FINAL PRODUCTION!

Media Terminology

In terms of our media production, it conforms to the postmodern genre. The only way that it subverts from the forum code and conventions is through the use of having a clear storyline. Having a clear storyline subverts from postmodernism because postmodernism does not generally follow conventions. The narrative construction of the film is told through a five minute short clip. The construction was conveyed appropriately and it was easy to follow as there is BBC clips. The expectation is that there is a clear genre. The different theories such as gratification principle links in with our film because it talks of personal identity. Our mass audience of youth may struggle to find their identity, so through our production work it can help to regain a sense of belonging. Lost youths can relate to our film as our character is trying to gain and find out who she is, hence the name 'WHO AM I?'. Our audience has a cognitive need of trying to acquire information, knowledge and understanding about who they are from the world around them. In our media production we tried to create a sense of versmilitude so that the audience can relate to our film. This was emphasised through the use of character. the character was a youth so that the audience can see their struggles as well.

Below shows different key words that we have used within our film! They incorporate different terminiologies

Team Work

Kerry and myself worked as a team for 8 months and it has been a very enjoyable experience. At times we did encounter stressful times because our production was pictures only and it took a lot of pictures to take up the five minutes! Kerry and I distributed the tasks fairly between us. It has been a pleasure working with Kerry and we had much fun and learnt lots along the way.!

Time Management

My partner and myself felt as though our time management were reasonable considering the style of film we adopted. Since it was stop motion it made the process of filming, a ten second scene, consume a whole days work! I believe our ancillary tasks reflected our time management skills the best because we was familiar with the softwares used for example Photo Shop. For both of our ancillary tasks we met the deadlines given. But the main production, took longer than expected because we were not experienced with movement photography but we used this to our advantage and increased our media abilities.

Video Diary!

This video explains how I felt our media production went and the troubles encountered: 

Word Board

This is my word cloud that uses different adjectives to describe my production piece!

Changes

Reflecting back on how we went about conducting our product, I would make a few changes. Although we planned out the timing schedule on when we would finish our production by, we did not stick to it as some things took longer than others. So in order to prevent this from happening in the future I would just make the timing deadlines more stringent and more realistic so that we are able to meet them.

If we had more time, we would have put more effects in to make it more post modern and also put different cartoons in there to illustrate struggle. But unfortunately due to time restriction this is not possible. 

I feel as though Kerry and myself worked well within a team and we distributed the tasks fairly! We were always able to stay back after college and finish of editing for example. Having the same vision as your partner is almost rear but we was able to make it possible by negotiating on ideas that came to mind.

Taking everything into consideration, overall, Kerry and I worked well together and there is nothing much we would change except for making it more clearer to the audience, planning our time more realistically and meeting deadlines. It was an enjoyable experience, and I throughly enjoyed learning different things and gaining insight into things I did not know before!

Maslows Hierachy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs are motives of a person that are concerned with meeting certain needs. There are five types of needs they are: physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love needs, self esteem needs and self actualization needs. As each need is satisfied, the person may go up the hierarchy and attempt to satisfy the next need.

The first four needs are deficiency needs, this means that we try to achieve what is essential to live, whilst the fifth need, self actualisation, is a growth need.

In terms of the media production the teenagers has to fulfill their self esteem needs because they need a sense of belonging and acceptance, so they need to be approved and recognized. As our film depicts reality of different pressures within society and keeping up with trends, they must reach the self actualization stage in order to reach their full potential.

This is a humanistic approach and it says that each person is unique and that psychology should focus on subjective feelings and thoughts of the person. It emphasis is on the understanding of the uniqueness of a person rather than formulating laws of behavior.

This clip below depicts how youth are seen in todays society. Reporter Ruth Liptrot shows that youth in todays society are been shown in a bad light, they are being generalised to be 'hoody youths' which is a negative depiction.

Non Diagetic Music

We used non diagetic sound within our media production. The non diagetic sound we used was the soundtrack which was Airplanes by B.O.B and Hayley Williams. This commentary sound is target at youth because the producers targeted this for 16 years old and plus. This is an unconventional music genre because Hayley Williams plays within a band called Paramore and B.O.B is a hip hop star!
 
