1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Narrative organisation and the short film format
In our film we have used a linear narrative as our film was set over the period of a day, as the main target for our film was to build up anticipation as to what was in the package it was important to keep the film in order, we didn't want to confuse the audience. The first shot was MR Y (myself) sending an email to MR X (James) telling him not to be late to the meet up, then commenced the journey up to the downs, the transaction and finally the ending where we end up away from the downs at a mysterious house to see the outcome of the package.
In our film we have used a linear narrative as our film was set over the period of a day, as the main target for our film was to build up anticipation as to what was in the package it was important to keep the film in order, we didn't want to confuse the audience. The first shot was MR Y (myself) sending an email to MR X (James) telling him not to be late to the meet up, then commenced the journey up to the downs, the transaction and finally the ending where we end up away from the downs at a mysterious house to see the outcome of the package.
Our film sort of adopted a restrictive narrative also, as the audience knew no more than the characters who themselves were very discreet. There was nothing given away by MR Y as all we see is an email saying a time and a place to meet, and then the transaction take place. No back story no nothing. Huge amounts of enigma is created through the package, no one knows what it contains... is it evil?
Characterisation
Camerawork
Varied techniques of camerawork are essential throughout any type of film as they can be used to portray a vast array of characteristics. For example, the use of high angles can be used to make a character look smaller and therefore more insignificant and opposite to that a low angle can be used to make a character seem big and therefore more important or dominating so a scene. Camerawork is a great source of empathy, making the audience feel the emotions of a character is very important.
In our short film we didn't really want to give away too much about the character, the shots that we used to portray how they felt were scarce. We did use a lot of long-shots which enabled us to portray the feeling of being alone, as can be seen from shot 5 & 6 in my 9 picture frame. We wanted to create as much enigma around the characters as possible so nothing could be given away about the intentions of the package.
Varied techniques of camerawork are essential throughout any type of film as they can be used to portray a vast array of characteristics. For example, the use of high angles can be used to make a character look smaller and therefore more insignificant and opposite to that a low angle can be used to make a character seem big and therefore more important or dominating so a scene. Camerawork is a great source of empathy, making the audience feel the emotions of a character is very important.
In our short film we didn't really want to give away too much about the character, the shots that we used to portray how they felt were scarce. We did use a lot of long-shots which enabled us to portray the feeling of being alone, as can be seen from shot 5 & 6 in my 9 picture frame. We wanted to create as much enigma around the characters as possible so nothing could be given away about the intentions of the package.
Sound
Throughout my course on studying short films I have seen a recurring trend in the use of sound throughout short films. There is normally very little amounts of dialogue between characters, I feel this is because short films do not have enough time to develop characters, so bringing in dialogue can take up too much time and often give away too much or just make the film boring.
Our film has conformed to these conventions as in the whole short film there are only two cases of verbal interaction, the first being a line spoken from MR Y in which he greets MR X by saying hello, and then there is a small conversation at the end of the film in which we see what the true intentions for the package really are. I feel that the use of non-diegetic music throughout the film helps reinforce the feeling of remoteness and the fact that no one, apart from the two people who are obviously very isolated have no idea what's in the package and what it's going to be used for, this creates tension and enigma which is good as it keeps viewers interested and wanting to see the film to the end.
We also used non-diegetic music to create a feel of urgency, as when the text gets sent and it switches over to a GoPro shot on the back of James' bike and the non-diegetic music is really upbeat and sounds dangerous, making the viewer think that something dangerous is about to happen.
Mise en Scene
Throughout my course on studying short films I have seen a recurring trend in the use of sound throughout short films. There is normally very little amounts of dialogue between characters, I feel this is because short films do not have enough time to develop characters, so bringing in dialogue can take up too much time and often give away too much or just make the film boring.
Our film has conformed to these conventions as in the whole short film there are only two cases of verbal interaction, the first being a line spoken from MR Y in which he greets MR X by saying hello, and then there is a small conversation at the end of the film in which we see what the true intentions for the package really are. I feel that the use of non-diegetic music throughout the film helps reinforce the feeling of remoteness and the fact that no one, apart from the two people who are obviously very isolated have no idea what's in the package and what it's going to be used for, this creates tension and enigma which is good as it keeps viewers interested and wanting to see the film to the end.
We also used non-diegetic music to create a feel of urgency, as when the text gets sent and it switches over to a GoPro shot on the back of James' bike and the non-diegetic music is really upbeat and sounds dangerous, making the viewer think that something dangerous is about to happen.
Mise en Scene
Mise en scene is always important in any film as it brings the whole thing together, there are many aspects of mise en scene, some more important than others but they all help in achieving a realistic effect for any short film.
- Lighting - we only used one piece of man made lighting in the entire film, this was because the majority was shot outside in the day so natural light was sufficient. We used the man made light in the first scene which can be seen in image 1 of my 9 photo reel, this was because the room was very dark and we wanted my face to be clearly seen.
