Evaluation Question - 7

Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?


When we finished completing our film and our preliminary task I have learnt all the hard work that needs to be put in and how deep analysis in the genre helps to create a certain atmosphere. It was hard creating a film with no budget and from having a small budget we were not able to stretch ourselves in to using a wide range of different shots and locations.


From the preliminary task we have also learnt to apply shot reverse shot, which we incorporated into out film. By using a shot reverse shot it helps to reveal the characters more by them having a conversation and the binary opposition between them both are visible. However, we did not have time to change this and therefore this is something that I will definitely use in future reference.  


Looking at the research of this media project, this has been vital in the fact that we have gathered different horror conventions and have analysed the genre by not only looking at the opening sequences of Horror films but also looking at distribution and production companies on IMDb and other different resources. The research has also helped us  gather all the different aspects of the horror genre by looking at mise-en-scene, sound, editing, and different camera shots that are used to make our film opening the best it can be. It has allowed us to gain a wider understanding of the genre and also has helped us to challenge the conventions of this genre also.


In the prelim, we made up the story spontaneously and had no planning or rough outlines, camera shots, or dialogue. With our piece, creating a storyboard shows how much it can make a difference to the film. Throughout filming, we kept referring back to the story board to see which shot came next which provided a much smoother process rather than spontaneously coming up with new scenes or camera shots which weren't as effective. Also, we also changed the story board a number of times which helped us to adapt and improve the story and we were able to look back at the number of shots/scene's we changed which led up to the finished product.


Pitching aloud me to create a persuasive storyline of my original idea which helped me to understand just how nerve wracking the real film world is. It showed me that in order to make it as a film distributor you have to provide new ideas and fresh outlooks in order to gain the support of fellow colleges.


When we had to cast our actors/actresses we knew specifically what we wanted. A busty blonde to represent the Scream Queen, a female killer who was tall with short brown hair, and a male who was tall and muscular. However, I have learnt that you will not always fill the specific category. It was hard for us to find the Killer as firstly we were going to have a 3o year old woman play the killer but she was too busy to film. Also we had to alternate actresses as Collette was not free when we had to do re-shoots so Sophie had to take her place instead but her face was not aloud to be shown. In the end we picked Katie to be the killer as she was the closest fit to our perfect killer. 


In our film, we had to consider the mise-en-scene much more than we did in our prelim. This was because we were trying to connote different stereotypes of the male and female gender to costume was vital. Also, with our prelim location, it was easier because we filmed it in school whereas it was hard to find a location (beauty salon)  to shoot in. This also made it hard for us to do sample shoots and therefore we never provided any. At first it took us a while to finally get our location and we narrowed it down to two beauty parlors in Ilkley. When neither of them replied we were strongly considering shooting in a house. The Ilkley beauty parlor, Angels Retreat, finally got back to us and the woman said we could shoot. On the other hand she also said we could only shoot on Tuesday which restricted us a great deal seeing as we had to do re-shoots. 


We provided a number of rough cuts in which we received audience feedback from. This was different seeing as in the Prelim we made one copy and did not get any audience feedback. Having audience feedback on the rough cuts helped a great deal as we saw the parts in which they were confused, different shots that could be used and which parts of the story board to alter. 


With the soundtrack of the prelim, we used a site to download sound and insert it into the prelim, whereas in creating our film we had to compose our own soundtracks. This was because we could not commit fraud, but I also am glad we had the chance to create our own because we knew exactly what we wanted and  Garage Band helped us obtain the sound we wanted to fit the genre. 

Creating our company idents was a new experience seeing as we did not have to create any for our prelim. We were given the chance do do something fresh and creative which was a good representative of our production and distribution company. It took a while to get the idents finished as we were mainly focusing on editing the actual film but after they were both finally finished I was pleased with the outcome. Using the Live Type software was hard to use at first but it helped to make a great finishing product.


In our film, we tried to use a wide range of shots which in some cases were symbolic. We had to think carefully which shot needed to go where and whether we were using fast paced editing or slow paced editing considering which parts were the tensest or which parts calmed the audience. One of our main problems considering shots, was keeping the camera steady. We tried to use a tripod in as many ways possible but when it came to point of view or low angle shots we had to keep our hands as steady as possible. 


Working in a group was challenging as we all had to contribute and had to make commitment to be there for re-shoots as we were assigned three different roles. Mel was the Cinematographer, Sophie was the Director and I was the Producer. It was hard at times to schedule a day when we were all free but it ended up working well. Working in a group really challenged and stretched me as I had to not only take responsibility for myself but also responsibility for the others in my group and we all had to respect one another and others inputs.