Out of Focus- Final Edit

Audience Feedback

The group asked a few people within our target audience to give us some feedback on what they thought about our opening to the thriller "Out Of Focus". We asked them for one piece of positive feedback and one piece of negative feedback. Below is my explanation of the response they gave:

Samantha Milne (Aged 15)

Positive: Ending –When the screen blurs and title come up was praised
Negative: The intitial close up of the couple was too long. I agree with this point and was one of the things I had found wrong with it and wanted too change however Josh at the time had already started to upload it to Youtube so it was too late.

Lauren Farmer (Aged 16)

Positive: Praised the music
Negative: Thought the ending carried suspense- not sure why this was negative?

Henna Mistry (Aged 16)

Positive: Again praised the music, she thought it was very good and set the mood

Negative: Thought that the stalker should make it more obvious he is there by enhancing the ambient sound like having twigs snapping

Louise Pearson (Aged 17)

Positive: She really liked the dark atmosphere created through the mixture of black and white scenes and the music playing. She also liked the contrast between the action shots and the pans across the photos because it added more depth story and opening; she said it looked more like an obsession with the photos being used.
Negative: She said: 'In one of the shots cutting from Sophie and Tom, to Josh through the camera, Sophie changes position from cuddling Tom to looking at the camera, then back in the next shot. This disrupts the flow of the action because it's a little distracting. Also, in the last shot, it isn't totally clear Josh is running towards the 'couple' as the first few times I thought he was running away from them'

Laura Knighton (Aged 17)

Positive: She praised the music saying it 'was awesome', she also said 'the effects were very atmospheric and the end kept me in suspense '
Negative: She found some of the walking around a little repetitive

Evaluation- Final Part

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

From doing the preliminary task to our final edit of our Thriller opening I have learnt a lot and have developed more as a 'media practitoner'. One of the main lessons I learnt from the preliminary task is technology can often go wrong and you need to be prepared if it does. In the preliminary task the footage would not capture to Adobe Premier Pro properly and so time was wasted trying to re- film the footage. However in the end original footage was captured straight from the camera rather than inserting the tape into the capture device and time that could have been spent editing was wasted. In the main task the group was much more efficient, we filmed scenes more than once in case of error and so we could select the best version, we divided the filming equally and we filmed extra parts in our own time so our lesson time was not disrupted. Although we did make the mistake of not filming some scenes in widescreen our efficiency allowed enough time to re-film. Another important lesson I learnt from the preliminary task was checking the battery life of a camera before heading out on a filming session, although this seem simple it is an easy and annoying mistake to make. In the preliminary task there was occassions where time was wasted due to low battery however this was not the case in the main task.

Another thing I learnt was to film scenes from multiple angles to make it more interesting than one long take which can get boring and not engage an audience. Although I think my preliminary task video does use various different angles the main task displays a much improved skill of including a wide range of angles and shot types. In addition, I have learnt how to ensure continuity consistently throughout the main task. In the preliminary task there is a moment where a person is going to sit down while addressing some one who is already sat down, that person is talking and there head is in motion. The camera then jumps and they are still taking a few seconds to carry on speaking. This looks unnatural and breaks the flow of action. In the main task however there are moments which the camera cuts successfully between angles and continuity is not broken, for example when the couple are walking and the boy turns his head in one shot and returns in the next. Finally I have learnt much more about the editing software Adobe Premier Pro. In the preliminary task I only cut shots down and placed them next to each other on the timeline but in the main task I learnt to include text, music and various effects to enhance the product. Below is the preliminary task video and above is the final edit for our Thriller, this should demonstrate an improvement in filmmaking, with the Thriller being more complex and focussed.

Evaluation- Part Five

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

I have learnt a variety of techniques throughout this project. First of all I learnt about aspects of the camera which we would use for filming. I learnt of the 180 degree rule in which once you have placed the camera down you can only film in a certain space whilst in the same scene to avoid the audience having to go through confusion and disorientation. However this was not really a priority to remember whilst filming shots for our opening as there were no typical conversations or shot/reverse shot moments where the 180 degree rule can easily be broken. I learnt how to set the camera to widescreen- the format we were required to film in and the white balance and how to set it, gaining the knowledge that if I didn't then the colour would appear to bright, dark or mismatched. I learnt that whilst filming you must always be careful and not rush, making sure to check everything about the camera is how you want it. The group learnt this lesson due to two of our scenes not being filmed in widescreen due to us forgetting to change the settings, meaning we had to re-film them.

