Evaluation Activity 4....

How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and the evaluation stages?

In the research and planning stages I relied mostly on the internet using sites such as; YouTube, for watching and analysing other teaser trailers. Google, for any research and also to collect images. Empire website, to look at other teaser trailers and also film reviews. I used a website called SlideShare to upload a powerpoint to and then in turn upload it to blogger. I have used Windows Powerpoint, Windows Publisher and Windows Word to record work and ideas.

In each of the stages of my production I have used Blogger to record everything I have done, to upload all my work to and also to be marked through.

In the construction stages of my production I have branched out a bit, I have used the video camera and tripod to film the footage. Adobe Premier Elements to upload and edit my footage on. I have again used Blogger to upload all my work to and also YouTube to upload my final video to.

In the evaluation stages I have used Blogger to go back over all my work and to write up all my evaluation. I have used Windows Publisher and Adobe Premier Elements to use screen grabs from my film to evaluate and again Blogger to upload all of this.

Evaluation Activity 3...

I have already put my audience feedback video on my blog and also on video site YouTube although I have not had many electronic comments left. Many people have watched my film and seen my ancillary tasks and really liked it. All the actors who played parts in my teaser trailer said they loved it although from what I had explained they had a different final product in their heads. Many people said it left a lot to the imagination - which is what I was going for - and that it made them want to find out what happens.

The comments I had for my poster was that the style and the design were really good. Some people said that my poster didnt quite match my teaser trailer and from the poster they were expecting something different. Although in a way these are bad comments, having them not similar adds to the enigma of my production.

In what ways does your teaser trailer remind you of other teaser trailers?
My teaser trailer reminds me of other teaser trailers, firstly because of the length. My teaser trailer is less than a minute in length and is very fast paced. This is a key convention of teaser trailers as it does not give too much away but gives the audience an idea of what it may be about. Secondly I have used a mixture of titles and scenes in my teaser trailer, a convention used in many trailers. Through doing this the titles can create questions in the audiences mind, encouraging them to want to watch the full film and also, because I have not used dialogue in my teaser trailer, can give the audience the information they need. The soundtrack I have used has added to the mood and atmosphere of my teaser trailer. I have also at the end included the release date although not the films title and also the producer and actors. By not knowing the name of the film the audience should hopefully look out for more promotional items to find out more information, for example, the poster, more trailers ect.

What do you think are the strengths of your trailer?
I think one of the strengths of my trailer is the way in which I have edited it. I think without the titles I have used in between clips my trailer would not be of as much interest to my audience. The fast pace I have used along with the soundtrack adds to the mood and increases interest. I think another strength of my teaser trailer is the way in which all my clips flow together with the fades I have used.

What do you think are the weaknesses of your trailer?
I think the weaknesses of my trailer are; the amount of footage I filmed. If I were to do it again I would film a lot more footage to give me more choice when it came to editing. I would use a larger range of shot types and plan my filming more efficiently. If I were to edit it again I would also include a production company logo as without it I think my teaser trailer looks rather amateur. I think if I did it again I would also include more action shots as I dont think any of the clips really lets on what the story is about. I would also make my poster more similar to my film so there is no confusion.

Evaluation Activity 2....

Here is a video of some of my audience feedback. The video does not include the links between my teaser trailer and ancillary tasks. Both my promotional poster and magazine front cover feature the main character shown in my trailer. The poster also shows the title of the film and also the release date. It is designed exactly like a real promotional poster featureing the producers and actors and also the production company logo. The magazine front cover is for Empire, advertising a world exclusive, poster, interviews ect. As a real magazine would.

I am pleased with the outcome of the poster as the style of the picture and fonts used fitted exactly with what I wanted. The magazine front cover was more difficult to complete as it was difficult to get a picture suitable for what I wanted without a detailed background. I tried to use a similar style font to other magaznes. I have also included a barcode, price and date as with a real magazine.

Magazine Final Front Cover...

Ok, so here is my fincal front cover design. I have used red and clue for my colour theme and the girl on the frn is my main character in my film and also features on my film promotional poster.

Final Film Poster...

Ok so here is my final film poster. The main picture is of the main character, the picture has nothing to do with the film which is the enigma of the poster. It makes the audience want to go and see the film. The poster includes the title of the film, the release date and the production company and main actors. The colours I have used compliment each other and the font used is modern and easy to read.

Naomi's media Coursework G324

Evaluation Activity One...

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

I have put together a mood board including ten different screengrabs from my teaser trailer, i am going to go through each in turn and write about how typical or not of teaser trailers they are.

Screengrab 1: Midshot of main characters, opening clip of teaser trailer.

