Construction and Evaluation

Construction

In the opening sequence there were many processes involved, after the initial planning we then had to shoot the film. First we filmed at Elliot’s house but this was unsuitable because the bedroom was too small to fit the camera turning in and the bathroom was the wrong shape to film the other character’s reflection in the mirror. We therefore had to use extra time finding a new location which was the medical room in the boarding house at school; this had a large room with a bed and a slight corridor into a bathroom. The light issues fitted for us filming in winter because we needed it to be dark outside but not fully pitch black, however because the light in the room did not work we had to compromise with two lamps that however added to the shadow effect we aimed for.
For the shooting process we tried to follow our storyboard as much as possible, however this was not always as easy as we aimed for, such as the fact we could not get hold of white contact lenses so instead we used a colour matte of white, with a lumour key over the top that dipped the screen to white that gave the actresses eyes the effect of turning bright white. We also changed the idea of the actor walking past the door and instead had him standing behind the girl because we could film this in the mirror reflection to get her point of view. We tried to include many different camera angles and shots to add variation so that the sequence did not always look similar. Therefore instead of just having the actress walk across the room to the door, we filmed her standing up and walking to the camera, followed by filming her shadow moving across the room, then finally filming her feet as she approached the door. This added variation to a simple action and kept the audience entertained.
We edited the filming on Adobe Premiere Pro, this is software that is installed and lets you upload your filming, then edit it and add effects. The process took a very long time because not only did we have to cut the individual shots, we had to edit the sound to fit in and include the titles. The titles we used were generally placed directly in the shot but did not obstruct any action and all the opening titles were used to break up the length of the long opening first shot. The editing took from the 4th to the 11th of January, however even after that we kept making small adjustments. We did try to use special effects such as the colour matte but we also used standard cross fade to get smooth transitions between shots and we once used a zoom and blur to mystify when the actress’s eyes bleed and she looks further into the mirror.
In the filming process we did use ideas that our research questionnaire had given us results from, we therefore showed all of the credits before the action, except for the title which showed at the end of the sequence, as the audience preferred. Most of our target audience preferred a music track so we choose one that fitted with the action but also let the action sound play on top so you could hear both easily. This helped us create an opening that appealed and was suitable for the audience we aimed to target; this helped us produce a sequence that the audience expected.


Evaluation

We constructed an evaluation questionnaire to gain our target audience’s opinions of the opening sequence, this helped us realise what we had done well and what maybe could have been improved if we had of had more time. 75 percent of the audience enjoyed our opening sequence proving that the aspects included work well, for example the music track. Nearly everyone understood the storyline and thought if it was a whole movie they would watch it. This shows that we took view of what the audience wanted.. We attracted our target audience by researching existing movies such as Donnie Darko which inspired us. We also researched the 15 certificate guidelines on BBFC to see how we could create acceptable work to aim at the audience. To aim to the young adults target audience we used young actors in our filming, this made the movie more realistic and the audience could relate to the actors instead of watching a different age range.
In the making of the movie opening there were many good factors that helped us produce the film to a high standard and improve our abilities. These included learning how to use special effects to add tension and depth to the filming and to learn new editing skills that helped us make the shots run smoothly and not just look like basic cuts. We used teamwork to include all of our different abilities and this helped us build up the skill level to achieve a high quality finish and include all the extra factors someone can do, that someone could not. In the whole project we ensured that every member of the group had equal responsibilities so that we all had chance to work on each aspect.
Bad points also occurred in the production process, because working in a group meant relying on other people that can sometimes let the group down, such as not being able to film because of other engagements and missing lessons. There was also issues with time because it was very limited and we were under pressure to work with the schedule to complete the project on time, luckily we managed this well.
As with every project there are always areas you could improve on, such as the cuts in the edit, I would have preferred a smoother transition and this could have been achieved if we had extra footage to cut with room left over for a longer transitional effect. I would also have preferred a different location that looked more realistic as a girl’s bedroom, however the look of the room added to the eeriness effect.
Due to the opening not being a full movie it would only be suitable firstly to be shown as a short clip to the audience, however this is very appealing on sites including YouTube because it attracts viewers who choose what they would like to see. If the film opening had the chance to be produced into a full movie, it would be on the Film Distributors Association to be sold to companies that produce the film.
Overall I was very satisfied with the film opening, working as part of a group helped us all reach a higher potential because we would not have had time to complete all of the work individually. We kept on task and followed our storyboard to produce a film opening that appealed to our target audience and fitted the genre of a thriller. We kept the audience in mind and took note of what they wanted a thriller to include.. All of the processes went smoothly with only slight problems that were easily rectified and this all added to the production process. From the preliminary task to constructing this film I have learnt more about the resources I used and how to effectively construction a piece that fits the task ideally without mistakes. I have learnt more about the Apple Macs and how to use the camera and Adobe Premiere Pro to put together my piece, overall this helped me finish the production.