 

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

This mood board shows some of the different new media technologies I have used in researching, constructing  and planning my five minute production. New media technologies has helped us produce and influence our product in so many different ways. As technology enhances and continues to develop, myself and Kerry are thankful for the way it is today (advanced) because we would not have been able to complete our product in terms of editing, actually taking the pictures and producing the product.


Using Final Cut Pro took a lot of getting used to, and you always find ways of making the product better but it is an ongoing process of learning. As Kerry and myself were unfamiliar with using Final Cut Pro, lots of tutorials were conducted. Initially when we looked at Final Cut Pro we were confused and perplexed because it was so alien to us, there was different settings and boxes that just made us so scared! However learning from professionals within our school that had been using the software for years and also in our spare time looking up on Youtube different tutorials on how to use final cut pro for basics. We had to build up our knowledge and become familiar with it quickly as this is what we will be using for the next few months.


Below is an example of one of the tutorials we used to help us with familiarizing ourself with Final Cut Pro. It took quite a while, getting used to this software but as time passes by you realize that it is a trial and error mistake and you learn form your mistakes. After a few weeks we grasped the notion of how to use the program and it was not that hard after all. If we were not provided with this software the quality of our film would not be of a high standard.

The software final cut pro was on Apple Mac computers at school. Mac computers had so much software on it that if we learnt how to use all softwares the product would be amazing. The extent to which the Mac allows you to explore is so far and it is an advantage.I have used a Mac computer before for things like Safari (Internet) and taking pictures with the integrated web cam but not for something so complex like a short clip! With my product Kerry and myself found ourself using special effects that was hard to do, so Youtube allowed us to find videos!

Last year for AS Media our main source of software was InDesign and photshop because we created a magazine in which we used the same software for our ancillary task. We was familiar with these softwares before so there was no need for tutorials. 

My main source of documentation and keeping track of what I am doing is blogger. It has all my information on it from my research task to my poster, to my final product! This is an interactive way of showing my blog to people and without the internet I would not be able to show such thing. Living in todays society I am blessed and grateful to be with so much technology! There is so much new media technologies within the world and I have not even used half! As time goes by new media technologies are advancing and in the future, life will be about technology!

Using the camera has greatly influenced our product because without the use of camera, our product would not have been able to be conducted. As I used the camera last year I was responsible for taking the pictures of our subject, Kerry and it was throughly enjoyable. We had to learn about different features such as the shutter speed, and ISO. It was an enjoyable experience and overall we took over four thousand pictures!!!!! Overall this product has allowed me to reflect on how important technology is and without things could not be possible. I have a much wider knowledge and understanding on different media technologies and they are forever expending their ideas!!!




We also used Flip cams to get audience feedback. Flip cam was in HD (High Definition). the flip cam was easy to use and easy to upload to the computer because it had a USB in built in it. We also used the Flip Cam to film our story board.

Evaluation Task Three: What have you learnt from your audience feed back?

What have you learnt from your audience feedback? on Prezi

Above is a mind map from Prezi.com and it gives little detail which is explained more below in detail!!


I took different forms of feedback, video and verbal feedback. The most important feedback we received was things such as ' using different types of shots' because without this feedback the product would not be how it is today! and it would not have made as much progress. Also another feedback we received was ' to make our product more clear so that we can understand it'.  Although these are seen to be negative examples, myself and Kerry worked on this and made them into positive criticism to make our product more better. To overcome the problem of using different shot types and angles, we used different angles such as Close Ups and Mid Shots in order to show a variety. Also to make our product more clearer, we used different quotes from sources such as The Guardian and David Gaunlett to emphasis the struggle for identity. My partner and myself did not take these comments negatively but we took it as a constructive way of improving our product. We did improve our product because the positive comments we were hearing was ' It is really GOOD!' and 'Woow!!!'. 


Another way we gained our audience feedback was during class we had to watch each others main product and comment upon it giving ideas and suggestions on how to make our production better. This was filmed by our teacher Miss Gatty and I will need to get hold of the footage in order to make this evaluation task more interesting.

Kerry and I received the same reactions from showing our class the video. Most people understood the genre and understood what it was about and what it was trying to portray although others said to make it clearer although the task was not finished. Most knew that it was a Post modern genre as we had learnt about it in lessons before. The reaction from the class was good, so we knew that we was going the right way about it. People said that it was different because it was a series of different imagery to make a movie and they also said it was imaginative!