This shot opens my teaser trailer, it is the shortest clip in the whole trailer and immediately introduces the two main characters to the audience. The fact that the shot is of two girls posing for a picture suggests to my audience the genre of the film, a chick flick. Hopefully my audience would be able to relate to the non verbal strucure shown through this shot as it is something they would do, and that this would make them want to continue watching and then go on to watch the film. The mise - en - scene of this shot shows two girls, dressed up and the connotations suggest they are at a party, again something my target audience can relate to.

Screengrab 2: Title, second clip of teaser trailer.

"No one said it was going to be easy"

Again another stereotypical convention of a teaser trailer. I have used titles throughout my trailer to assist the clips in telling the story and also to break the shots up and add interest. Many teaser trailers use titles as the clips used to not let the audience know anything about the actual story of the film and also they cause a reaction from the audience and make them think about what is going to happen.

Screengrab 3: Midshot of girl on phone, adds props and costumes, character profile.

In this shot one of the main characters is on the phone, this clip introduces props and also another location, her house. This is typical of a teaser trailer as it is building up the story without giving away too much. Stereotypical props and costumes of modern teenagers are also easy for the audience to relate to.

Screengrab 4: Over the shoulder shot, mid shot, two main characters.

Using this shot I have used a different style of camera angle. Using this angle shows the two characters having a conversation and mixes up the different clips. It allows the audience to see both characters from different angles.

Screengrab 5: Long shot, character getting into the car in the dark.

This shot is the first shot of the trailer shot in the dark. It immediately shows the change in the mood from the happy beginning of the trailer to the darker, miserable ending. Having a car and being able to drive is a benefit that only an older teenager can have so this is also easy for the audience to relate to.

Screengrab 6: Long shot of two characters having a fight, in the dark.

This shot is also shot in the dark and is a long shot showing the two main characters having an argument. I had to use a spotlight to shoot this clip. This shot really relays the change in mood from the beginning and end. This is typical of a teaser trailer as it shows part of an event which happens in the film, without showing what caused it and what the result of it was.

Screengrab 7: Shows the fase between a clip and a title.

"Embarking on a difficult journey"

Screengrab 8: Shows the end credits: Producer and director, actors and camera work.

Screengrab 9: Low angled shot of character on bed in phone. Shows different costumes and different location, her house.

Screengrab 10: Long shot from the side of characters at train station.

Final Teaser Trailer...

This is my final teaser trailer. For some reason after the video has played there is just a blank screen and music :s Please ignore this.

Teaser trailer posters...

After doing some research on the internet about teaser trailer posters I have found a few I liked. I am going to take concepts from each to put together my own teaser trailer posters.

This is the UK trailer for " The Last Song". I like this trailer because the fonts used are modern and work well with the colour schemes used. It is enjoyable to look at and I like the way they have faded the pictures into each other. The colours all work well together and the different sized fonts add interest. Although this poster includes lots of information about the film such as, title, release date, actors, directors ect. my poster will not include as much information although I would like to use a similar font and arrange my pictures in a similar way.

In contrast to The Last Song, this poster contains only one picture. The connotations of this picture are that it is about a guy, who possibly isnt that good looking and a beautiful women and he tries his luck with her. This poster incluse the title, release date and directors, producers ect. Again I really like to fonts used and the different colours add interest. "How can a 10 go for a 5?" supports the connotations of the picture and is possibly a catchphrase from the film.

This poster is slightly different to the others I have chosen as it introduces the audience to all the main characters in one go. Although "The final chapter" is not the title, as it is the fourth film in a series, pragmatically the audience will understand this. A large "S" which the audience can also connect with previous Shrek films take up most of the poster and then the characters smaller at the bottom. The trailer includes the release date, and production companies. I like the pragmatics and connotations involved in this poster although this is not possible for my poster as it is the first film made. This poster is closest to the one I would like to design as it only gives away release date and not the title, director or actors.

Final Edit..

I have finally finished filming and editing my final teaser trailer. I have included many different conventions of teaser trailers. For example, my teaser trailer is 58 seconds long. Many teaser trailers are short in length in order to leave the audience interested and not give away too much about the film.

I have included titles to break up the clips in my film, such as:

And at the end of the film, instead of giving away the title, I have only let my audience know the release date and who is starring in it and directing it:

Film Voiceover..

For my final teaser trailer I have decided not to use dialogue as the titles I have included help tell the story. I have used two different tracks for the soundtrack:

If you seek Amy - Britney Spears

&

I Giorni - Ludovico Einaudi

I have chosen these tracks because they fit well together and also help create the mood and atmosphere I wanted for my film. The recording of I Giorni is a recording of myself playing the piano, I then uploaded it and used it in my film.