- Colour - the colour of the film was overall fairly gloomy, in the first scene it was fairly dark only with the characters face lit up and then throughout it was a miserable day so there wasn't much need to change this as it was already giving the desired effects. In post production we used the 3-way colour corrector to enhance the greens to make it look more professional and also give it a more glum look.
- Costume - the costumes worn by both characters were picked to make the audience feel like they were hiding something. My character had a big parka jacket on in which he was hiding the package, long jackets are usually associated with people being suspect. James' character's costume also was used to hide him, he had a full black leather bike suit on and he kept the helmet on, this kept him hidden and gave his character a furtive feel.
- Settings - we set our film on top of the isolated downs, this further emphasised the feel of loneliness and unknowing and it enables us through the use of long-shots to make the character look really small and alone.
- Props - the main prop used in our film was the package, a very small insignificant little package that makes the film what it is. On it's on it's not important but because it has been built up so big throughout the film the viewers get more and more interested in what's inside it. It plays a huge role throughout the film.
- Positioning - we positioned the two characters in the film to make them equal. We didn't want either one to have more power than the other as that may give off other ideas about what the package is for. We did this by filming the scene in which they meet from the side and at eye level so not one of them looked bigger or got more of the screen than the other.
Use of genre convention
It is very hard for us to determine a genre for our film as it has aspects of quite a few genres, this is also apparent in other short films I have looked at, for example 'Black Hole' doesn't really have a genre, it could be viewed as a comedy because to the viewer it is quite funny, but also could be seen as a tragedy as he becomes overwhelmed by greed and gets trapped inside a safe. Because short films are around 5 minutes in length it is very hard to develop them into a proper genre. Steve Neal says that 'Genres are instances of repetition and difference' - this further backs up the fact that it's hard to give a genre to a short film, they are all unique and have different twists which makes it hard to see similar patterns from one film to another.
It is very hard for us to determine a genre for our film as it has aspects of quite a few genres, this is also apparent in other short films I have looked at, for example 'Black Hole' doesn't really have a genre, it could be viewed as a comedy because to the viewer it is quite funny, but also could be seen as a tragedy as he becomes overwhelmed by greed and gets trapped inside a safe. Because short films are around 5 minutes in length it is very hard to develop them into a proper genre. Steve Neal says that 'Genres are instances of repetition and difference' - this further backs up the fact that it's hard to give a genre to a short film, they are all unique and have different twists which makes it hard to see similar patterns from one film to another.
Themes and issues
No themes and issues are directly raised in our film, only ones that can be suspected by the viewer. For example, as the transaction of the package looks very shady it could be easily misinterpreted for a weapon or drugs, this is what we were going for, to throw the viewer off with the possible contents being something dangerous. The package was well hidden and can only be seen for a few seconds which makes it even more suspect, adding the location and attire of the characters and you have a very suspect situation.
No themes and issues are directly raised in our film, only ones that can be suspected by the viewer. For example, as the transaction of the package looks very shady it could be easily misinterpreted for a weapon or drugs, this is what we were going for, to throw the viewer off with the possible contents being something dangerous. The package was well hidden and can only be seen for a few seconds which makes it even more suspect, adding the location and attire of the characters and you have a very suspect situation.
Editing/post production
Not many of the short films I have studied have too much visual effects evident, apart from 'Black Hole' where obviously the post production was very important as the effect of being able to purge yourself through a black hole on a piece of paper is not easily achievable in real life. This would have taken a lot of preparation to get ready for as creating effects like that is not easily done.
Our film went through heavy post production and editing as we took multiple shots for each scene so we had to go through and chose the best candidate for each shot and then digitally stitch them together using Final Cut Pro, this was a very time consuming task but worth it in the end as we get the best possible outcome.
Not many of the short films I have studied have too much visual effects evident, apart from 'Black Hole' where obviously the post production was very important as the effect of being able to purge yourself through a black hole on a piece of paper is not easily achievable in real life. This would have taken a lot of preparation to get ready for as creating effects like that is not easily done.
Our film went through heavy post production and editing as we took multiple shots for each scene so we had to go through and chose the best candidate for each shot and then digitally stitch them together using Final Cut Pro, this was a very time consuming task but worth it in the end as we get the best possible outcome.
Conventions of film posters:
Here is our final poster;
- Title - the title is the largest piece of text on the whole poster, it is made to stand out most so people will recognise the film name and remember it. It is made to stand out through usually being larger then all the rest of the text on the page, a colour that stands out against the background image and other font colours and the positioning. As can be seen on our poster, the image is black and white apart from the red writing on the gloves, the colour of the title is also the same colour as the writing on the gloves. This poster gives off a very antagonistic feel as red as a colour shouts danger, and using it on a black and white picture further emphasises the feel of something bad happening. The titles font is a serif font which means that it has the sharp edges, I feel that this is a more professional looking font and looks more dangerous than a sans - serif font.
