, especially in quiet unsuspecting suburbs. I put a photo of the film "Black Swan" and "The Strangers" on there because they are thrillers. And the V for Vendetta Mask and the Code, because there is often mystery in a thriller.

Horror Moodboard.

Horror Mood Board

I chose pictures of Dracula and Frankenstein as they are traditional, horror monsters. I put a picture of Damien and 666 on ther because it is stereotypical to have a possesed child, or something influence3d by the devil in them. I put a picture of Jack from the Shining on there, because Stanley Kubrick really broke the mould, when he produced the film version of Stephen King's horror novel. I put a picture of the grim reaper and the scream mask on it because in horror's, the killer is often cloaked and masked. I put a picture of a ghost on there aswell.

180 Degree Rule.

The 180° rule is a guideline in film making that states that two actors of objects can only be filmed from one side, and not cross over the imaginary axis, which would be breaking the 180 degree rule.

It has been used by legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick and Hitchcock.

Rom - Com Mood Board

Rom Com Mood Board.

The picture of the musisc notes is because Rom Com's usually have iconic soundtracks, compiled or mainly chart music. The pictures of the flowers, the romantic dinner,and the wine are all traditional aspects of the Rom Com. I chose pictures of Colin Firth, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Aniston, because in a Rom Com, usually has a love triangle in it, with a male and two different women, usually one from England and one from America. I chose the laughing face because Rom Com's are usually funny. The picture of London and the Train are stereotypical of Rom Coms because a lot of major scenes of a Rom Com are shot on trains or train stations and set in London, because the setting is romantic.