Things left to do:

Things that I have left to do:

• Finish filming my teaser trailer.
• Edit my trailer.
• Add a soundtrack to my trailer.
• Upload to youtube and then blogger.
• Gather audience feedback on my trailer.
• Complete the evaluation activities.

Magazine front cover...

This is the front cover for Empire magazine. It is released monthly and contains reviews and information about all new releases and new upcoming films. The cover is packed full of information and interesting to look at. The title and font used is the same each month. It also has a large picture and then subheadings about the articles inside the magazine. As with everyth magazine it has the date, price, website and a barcode. Hopefully when I am finished my magazine front cover will look similar to this.

Here are some more front covers of Empire magazine;

They are both slightly different to the first. The one of the left has just a pictue of the possible two main characters...it does not have a background to the pictures. The second contains two photographs together, the main characters and the clock behind them. Again they contain the main key conventions of a front cover; title, date, price,weibsite, barcode, large picture and subheadings.

Teaser trailer posters...

After looking at some teaser trailer posters I found a few I really liked:

La Casa Muda: (Latin American film, first one to be filmed with a proffesional photo camera and it was filmed in one single 72 minute sequence shot.)

I like this poster because of the polaroid effect it uses. It doesnt give much away, just the title, a slogan and a website. It uses one big picture of who assumingly is the main character and suggests by the slogan "Real fear in real time" that it is a horror movie. This is also suggested by the blood in the picture and her facial expression.

The poloroid pictures used over the top of the main image are similar to the pictures that would be used in a police investigation and add to the mystery behind the films story line.

Filming...

After taking my camera out on a night out with the girls I got some very amusing footage. After uploading it all and looking through it I have found the perfect beginning for my teaser trailer. Two of my characters posing on film while someone else takes a picture. The timing of the flash is perfect and is a great shot to show just before using a title.

Filming...

I have now finished compiling my final idea and put it all onto a storyboard which I will be uploading soon I have started filming. My work is going to be a mixture of handheld camera shots, giving the effect that its being filmed by the characters themselves and also camera work done using the tripod to make it look like official scenes.

Music Ideas....

The music I want to use for my teaser has to have a fast tempo, is upbeat and has a feel good feeling, so ideas I had were:

Glee cast: Halo/Walking on sunshine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X44b9RTtkAs&feature=related

Dizzee Rascal: Dance wiv' me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibLntdLiJA

Take That: Never Forget (the chorus):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NETAkSTzIu8

Jason Mraz: Geek in the pink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYZs42B4hIM

After researching all this music I decided a medly of them all would be bet and that way it adds interest and also shows the compacted time period.

Final Film Ideas....

So my final idea is Mean Girls style, six best friends on the transition between school and uni. Throughout the film they go to leave leavers ball, 18th birthdays, a pyjama party. There is laughter and tears and one of the friends has to leave behind a long term boyfriend.

My teaser trailer will cost of lots of different clips montaged together with a soundtrack and voiceover over parts. It will also include titles through out, the release date and actors names. The plan is for it to be about two minutes long.

I would call my film: The Last Journey

Costumes...

Now I have my actors I can think about my costumes. Because in my film they will be playing characters modelled on themselves costumes are not an issue and they can just wear there ordinary everyday clothes. The only thing I need to remember is continuity and that if its shown in the same shot they must be wearing the same thing.

Actors...

Now I have a vague idea of what I am going to include in my film I have decided on my actors:

I am going to use my group of closest friends to star in my film: Steph, Ellie, Beccy, Nikki and Josie. I have decided to use my friends to star in my film as becuase we are already very close our relationship will come across on camera and there will be no awkwardness between them. They will portray the kind of friendship I want shown in my film and also we are all going through the change from school to uni so it is easy to act it.

Final Ideas....?

So after looking through all my research I have a kind of final idea. I want to include some kind of issue that teenages and young adults are dealing with today so that my target audience can really relate to my film. I was completed stumped for ideas so decided to base it on something which I will be going through soon: the change from secondary school to university. Through that period of time I will be going through lots of changes, for example: the possiblilty of moving away from home, leaving old friends behind and making new friends, being completely independant and possibility of leaving behind relationships. All of these things are things that people will either be going through, are going through, or have been through so they can easily emphasise with my characters.

Going with this idea, I could use a group of my friends as actors to do my filming and can easily just film when I'm out and about and use this as footage. On this note for my teaser trailer I can mix hand held camera shots with shots using the tripod to mix it up a bit and add interest to the trailer.

Juno...

I love the style of this trailer, ignoring the fact that its not a teaser trailer. With the clips between the coloured background with titles and also the voiceover over the montage of shots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuN0Z65sp5c

They have used a feel good track over the voice over and clips and the bright colours also suggest its a light hearted film possibly with a moral message behind it.

I really like the style of this trailer and would like to use something like this in my teaser trailer.