I have learnt from my feedback that I received, to make the product more clear. Although when people had seen our product, they gave us feedback and we were able to alter our product to make a few alterations and changes that we would not even have thought about,from the help of our class mates! Audience feedback has helped a vital amount because without that we would not know what sort of things to include or what they would want to see! 


Not only did we receive audience feedback from our main product but we received it for our ancillary product. As we had planned our poster, we had started to produce it on softwares such as Photoshop and Indesign. People had not seen posters like this before and we instantly received positive feedback! However people commented that we needed to make 'Kerry King' more dominant within the poster because thats what sales the film product. Also we needed to say when it was coming out in cinema, so people were aware of when the release date was. 

Evaluation Task Two: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

How effective is the combination of your main

View more presentations from psyckraze.

I believe that the combinition of our main product ( 5 minute film) and the ancillary product is effective in terms of meeting conventional themes and effective in the way that it appeals to its target audience. In creating the main product, it was quite challenging but conducting different research into post modernism and our target audience it allowed us to see what will draw the audience in. The ancillary task had different vibrant colors and was effective because it easily attracted peoples attention therefore showing signs of its effectiveness. The post modern twist with different heads combined within the laptop screen, with somebody elses body proved to be effective because from our feedback from the audience one person said " That appealed to me straight away, it is nothing like what I have seen before...". 

As you can not see one specific person within the laptop screen it makes it very hard to know who the person is and what the product is about. Coming back to the point about not knowing who the person is because you can not see one specific face within the ancillary product, this interlinks with the film title 'Who Am I?'. The person does not know who they are so, the audience can not tell who the person is. This can be effective in a way that the audience reflects and questions whether they know who they are and what they are about. 

The laptop screen makes it effective because different technology such as computers, mobile phones, game consoles etc has had great impact upon our target audience. Youth have become so dependent upon technology that maybe it could be said this is who they are. Different news reports suggest that media is influencing youth especially game consoles. David Buckingham states "conversations about the programme were.. part of a broader process of social interaction... Many of the children took pleasure in imitation and exaggerating the behavior of characters". This suggests that youth who consume the media exaggerate behavior to an extent that is worrying to older generation and to society as a whole. Youth are not meant to initiate the behavior but learn that it is wrong!

The main product deems to be effective because we have had great reaction back from different people saying that the way we have portrayed it is realistic and the creativity of it shows that we have thought about what message we want to portray. Having posted my film on my facebook page, we have mainly had comments that shows our film in a good light. 85% of people said that both products are excellent and would want to see the film but 15% of people said they thought the product was good, however if the film was longer maybe they would consider.

Having looked at both products I believe both are effective and appeal to the target audience. I would have done things differently and made the storyline more clear but it is a learning process and if there is a next time I would know what I would do to make it better!

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

Typically most postmodern films do not have collective convention, in terms of  similarities between them. However it could be said that most postmodern films are abstract and follow an artistic convention in which our media product uses and develops this convention. Our postmodern convention uses an abstract theme because of the stop motion. The stop motion allowed us to convey our message in an abstract way. Following the conventions of post modernism was not hard because we needed to not be cliche, so that our message could appeal well to our target audience. 


To a certain extent my media product does challenge the forums and conventions of a real media product because our product does have meaning to it.Our product has a deeper meaning, whereas a real media product does not as it is an artistic form. A real media product appeals to an older generation, ranging from late teenagers to thirty years plus. The reason for this is because post modernism appeals to that target audience and  they are more mature in understanding the deeper meaning behind the product. Whereas my  media product challenges this as we have targeted a younger audience, because we feel as though times have changed and society has made youth, grow up in a sense that they understand and can comprehend with different things. Although in this sense my media product challenged the conventions, i feel as though it developed it because, maybe post modernism genre can now be targeted to a different niche market. Allowing this to happen, will be very beneficial as post modernism is not a well known genre, like Horror, Sci-Fi or Romance for example. If it is distributed to a more wider market then, post modernism will become more known.


In terms of our mise en scene, this uses the same forms and conventions, as the product can be filmed in any location. The different camera angles and shots used, do not challenge the conventions of a real media product.

Different shots

Within our media production, we had to show different range of shots, to show our skills. We had learnt about different shots in AS for our written exam. Using different camera shots and angles within our production will show that we are familiar with them.


