Move Along

Our group will be recreating this video, from 0:31 to 1:02 approximately.

The main issue will be the incredibly quick editing, with the main singer staying in the same position, with backgrounds and clothing changing rapidly. To come around this issue, we will film on a green-screen, and import images and videos recorded separately.

Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Media Text

For this task, I will be recreating "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects...

Group
Joshua Wright     - Actor
Amy Black         - Director
Michael Warley  - Editor/Camera
Laura Jenkinson  - Editor/Camera
Wesley Foster    - Producer

Skills Development

Describe and evaluate your skills development over the course of their Foundation Portfolio. The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require you to detail specific production practices  The list of practices is as follows:

• Digital Technology

• Creativity

• Research and Planning

• Post-Production

Digital Technology: For my Foundation Portfolio, I created the front cover, contents page and a double page spread of a music magazine. To do this, I used DTP and an image manipulation/editing software (the software I used was Adobe Photoshop) I had previously used an older version of this software, as well as competing alternatives and freeware. However, as I had only used the software for recreational purposes, I still managed to learn many new techniques which helped me improve and ultimately achieve a successful product.
Adobe Photoshop allowed me to use techniques that gave a near-professional look to my magazine. One main challenge was creating the artist’s shadow and then editing the image to artistically merge with the text and background images and layouts.
To achieve a professional style similar to modern consumer music magazines, I had to make sure that the artist’s shadow was seamless with the background design of the page, by creating the shadow as a separate image and accurately editing it to fit. By designing the shadow as a separate image to the artist (instead of being a result of a Photoshop effect on the image), I was able to edit the new image to fit in with the background and text designs and also to convince potential readers to buy the magazine, by creating the artificial ‘mid-air’ title convention of modern magazines, and to make both the background and the shadow seamless, so I could successfully give a ‘torn’ effect to the page.
Research & Planning, Genre Conventions
For the AS Foundation Portfolio, I had the music magazine brief. My research led me to current magazines, competing magazines in the market (targeting similar genres), as well as magazines covering completely separate topics, but created by the same publishing firm. For contemporary music magazines, I researched magazine publishers online. Using the media “LIIAR” acronym (Language, Institution, Ideology, Audience and Representation), I managed to analyse and deconstruct the magazines to form case studies, and frameworks to base my magazine on.
After researching many magazines, some competing music magazines, and popular magazines covering other topics by the same publishers, I found that I had a profound knowledge of the conventions needed to create a music magazine that would also be successful. I discovered that competing magazines used a mix of images and text, a ‘floating’ masthead and a ‘letter from the editor’ on the contents page, and using these techniques, I included them in my magazine, and began editing the magazine to suit my personal style, giving a unique selling edge to my magazine.
Creativity
Once I had identified the design of contemporary music magazines, I decided to add my own creative individual styles to the magazine. Because I know it was important for my magazine to have my own creative style, I looked into, and expanded, my own music interests. ### I approached this task with an open mind, and I was determined to radically change my first drafts, which were incredibly poor quality and lacked the conventions of commercial music magazines.
I located an actress to model for my magazine, using costume and makeup to create a look for her that suited the genre. The model then stood in positions that reflected the personalities of artists of the genre. Importing these photographs into Adobe Photoshop, I edited the images onto my magazine and then styled the remaining areas of the magazine around the images.
Post Production
During the production, I created many different drafts. These were very poor quality, as I had focused all of my energy on the style and layout of the one draft which ended up as my finished product. The positive feedback I received from my first drafts helped me in the production of my final draft, by giving constructive ideas on how to improve the look of my finished product.
In conclusion, using my knowledge of Digital Technology, Creativity, Research and Planning and Post-Production, built during Media lessons and my own time, along with using the conventions of media texts, I managed to develop my skills in Digital Technology, Creativity, Research and Planning and Post-Production. My skills in these subjects developed due to the amount of time I spent on research, planning the look and layout of my media product, which would lead to a professional feel and appearance. My skills also developed in Adobe Photoshop, as, although I was already fairly competent in using the software, I knew that I could, and therefore did, gain new skills and also improve on the skills I already had. My creativity developed as I had made multiple drafts, and I believe I made sufficient progress from my drafts to my final product.

Questions for Interviews

Questions:

(My film)

What genre do you think my film is?

What do you think the age certificate for my film would be?

Would you watch my film at the cinema? Why?

(Other films)

Do you think this film was successful and why?

Which is your favourite film trailer and why?

Which is your least favourite film trailer and why?

What do you think is the age certificate for this film and why?

Which stylistic (cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, sound) is best for each film trailer and why?

Synopsis of the film trailer

Short Film: "The Project"

Synopsis:

Josh, a young college student works on his A2 coursework, but cannot decide on what sort of film to create. He discusses with other students about their work, but still remains clueless. Then he discovers evidence of gruesome, mysterious murder on the memory card on his camera: the teachers dismiss the video, and pressure him to finish his coursework. Frustrated, he enlists the help of his friends, who then discover more taped murders, and Josh discovers that the latest recordings are recent, and the murderer has turned to students in his very college. Determined more than ever to find the killer, and to reveal the truth about the "nasty 'flu bug going around", Josh hunts down the killer... who seems to think that murdering students will give Josh the perfect idea for his coursework.


In my trailer, I will introduce the protagonist, Josh, the antagonist, the unnamed killer, and the location, Wyke College. I will use college as a main setting, to reflect the narrative structure and the background of the majority of my audience. I will also be filming in peoples' homes, as this will also reflect the background of the audience.

My Brief

A promotional package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with two of the following three options:

• A website homepage for the film;
• A film magazine front cover, featuring the film;
• A poster for the film.

I have chosen the film magazine front cover and the poster, as:

• I have experience of creating magazine front covers from my AS course;
• College has many film magazine resources, which I can use to inspire me when creating my own;
• I have seen dozens of film posters, of a variety of genres, online, as well as inside and outside cinemas. This wide knowledge of existing film poster conventions will help me create my own;
• I have little/no experience creating websites, so the website homepage would be difficult and would not interest me as much as the other two options. 

Summer Summary

Over the summer, I researched my film genres ("horror" and "psychological") by looking up internet articles on films of these genres, watching and rewatching films of these genres and also by watching documentaries about films of the genres.