- Image of main characters - on the majority of film posters the main characters are always involved in some way or another, whether it be them directly, something they own or a place of significance. Showing the star of a film is also used as a major selling point, for example if a poster had Johnny Depp on the front of it people would be more interested then if it were to have Peter Kay. On our poster we have gone for taking a picture of James Ely who plays Mr X, the mystery man who picks up the package. In the film he is a very secretive character who gives nothing away and I feel that this poster further backs up the furtive feel about him.
- Ratings - ratings are also very important to a film's poster in respect to the selling point of a film, no one is going to want to watch a movie that has terrible reviews on it, and if the poster is plastered in legitimate 5 star reviews it is going to be a lot more appealing to a passer-by then a film poster that has two or three 3 star reviews that say "Nice try but nothing special". Ratings come from well known newspapers and magazines, and for our poster we used a rating from Little White Lies, a magazine that specialises in short films, it will be sure to grab the eye of avid short film fans.
- Awards - another important selling point for a film, if a poster contains logos of highly respects awards the film is going to be a lot more interesting to someone who is having a quick look at the poster.
Conventions of a film poster:
1 - This is the title of the whole firm, Star Trek - it is what's made largest so people passing by will see it and be familiarised with Star Trek and then they will take interest. Not surprisingly, the font is is very closely related to the theme of the film.
2 - This is the subset title of the film - Star Trek: The Future Beings, once the viewer gets a closer look they will see this and become more enticed.
3 - This is the credit block, standard for almost all movie posters, we did of course include one in our poster. This includes the actors and directors names.
4 - All the names of the companies who have funded/help make the film.
5 - Where you can view in cinema, IMAX is appealing.
6 - The main image of the poster, looks nice, entices the viewer and relates well to the films franchise.
The Review
For the review we were set the task of replicating an article from the popular magazine Little White Lies, we had to construct it to as near a perfect match as we could. In order to do this, we looked at a variety of different reviews from them and analysed them accordingly. We found that they all had a picture up the top, followed by the Title of the film, and then the subset contained the Directors name, Starring and the release date. After this contained the three columns that held the reviews which were normally done in 5/6/7 paragraphs and around 550 words, these were then followed by 3 ratings on Anticipation, Enjoyment and In Retrospect.
Here are some Little White Lies Reviews, followed by our own.
This is our review:
Transaction, directed by HARISA CARJAM is a short film dedicated to uncertainty. Harrison Blake appears in his second short film in the role of a furtive character, who establishes the initial plot. James Ely bags his role, in his debut, as the secretive focus of our attention who we follow throughout.
As the film opens with gripping music, the audience is instantaneously aware that suspense is key to the plot. The film uses a number of techniques which mask the development of the story. Cunningly crafted with a simple yet effective plot, restricted narrative in the form of red-herrings leads the audience astray and creates enigma. Spanning only a day, this short film is not lacking action and the intelligent use of the GoPro Hero 2 gives the audience an alternative perspective.
No surname, backstory, or real identification of who these characters are, leaves the audience feeling perplexed but wanting to know more. The films assertion that the package is on a dubious journey right up until the end, leaves the audience feeling confident that they know how it will turn out. Some may have a hunch the plot might twist, and rightfully so. The perfectly co-ordinated meet-up, the suspenseful journey up to the secluded downs, the non-committal verbal exchange and one character’s haste to leave with the package suggest it might be an illegal object. As Mr X hastily exits on his motorbike, it carries forward this idea. It becomes obvious there is a plot twist when a girl, identified as his sister greets him happily at the door. This anticipation is worth waiting for.
Cinematography throughout this piece are high-quality and extremely imaginative. Shots on the isolated Downs are beautifully crafted and give a sense of the lonely environment in which this mysterious transaction takes place. A variety of different angles gives us a sense of the power balance between the characters. The colour correction used throughout gives the film an alternative aesthetic which reinforces the feeling of ambiguity. Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound plays a vital role in transfixing the viewer in to a state of suspense. The surging crescendo in the emotive music contributes to the tension during Mr X’s motorbike journey up to assignation point.
Blake and Ely are both robust actors that help give the short film a more professional feel, yet given it’s Ely’s first film it is a shame that we don’t see more of his talent . The lack of dialogue throughout emphasises the indefinite ending, but at parts is not enough. The archetypal costumes worn by Mr X and Mr Y, suggest villainous character traits, and further develop the theme of uncertainty. The black leathers Mr X wears give the illusion he is secretive and poses the question that there may be trouble ahead. However by the time we reach the end we feel slightly frustrated that there isn’t more of a progression within the story.
2. How effective is the combination of your main product and your ancillary tasks?
3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Here is it also shown in a prezi so you can drag through it.
4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction, and research, planning and evaluation stages?
