deciet

Your mark

Hi Eddie,

I have been spending time going right back through your blog to check that you have completed all posts for Ressearch & Planning sections and that you are on target to reach your predicted grade. I can see that since the last time I checked, you have invested lots more time and effort to compelte the posts that were missing, and to make sure posts are visual. This is good to see and needs to continue. Remember, each hour of lesson time in A Level means that you should do another hours worth of work at home.

You were quite distracted on Friday and I felt that you were wasting time in part of the lesson with Shehabur. Your group needed you there working with them to edit the film Eddie. As your teachers, we are watcing and making note all the time about the levels of contributions EACH group member is making to the editing of their opening sequence. We have to do this, as obviously, this is whtat the exam board wants us to do. We have to be able to say that EVERY member of the group was actively involved in editing. We should not be seeing you roaming around the room talking to other group members. You should be sat down with Emma, Jade and Tom and thinking very carefully about how you can hit the mark scheme and edit a really professional looking film that will hit the mark scheme. If we see that group members have not made an equal contribution to the editing process, we have to mark accordingly. Basically, the members of the group that do all the editing, will obviously get the higher grades for the final film. Please keep this advice in mind Eddie in your lessons.

Here is your current mark for the blog (Research & Planning)

Current mark: 13/20
Level: 3
Grade: C

To improve:

Please go back through every post and thoroughly check all spelling, use of capital, punctuation, etc. Some writtin posts seems rushed. There are currently too many errors in your use of basic capital letters, spelling, even getting the correct name for movie titles (Double Indemnity). In A Level, it's got to be spot on. This is also part of the marking criteria and an easy aspect of your blog to improve and increase your grade.

Check that all posts have the correct lables (don't make up your own). Use the checklist we gave you to make sure all posts have the label we want.

Research - your 'Locations' posts has pics, but needs explanation
Wallander - still no contact sheet

Planning:
Shot list - use the correct school template I email to you about 3 weeks ago.

SJA

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

comparison

here i have my preliminary task and the film that i have recently composed. As you can see there is a big difference between the two in both quality and quantity of the film. through the process of are first task to now we have learnt more camera shots and styles we can use such as how to use track shot effectively, and also we learnt how to compose shots together in I Movie.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt many things form constructing my film opening, especially on the technology side of it.

first: I movie

i movie was a main part of the technology side of creating my film opening.

first of all you have to learn how to import you film into I Movie, this is a quick and effective process as when you have imported it you can select form clips what ones you want in your film and then you use a variety of tools to create effects and to make our film opening look professional.

second:Importing music and effects.

The sound and editing in the film was an important part of making

the film effective. for the sound we had to use sound that was not already a sound or used in another film we had to use un-labled music. first you had to learn how to download a sound clip or song. then you would have to use different sills to import music in too the I Movie and position it to where it will sound best in the film. this was an effective way of using the technology of the macs as it uses combine aspects of I Movie and internet downloading.

thirdly: camera/filming.

filming and the use of the camera was a fun way of learning about the technology a

nd skills in filming. For the filming we had to use different tools on the camera for example the zoom and capture button and record button. these were some of the main tools we used when filming. we learnt that cameras can differ from the quality of them as there picture is so much more clearer and quality.

lastly: blogging

blogger was important as the research of our film and the technology that we used to show clear ways of creating our film. we used such things as collages as they were effective to show either different aspects of the film of a process that you may use in the creation of the film.

How did you attract/address your audience?

as you can see we have got al the main characters introduced in the opening of the film. as you can see all these characters are all dressed in casual clothes, and also it sets a stereo type of the age group of 20-29. by doing this, by putting them in nice casual clothes and the story line of the film may relate to the audience watching it that are in the same situation. Of marriage breaking up or death involving a relationship. also lastly by putting them in casual clothes it gives them a contrast between nice and there sinister inside.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

my film would be set at an audience of 15 and above as the story line of the film is as very complex one and has to e set at audience that has the inelegance to work it out. further more another reason for my film being set at a rating of 15 would be the content of it is more for the eyes of the elder generation so they be able to relate to them as the main characters are around that age, this is effective as the audience will want to watch on and they may feel involved as there age group of the audience and the characters are the same.lastly there age group would be set as the minimum age of 15 watching this film may get confused and may like the situation of working out the plot or the story line in the film.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media products and why?

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In the opening of our film "DECEIT" we have challenged the character stereotype and the main composition of gender in the film. the main stereotype of a thriller or a horror film is that there is a man as a killer and a woman as a victim or a side person. but in are film are challenge was to make the killer a woman and the victim a man. this goes against the normal composure of a thriller. by doing this it gives the audience more different aspects of the film to understand and also grabs there attention by leaving questions in there head. we have also used a general age group for are characters in there mid ages 20-29 and casual clothing this is uses the age group with unanswered questions about the character so it again leaves the particular audience a vague idea of what's happening like in most thrillers it uses suspense effectively.

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions or real media products?

Are genre of the film we made was a thriller, we chose this genre as the conventions of a thriller are very effective towards the audience.

