Final Draft
Dear Examiner, here is my final draft for my AS Media Thriller coursework. I hope you have enjoyed observing the progression of the quality of my work from the beginning to the end of this blog. Thank You - Ed Barker.
Friday 10 February 2017
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Evaluation Question Seven
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Below is the link to my YouTube video on question seven of the thriller evaluation.
Below is the link to my YouTube video on question seven of the thriller evaluation.
Evaluation Question Six
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout the planning and creating of our opening sequence for KIN, Csenge and I utilised several forms of technology from software to hardware. Over the duration of the course I have learnt many new skills, each of which have improved my ability in planning, constructing and editing.
Hardware:
Throughout the filming of KIN, we used a Canon 700D, a camera which I had previously no experience in using before the coursework. I was soon able to gain an understanding of how to frame certain shots as well as the influence factors such as lighting can have on shots.
We used the Auto-focus setting on the camera in order to ensure that each of our shots maintained focus on our characters. We also used the zoom on the camera in order to enhance the variety of shot types in the opening sequence, as well as to add effect to certain dialogue or plot details.
The outstanding advantage of using this form of camera was its ability to be used with a tripod. Using a tripod for each shot ensured that none of the footage was spoilt because of shakiness or wobble. Overall, this had a positive effect on our film as it gave the opening sequence a feeling of quality and professionalism.
For our additional dialogue that was later re-recorded, we used a Zoom H5 microphone which, like the camera, was provided to us by our school's media department. Using this microphone allowed for clear, good quality dialogue to be recorded and implemented into Adobe Premiere Pro (our editing software). The microphone was incredibly user-friendly which was useful as I had only had a limited experience of using microphones in the past.
For the transfer and of our footage from the camera to our editing computer, Csenge and I used a standard 16gb SD memory card. We chose to do this as using an SD card provided flexibility in how quickly we could transfer our files, as well as how easily we could move them from location to location. Using a camera with an SD card rather than an internal hard drive also reduced the risk of us damaging or breaking equipment, as we would only need to be concerned with the SD card.
Software:
As mentioned, Csenge and I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit our footage as it is a highly used, user-friendly editing software which we had had experience of using in the past. Premiere Pro provides multiple tracks for the user, meaning multiple layers of sound and footage can be overlayed and individually edited.
Overall, we found Premiere Pro extremely useful for the process of post production and is definitely a software I would use for future projects. Below are the tools I used most frequently within Premiere Pro.
To cut and trim our footage, we frequently used the razor tool as it is incredibly easy to use. The tool allows the user to split footage into two or more smaller clips, each of which can then be individually edited with effects or transitions. Using the tool allowed us to easily split clips, which came in useful when clips would need to be used twice, but with another clip in-between.
We regularly used Premiere Pro's 'quick-use' feature as this allowed us to minimise time spent on selecting different tools.
In order to create the titles for KIN, we used Premiere Pro's built in title creator, which allowed us to create and customise our own titles with a range of fonts, sizes, colours and positions. This tool was incredibly easy to use which overall had a positive effect on our time management, as we were able to focus on more difficult, important tasks.
We also used the video effects and transitions offered by Premiere, as featured in their 'Effects' menu. We mostly used the transitions for the titles within the sequence, making them appear more professional to the viewer. The transition we used the most was the 'Cross Dissolve' as we felt it looked the most engaging and authentic of the Thriller genre.
To export the several drafts of KIN, we used Adobe Media Encoder as it allowed us to easily convert our pieces into suitable formats which we could later upload to YouTube. Encoder is part of our school's Premiere 'package' meaning we did not have to download it separately. This ultimately saved time as we did not have to source alternative software.
To edit the sound in the exchange of dialogue scene, Csenge and I used Adobe Audition (CC). This was because of the heavy wind captured by the camera's internal microphone. Audition allowed us to reduce the audibility of the wind, as well as enhance the dialogue.
