this is the construction & evaluation of my AS Media studies
Construction
After we had finished the planning we then went ahead to start on the task immediately. For starters, during the class we had to take the Panasonic GS500 DV camera and tripod out in the open and started to film around Market Rasen, in the car we were using and also at various houses as well.
On other times we took the digital still camera as well to take some pictures during the filming we did to help us with any costume continuity issues. During the work we encountered some problems when we continued our coursework, like when we filmed a piece for the day and when we uploaded it to the iMac computer and transferred to Adobe Premiere, we noticed some problems on our piece which at times we encountered. These included unnecessary things we don’t need and some we needed help from the supervisor to re-edit, like the sound of the filming we made was out of synchronisation and turned out to be outstanding.
On the planning we did, we made some changes to our storyboard. The reasons for those changes were the filming took place in the day and the equipment and props we were supposed to use weren’t possible to collect or couldn’t find on time for our coursework. The changes we made include: instead of being a party, it was someone going to school in the morning and instead of him walking past someone, he continues on his way to school.
During the time we were editing our piece, we added black, bold writing for the cast and at the end of the piece we drew some tyre marks in Adobe Photoshop and we made a gradient wipe effect to occur like the tyre marks made by cars on the road. Also we used a lot of transitional effects on our piece like the cross dissolve and the dip to black effects, not only that we added a heart beat sound effect which made it really effective on the ran over of the boy. Also we had this really good news report which was burned to a DVD where we got an actor to play the police officer and what he had to do is to just say what happen and show the boy’s shoe to show evidence. It took us four takes to make it perfect and also we had to make the news headlines. To make it stand out more realistic with the help of the titling in Adobe Premiere we used the idea of the BBC news headlines.
The research I made during the task made our work really useful, for instance the car bit where we recorded was based on the idea I used with the police car chase, also the news report sequence was from the BBC news which was from the internet. The film was rated 15 because it had a bit of violence, also it had a bit of swearing in it and it obviously was a police thriller so there was no way it could be rated anything lower than a 15.
Evaluation
During our preliminary task, we learnt a lot from this experience that would help us in future when we’re going to do the same kind of task in A2. For instance, I learn how to show coordination amongst others and how to handle a camera properly. Also, technical wise, when we were finalising our piece, I learnt that I should not always be selfish and that I should let others have a chance as well.
Then when it was the time to give the audience a chance to look at the task, during different times we had to go and attract the audience ourselves by addressing them to look at the preliminary task we made which went well. When it was the time to view the task, we then made an evaluation questionnaire which was then handed out to the audience and on that period we addressed them what our preliminary task will be all about.
Also the things I learnt from this task were mostly the camera technology in which I used for handling the Panasonic NV GS500 mini DV camera, not only that, I also got the capability of using the Adobe Premiere program on the iMac Computer using the IT knowledge I have.
There were two kinds of media institutions we used for our product: the first one was the web 2.0 kind and an example which is mostly common is youtube. That kind of media is made up of user generated content – which is more likely. The second is a full feature film would use the FDA (Film Distribution Association) in which in 2008 distributed 98% of films to UK cinemas.
The audience for our task is a 15 audience and according to BBFC guidelines it was violent and contained strong language, in which the characters are young and enables the audience to identify.
The BBFC rating would be 15 because it contains the following:
There may be frequent use of strong language. But the strongest terms will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
We used the forms and conventions of a thriller opening, which gave us the title of our opening to be Dead End, and it takes place in a housing estate, and the plotline is about a boy getting run over by a car and the people get in trouble for it. This piece can make the audience interesting and may attract more for further notice.