As we were planning our film we used an aspect from the film "Memento" where the ending of the film is shown and the beginning of the film to create a tense atmosphere and grabs the audience attention, I know this as my attention was grasped by the film Memento in the opening.

This idea was effective to use as it introduces main characters to the story and plot of the film.

We used various conventions of a thriller in are film but we mostly developed on how to create are suspense and the plot of the film. we tried many ways firstly we tried flash backs but didn't look as effective so in the end we used a voice mail of someone shouting which creates a dilemma and a story line. For example:

"show short clip of voice mail"

lastly in our film that we created we challenged a element of a thriller opening that we sore on-line and tried to do it to ours. the titles, the titles we put it to show who directed it, actors ect.

we are going to write some of the titles on objects round the room but also using I movie we will be editing them on that it looks effective on the film opening.

"collarge of pictures of titles"

What Titles

Opening sequence of 6Th sense

1) "hollywood pictures" and "spyglass e

ntertainment" presents

2) A "kennedy/Marshall/Barry

Mendal" Production

3) "Bruce willis"

4) The Sixth Sense

5) Actors

6) Casting by " Avy Kaufman"

7) Costume design "Joanna Johnston"

8) Edited by "Andrew Mondshein"

9) Production Designer"Larry Fulton"

10) Director of photography "Tak Fujimoto, A.S.C.

11) Executive Producer "Sam mercer"

12) Produced by "Frank Marshall", "Kathleen Kennedy", and "Barry Mendel"

13) Written and directed by "M. night Shyamalan"

Title

To test out different title fonts I am using a website called 'Da Font' which has a range of various fonts that would be good for the use of a thriller opening title.

This font is called 'Rough Linen' I think it would be a successful font to use for our thriller opening a it is as it is plain black and doesn't give away too much about the film however it is quite scratched and distorted which gives the reader something to question about such as will there be more attacks in the film. I also like how it is quite sharp and edgy, the scratches look as if they could have been done by tree branches which links in with the murder being in a woodland. lastly it is ambiguous as deceit can mean various things and the way its laid out with a bit of a 3D effect maybe could refer to a bit of spookiness and ghosts.

This font is named 'Cosmical Disfase' I like how the letters are bold and noticeable however cut into and separated at the same time. I think it would be a good font for our opening sequence title as looks as though it has been sliced with a knife which links to the death of Jay. secondly the effect of the word being in various shapes might gives a sense or trapped to the audience, maybe like barb wire.

This font is called 'Prehistoric' I like how it has a cold, thrilling feel it it. I think it would add to the eerie atmosphere and increase the tension. also it is quite simple but as it is simple it would stand out on the screen and as it is vague and it gives a sense of scare.

This font is under the name 'RvD Glued' although it is quite rounded which isn't the typical thriller opening font I think it would be a good font to use. The white marks and splattered type shapes look like blood and also water, which links in with our opening as Jay was murdered and left by a stream. I like how each letter has it's own block or background, it looks as if the letters are covering up something on the background which also links to the word 'Deceit' meaning 'concealing or misrepresenting the truth or a dishonest act or statement.'

casting and character description.

We put Jay in clothing that would be seen everyday, we decided to put on a coat and trousers to look like he has just thrown it on before he left the house in a rush. The blue coat could suggest something is cold and dark about the situation. also by putting jay in general every day clothes it gives a sense or normality, so hints are not given straight to the audience that this is a main character in the film. Also by putting him is general every day clothes it creates questions tot the audience if what every happens in the film was supposed to happen and it create a bond and feelings between the character and the audience.

Tom (one of the killers) costume was mainly dark colors and not visual to any detail as his character is ambiguous to us in the opening sequence. also the facial and features on him are dull and nothing stands out on him that the audience could remember.

In the opening of the film tom is show in a scene where he is walking away so we mainly see his back and the knife which is a main hint to the audience. it suggests to the audience that he isn't special as he doest stand out and also gives a background on him suggesting he may be poor and desperate.

jade( the wife and also a killer at the end of the film)

you don't see he dresses until the end which is effective as know one knows she is the killer at the end. in the of the film you see her laying in bed in night wear whi ch again creates a normality atmosphere and gives no hints to audience and keeps them in suspense and a small vague of who certain characters are.

also at the end where her costume is like this it gives a nasty steak to the character and a good cliff hanger as most thrillers have as they leave the audience shocked for the second one of that film.

Results for thriller questions

This question asked the audience "if they liked the ending to be at the beginning"

Most people answered sometimes as when it is shown at the beginning but no hints to who does it it is very effective as through out the film the audience try to figure it out.

Also a lot of people chose no as it spoils the film and they like the suspense and situation to build up to. the climax and the plot is revealed

Results for Thriller questions

These results show what time people prefer an opening of a film to be set.

most people have chosen night time as well as me as it gives a sense of spookiness and creates a thriller atmosphere. it also makes the scene a dilemma and you know something is going to happen but your not sure when.

Also some people have chosen early morning as it is an abnormal time for something to happen and creates lots of suspense.

Results for Thriller questions

In these results you can see opinions of people and what they prefer in a horror film.

In the graph you can see that the biggest percent of people like slow music in a thriller opening as it creates suspence and makes the viewer want to watch on as there adrenalin builds up inside them.