Whilst we eventually decided to re-record the dialogue, using Audition still gave me an insight into the process of sound editing, skills I will likely utilise in the future.
Some of my posts within my blog, have been published using Prezi, the online presentation website. Within Prezi, I embedded YouTube clips and images in order to enhance the visuals of my posts. I hope that my use of images and videos will make my Prezi presentations more engaging to the reader.
Emaze is similar to Prezi, however I have used it in order to increase the range of formats show throughout my blog. Like Prezi, I have included images and videos to make my presentations more visually attractive. Emaze itself offers many templates, some of which I used in order to add to the aesthetics of each post.
For other posts, I used Slideshare which I used to convert Microsoft PowerPoint documents into online presentations. Whilst Slideshare offers little editing or customisation, it also served to widen the range of formats I have used.
In order to create this coursework, I used Blogger due to it's user-friendly layout and accessibility. As well as text-only blogs, Blogger allowed me to implement YouTube videos and presentations, many of which I have discussed above. Blogger was also useful as it allowed me to access my work from home, and ultimately anywhere with an internet connection, meaning I was never limited to how much work I could put in.
Throughout the planning and creating of our opening sequence for KIN, Csenge and I utilised several forms of technology from software to hardware. Over the duration of the course I have learnt many new skills, each of which have improved my ability in planning, constructing and editing.
Hardware:
Throughout the filming of KIN, we used a Canon 700D, a camera which I had previously no experience in using before the coursework. I was soon able to gain an understanding of how to frame certain shots as well as the influence factors such as lighting can have on shots.We used the Auto-focus setting on the camera in order to ensure that each of our shots maintained focus on our characters. We also used the zoom on the camera in order to enhance the variety of shot types in the opening sequence, as well as to add effect to certain dialogue or plot details.
 |
| An example of where we used Auto-focus and zoom. |
For our additional dialogue that was later re-recorded, we used a Zoom H5 microphone which, like the camera, was provided to us by our school's media department. Using this microphone allowed for clear, good quality dialogue to be recorded and implemented into Adobe Premiere Pro (our editing software). The microphone was incredibly user-friendly which was useful as I had only had a limited experience of using microphones in the past.
For the transfer and of our footage from the camera to our editing computer, Csenge and I used a standard 16gb SD memory card. We chose to do this as using an SD card provided flexibility in how quickly we could transfer our files, as well as how easily we could move them from location to location. Using a camera with an SD card rather than an internal hard drive also reduced the risk of us damaging or breaking equipment, as we would only need to be concerned with the SD card.Software:
As mentioned, Csenge and I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit our footage as it is a highly used, user-friendly editing software which we had had experience of using in the past. Premiere Pro provides multiple tracks for the user, meaning multiple layers of sound and footage can be overlayed and individually edited.  |
| An example of Premiere Pro before we added our footage. |
To cut and trim our footage, we frequently used the razor tool as it is incredibly easy to use. The tool allows the user to split footage into two or more smaller clips, each of which can then be individually edited with effects or transitions. Using the tool allowed us to easily split clips, which came in useful when clips would need to be used twice, but with another clip in-between.
We regularly used Premiere Pro's 'quick-use' feature as this allowed us to minimise time spent on selecting different tools.
We also used the video effects and transitions offered by Premiere, as featured in their 'Effects' menu. We mostly used the transitions for the titles within the sequence, making them appear more professional to the viewer. The transition we used the most was the 'Cross Dissolve' as we felt it looked the most engaging and authentic of the Thriller genre.
To export the several drafts of KIN, we used Adobe Media Encoder as it allowed us to easily convert our pieces into suitable formats which we could later upload to YouTube. Encoder is part of our school's Premiere 'package' meaning we did not have to download it separately. This ultimately saved time as we did not have to source alternative software.
To edit the sound in the exchange of dialogue scene, Csenge and I used Adobe Audition (CC). This was because of the heavy wind captured by the camera's internal microphone. Audition allowed us to reduce the audibility of the wind, as well as enhance the dialogue.