With our production we used mid- shots, medium close ups, close ups and cut ins.


The pictures below will demonstrate the types of shots we used:

This is a mid shot, which will show Kerry in much more detail.

This is a medium close up. It is a cross between close up and mid shot. Showing Kerry's facial expressions more.

This is a close up shot. Where Kerry's  feature takes up most of the screen.

This is a cut-in shot showing a different part of Kerry in detail.

Production of magazine

This picture is abstract in the sense that it is different in its approach in meeting its target audience. For the reason mainly this is why we chose this film magazine as our inspiration! The layout of the picture is different and we believe it will appeal to our target audience.




This is our final product of our magazine review. As you can see it corresponds with our inspiration, however we used black and white to represent that it is clear and evident that youth are struggling to find their identity and the red tear drop is in colour because it shows youth are hurting because their identity is unknown and also that youth are seen as miscreants which is a negative portrayal.


Below are different editions of Little White Lies: 


 
 

Screen Shots

This screen shot shows the process of how we done our poster. The process was not as difficult as expected because we knew the forums and how to function Adobe Indesign and Adobe Photoshop.

Practice

In September my partner in her spare time, conducted her own movement photography. She encountered problems such as showing continuity and keeping the pictures smooth but a tripod could resolve this problem. My partner took over fifty pictures to produce a twenty five second clip of coca cola being poured into a glass cup.

From this we knew that we would have to take loads of pictures if fifty one of her pictures took up twenty five seconds. For Kerry to do this tester, it allowed us both to see problems that we were going to be faced with and it allowed us to find solutions.

Results of Surveys conducted

After going  around the school, and targeting my target audience, it has been shown that people would rather see a mystery / postmodern and neo noir film which is what I will be doing with my production. My target audience is a late teenage/ young adult because they connect with the plot of the film and they will connect to the realness and versmilitude shown in the production.


Below is a pop video targeted to a young niche audience. This caught my attention because this one person changed into different people, possibly showing that they cannot find who they are or going through time to show different styles of music. Our production is trying to portray that one character is trying to find who they are, going through different identities. 

Comparision of AS to A2

During the course from AS to A2 i have definitely learnt alot in terms of new media technologies. I have learnt how to use InDesign to a high standard. Comparing my AS magazine to my A2 magazine, they are totally different because they are two different conventions. However they are both good in there own way.  

Final version of the poster

SMART targets

S
Specific;
We need to finish our two ancilliary products which is the magazine article and the film poster, and also the main production by April.


M
Measurable;
We will do a survey using our target audience such as our peers and people from sixth form.  

A
Achievable;
As a group (Kerry and myself) we will use ideas and techniques which are achievable given the time we have. We need to make the ideas realistic in the time frame we have.

R
Realistic;
Our five minute video can be completed to a high standard and is a realistic target that we have set.

T
Time;
We will make sure that we are very aware of time and try to meet the deadline target. Our final production must be complete by the 15th April 2011 and we must meet this deadline.

Font

The font we will be using is Ransom. Ransom is not a conventional font type and so we believed this would go well with our production work because our film is unconventional and does not follow the norm! This font type 'Ransom' seems abstract and it will go very well with our postmodern production.

Planning of Production

Day	What to do
1	We are going to start filming the first scene of the short production, focusing on the first character.
2	We are going to carry on filming the first scene.
3	We are going to look at the different shots that we composed and see if we are able to improve upon it.
4	We are going to start editing the first scene and adding in different effects.
5	We will see how our first scene looks when it is finally edited
6	We are going to begin, composing our second scene
7	We will carry on filming our second scene
8	We are going to look at the different shots that we composed and see if we are able to improve upon it.
9	We are going to start editing the second scene and adding in different effects
10	We will see how our second scene looks when it is finally edited
11	We are going to begin, composing our third scene
12	We will carry on filming our third scene
13	We are going to look at the different shots that we composed and see if we are able to improve upon it.
14	We are going to start editing the third scene and adding in different effects
15	We will see how our third scene looks when it is finally edited
16	We will carry on editing
17	Start to finish the poster we had started
18	Start planning the film magazine review
19	Continue to finish of the film magazine review
20	Start to produce the film magazine review
21	Continue to produce the film magazine review