Some people prefer fast music as it brings them straight into the action and grabs the attention from the start.

Questions on thriller films

Questionnaire: Thriller, Hot or Not?
In this questionnaire we will be researching information about the opening of our thriller, and we are gathering information about thriller opening sequences, so we can establish a unique and interesting idea that will appeal to our target audience.
Instructions:
- Circle appropriate answers
- Answer questions truthfully, with your own opinion

Question 1
Do you like the end of the film to be shown at the beginning of the film?
YES SOMETIMES NO

Question 2
Do you like a cliff-hanger ending?
Strongly Agree Agree Don’t Know Disagree Strongly Disagree

Question 3
Describe your ideal thriller opening location.

Question 4
Do you prefer fast paced or slow paced music in the opening?
YES NO

Question 5
List 3 features you expect for the following characters.

Question 6
Do you like lots of titles at the start of the film?
YES SOMETIMES NO

Question 7
What time of day do you expect a thriller opening to be set?
Early Morning Mid-day Night-time

Question 8
Do you think that the opening is important to a film?
YES SOMETIMES NO
Why?

Are you male or female?
MALE FEMALE

What is your age?

Shooting schedule

Are shooting schedule is quite short as we only have two locations that we need to shoot at to compose our film. also as it is an opening we dont need many days to film as were just giving the strart of the film and not many clues to the plot.

On day one we did the shots in the house the middle of the opening setting up the story with a bit of normality. Also we did shots to set the blot of the film up to leave the audience in suspense and want to carry on watching.

On the second day we did various shots firstly we did the beginning or the film opening of the main event that would happen in the film we took shots of scenery and locations that we could have at the beginning to create an atmosphere.

Feedback on Research & Planning

Eddie, I'm pleased to see that you have clearly spent some time coming back to your blog and improving the posts that you had in 'Research' - and making the effort to add in some on=f the ones that were missing for this section. I am glad you seem to have realised that you need to invest more effort in free periods and at home to keep the blog updated - but there is still work to be done.

Research & planning will be marked for a FINAL time from Mon 7th Feb. At this stage, your blog is incomplete. Some posts are missing, and there is not enough visual material - It is not a 'B' standard. I would say a Low D at this stage as too many important posts are still missing.

To improve - you will need to work no the following before Monday:

Research:
Posts 3 & 4 missing?
Post 11 - Wallander - missing?
Post 14 - Conventions of your genre - make this visual by taking the time to create a mood board / collage of screen shots of films in your genre to SHOW the conventions - this post could be a good visual one if you bother...
16, 17, 18 - Location and Audience research - ???

Planning:
1 - Initial ideas?
3-4 - see comments in blog
5 - Storyboards need uploading
6 - needs photos of props, costumes, etc, etc..
8-11 - missing???

Referral - Stage 1 and phone call home if not sorted out completely by Mon 7th - you have had more than enough time to complete.

SJA Feb 3rd

SJA Feb 3rd

Script

Script
In our opening sequence there is no dialogue but there is a phone message that is left in a panic tone. The message left will be along the lines of warning the character of Jay that he is in trouble and needs to escape. But through the film we learn that the partner Carly really set him up with her secret lover Will.

props, locations, costumes

Props:
→ A Knife – covered in blood to show that it’s the murder weapon.
→ Home Phone – this when Carly leaves the message, almost a way to help the audience at what is happening.
→ A Ring – On Jays finger showing that he is the victim at first then cutting to his normal life.
→ Books, Paper, Glass & Picture Frame – shows that one of the characters is an artist and the titles will appear on them e.g. producer, composer, etc.
Costumes:
The death scene:
→ Jay will be covered in blood and mud, the clothing, which was fancy will also be ripped showing that something bad has happened to him, and this can make the audience think about what has happened and why would it happen.
→ The two killers Carly and Will would be in dark clothing almost to show that they are hiding something.
The house scene:
→ Jay is wearing normal, everyday clothing to show the viewer that nothing is wrong and doesn’t hint at that he will be murdered.
Locations:
→ River/Woodland – This location is where the murder scene is and it’s a nice place for the opening of a thriller as it creates a sinister atmosphere making the viewer question at what has happened. Also, the woodlands can suggest that the death scene is empty; it’s a vast space where no one could help Jay.
→ House (bathroom/bedroom) – This location almost breaks the creepy, sinister atmosphere and bringing the mood back too an everyday life, which makes the viewer feel a lot more comfortable.

Location:

• River/Woodland – This location is where the murder scene is and it’s a good place for the opening of a thriller as it creates a sinister atmosphere making the viewer question what has happened. Also, the woodlands can suggest that the death scene is empty; it’s a vast space where no one could help Jay.
• House (bathroom/bedroom) – This location almost breaks the creepy, sinister atmosphere and bringing the mood back too an everyday life, which makes the viewer feel a lot more comfortable.

Storyboard

This is our group story board of each scene and shot we are going to be using to structure our film opening. this is a really detailed storyboard so that we can get are film composed very effectively. The story boards evan has how we are going to use are titles and how we are going to do it on imovie.