Whilst we eventually decided to re-record the dialogue, using Audition still gave me an insight into the process of sound editing, skills I will likely utilise in the future.
 |
| Audition in action. |
Some of my posts within my blog, have been published using Prezi, the online presentation website. Within Prezi, I embedded YouTube clips and images in order to enhance the visuals of my posts. I hope that my use of images and videos will make my Prezi presentations more engaging to the reader.
Emaze is similar to Prezi, however I have used it in order to increase the range of formats show throughout my blog. Like Prezi, I have included images and videos to make my presentations more visually attractive. Emaze itself offers many templates, some of which I used in order to add to the aesthetics of each post.
For other posts, I used Slideshare which I used to convert Microsoft PowerPoint documents into online presentations. Whilst Slideshare offers little editing or customisation, it also served to widen the range of formats I have used. In order to create this coursework, I used Blogger due to it's user-friendly layout and accessibility. As well as text-only blogs, Blogger allowed me to implement YouTube videos and presentations, many of which I have discussed above. Blogger was also useful as it allowed me to access my work from home, and ultimately anywhere with an internet connection, meaning I was never limited to how much work I could put in.
Evaluation Question Five
How did you attract/address your audience?
Below is the FlipSnack booklet I created for my response to question five of the evaluation. I have included the embedded presentation as well as the link to the website.
https://www.flipsnack.com/ebarkermedia/evaluation-question-five.html
Below is the FlipSnack booklet I created for my response to question five of the evaluation. I have included the embedded presentation as well as the link to the website.
https://www.flipsnack.com/ebarkermedia/evaluation-question-five.html
Evaluation Question Four
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Gender:
Our opening sequence for KIN covers many thriller conventions. However, I believe the target audience would be very male orientated due to the male-only characters present in the scene. However, more than 56% of our interviewees from our thriller research were female, meaning Csenge and I could potentially market the film to a wider target audience than we initially assumed.
On the right is some additional research conducted by another media student Snehal Khimani who conducted this research in 2011. Whilst being published five years ago, the data mirrors the research Csenge and I completed earlier in the course.
Interestingly, the data shows that 53% of the cinema audience are female, furthering my suggestion that we could promote our film to be more inclusive of various demographics.
These are the results collected by IMDB on the film 'Blow-Up' (1966 - Michelangelo Antonioni), a thriller I analysed earlier in the course. The data shows that the majority of the films reviewers are under 18, and are evenly split between males and females.
This fits in with our target audience as between the ages as of 18 and 29, the males dominated the females in terms of ratings. This therefore shows us that the film is generalised over gender, meaning my initial assumption of thrillers being a male specific genre may have been wrong.
This is the original poster released for Blow-Up, which shows a man atop of a (presumably) dead woman. This poster is highly male dominated as the man seems to have control and power over the woman. I therefore find the gender equality of the reviews surprising given that the film's poster depicts women with little power or dominance.
However, aside from the main image, the poster is actually very gender neutral. This is exemplified by the sans-serif, minimalist font which makes the poster un-specific to its viewer. The colour scheme of the poster is also neutral, as it does not rely on stereotypical colours such as pink or blue. The use of red gives the viewer connotations of danger or violence, potentially acting as a distraction from the derogatory main image.
Age:
With regards to age, the research we conducted also identified that our largest age demographic was the age range of 15-18 year olds. However, unlike gender, I believe that targeting our age group would require less improvement or change, given that we have already included a younger protagonist as the lead role of the film. The main focus of targeting this age group would be ensuring our film was certified with an appropriate BBFC rating, ensuring our target audience are legally able to view KIN. To do this we would need to ensure that our film featured minimal or infrequent drug use, strong violence, sex and discrimination as these are each factors which directly influence a film's classification.
This is the original poster for The Bourne Ultimatum (2007 - Paul Greengrass), a more recent addition to the thriller genre. The data gathered from IMDB below shows that the majority of the film's reviewers were aged over 18, therefore contradicting my film's target age of 15-18. This is interesting as it now allows me to question this film's comparably low reviewers aged under 18. Personally, I believe this is due to the Ultimatum's slower pace of plot, a feature often dismissed by younger viewers as they often desire fast-moving plot and action. Therefore, in order for KIN to be well received by our target age, we would need to utilise our previous research, potentially leading us to conduct a more in-depth analysis of our audience. Whilst my suggestion is not the definitive reason for the film's low amount of younger reviewers, I believe it would serve as an objective for me and Csnege to make the film intriguing, whilst not
compromising its quality of story or plot.
Below is the link to the student who provided the research above as well as the IMDB page for Blow-Up and The Bourne Ultimatum.
Other Demographics:
Through the use of various thriller conventions implemented into our film (see Evaluation Question One), we hope we will also attract a large audience who enjoy thrillers, especially individuals who take a particular interest in British films. As well as this, given the extremely low budget of KIN, we would also aim to target a considerably niche audience market, which, while potentially proving difficulty, may also add individuality to KIN as a whole.
Gender:
Our opening sequence for KIN covers many thriller conventions. However, I believe the target audience would be very male orientated due to the male-only characters present in the scene. However, more than 56% of our interviewees from our thriller research were female, meaning Csenge and I could potentially market the film to a wider target audience than we initially assumed.
 |
| Data sampled from a former Media student. |
Interestingly, the data shows that 53% of the cinema audience are female, furthering my suggestion that we could promote our film to be more inclusive of various demographics.
 |
| Statistics of the film's reviewers on IMDB. |
These are the results collected by IMDB on the film 'Blow-Up' (1966 - Michelangelo Antonioni), a thriller I analysed earlier in the course. The data shows that the majority of the films reviewers are under 18, and are evenly split between males and females.
This fits in with our target audience as between the ages as of 18 and 29, the males dominated the females in terms of ratings. This therefore shows us that the film is generalised over gender, meaning my initial assumption of thrillers being a male specific genre may have been wrong.
This is the original poster released for Blow-Up, which shows a man atop of a (presumably) dead woman. This poster is highly male dominated as the man seems to have control and power over the woman. I therefore find the gender equality of the reviews surprising given that the film's poster depicts women with little power or dominance.However, aside from the main image, the poster is actually very gender neutral. This is exemplified by the sans-serif, minimalist font which makes the poster un-specific to its viewer. The colour scheme of the poster is also neutral, as it does not rely on stereotypical colours such as pink or blue. The use of red gives the viewer connotations of danger or violence, potentially acting as a distraction from the derogatory main image.
Age:
 |
| The various age groups of our respondents. |
This is the original poster for The Bourne Ultimatum (2007 - Paul Greengrass), a more recent addition to the thriller genre. The data gathered from IMDB below shows that the majority of the film's reviewers were aged over 18, therefore contradicting my film's target age of 15-18. This is interesting as it now allows me to question this film's comparably low reviewers aged under 18. Personally, I believe this is due to the Ultimatum's slower pace of plot, a feature often dismissed by younger viewers as they often desire fast-moving plot and action. Therefore, in order for KIN to be well received by our target age, we would need to utilise our previous research, potentially leading us to conduct a more in-depth analysis of our audience. Whilst my suggestion is not the definitive reason for the film's low amount of younger reviewers, I believe it would serve as an objective for me and Csnege to make the film intriguing, whilst not compromising its quality of story or plot.
 |
| Statistics of the film's reviewers on IMDB |
Other Demographics:
Through the use of various thriller conventions implemented into our film (see Evaluation Question One), we hope we will also attract a large audience who enjoy thrillers, especially individuals who take a particular interest in British films. As well as this, given the extremely low budget of KIN, we would also aim to target a considerably niche audience market, which, while potentially proving difficulty, may also add individuality to KIN as a whole.
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