The most important thing that I have learnt and put into practice is the skill of filming scenes using different shot types and angles that can later be edited together to make a particular scene more interesting as you see it from different angles and perspectives. It also breaks up the action more which puts an end to long takes from one angle which can become boring. For example the first scene of a victim walking is broken up between a long shot from a side view, a front view shot and a rear shot as he walks. Below are stills from our opening providing examples of the various shot types and angles we have used:

This front view long shot allows you to see the identity of the character, all of their body and the action they are performing and allows you to see the location.

This rear shot allows you to see where the character is headed and the location they see.

This front view mid- shot allows you to see the character's location and that they are walking but allows more detail of their faces, this is needed to establish their happiness and their innocence and lack of awareness of what is to come.

This close up allows us to see more detail of the characters and represent their closeness as a couple. It also allows us to see a change in mood as the girl starts to notice something in the bushes. A close up allows the audience to realise she has seen something, from a long shot they would not be able to tell.

This long shot is from the point of view of the killer. It reveals that someone is watching them and builds up tension, especially when the scene keeps alternating between this shot and the close up shown above.

I also learnt that you can use shots to create meaning or representations. For example we used a high angle shot to make a victim seem vulnerable as they are watched by the killer, unfortunately this scene was cut from our opening. The still below illustrates when we filmed from this angle to create representation.

Another important skill I learnt was how to put the different shot types and angles together in a sequence using the editing software Adobe Premier Pro. I learnt that you had to go through the process of cutting the shot down using the cut tool, and then placing it on the timeline next to the previous shot. I learnt that consistency and continuity are important to maintain throughout the opening. Below are examples from the editing process where I put what I had learnt about cutting, editing shots together and continuity into practice.

• We filmed a scene of a couple walking through a park field from several shots and angles. The first shot of the couple is a front view as they walk towards the camera. We then edited the footage to cut to a long shot from a side angle by placing it next to the previous shot on the timeline. In this shot the boy who I play turns to look to the side, this is where we decided to cut back to the front view. We edited this so the front view shot appears again when I return my head from looking. This creates a flowing scene where the different angles match together, again ensuring continuity.


• For the end of our opening there is a close up of the couple hugging against a fence. We edited this so the camera cuts between both sides of the couple alternating between seeing the boy's face and the back of the girl and vice versa with a long shot from the viewpoint of the killer as the girl starts to notice something. This creates tension which builds up to the climax which is where we placed the shot of where the camera drops and you see the killer run towards the couple.

The camera alternates between these shots.

• We filmed Andrew walking down the street from a side viewpoint from the other side of the road, in front of him as he walked towards the camera and behind him as he walked away. We placed these three clips together on the timeline starting with the side viewpoint before cutting to the front view and then the rear view. We spent a lot of time cutting little sections away so they matched with each other, meaning the continuty was met. For example at the end of sideview shot Andrew walks past the end of a wall and as the camera then cuts to the front view he needs to be in the same position so we cut the clip so it started with Andrew next to the wall meaning it follwed on accurately.

I also learnt how to use various other aspects of Adobe Premier Pro such as inserting titles and music to enhance the opening. I also had a look at the various visual effects you could add such as transition types- we opted for a fade transition as it subtly moved between the scenes. I also learnt how to set up and maintain a blog, something I have never done before. I have enjoyed doing this as it is a different way of presenting your work and allows the insertion of pictures and clips and this makes a change from writing an essay. However I found that doing so can be very fiddly and time consuming. Overall, I have learnt a lot from the project and I am proud of how the group used different shots and angles and edited them together.

Evaluation- Part Four

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for our Thriller would be working/ middle class teenagers aged 16 to 22. This is a younger audience than what Thrillers are usually aimed at but the use of younger characters and a focus on the victims would appeal more to a younger audience. More specifically the film would appeal more to males of this age due the genre being action, crime and intrigue and the film explores darker themes and would contain violence which would engross them more than females- who are commonly known to enjoy the genres of romance and comedy. The film is aimed at a teenage audience and perhaps parents because the film can be used to make awareness of the dangers teenagers can be in if they do not act responsibly. In the past years the number of teenagers being taken and killed have dramatically increased, therefore this is a serious current issue. Therefore portraying this controversial issue in a film will attract attention from these audiences and be very engaging. Although a film is fiction and is intented to be enjoyed it will convey a message and help teenagers think about being more careful.

How did you attract/ address your audience?

We appealed to our target audience through casting ourselves in our film as our ages fit in our target age range. The use of characters of a similar age to the target audience attracts them because it creates a link between the characters and audience, enabling them to relate and empathise with characteristics of the characters, the decisions they make and situations they are in. It is commonly thought that an audience would prefer to watch a film with characters of their own age because of the relatability being present. The way we have included modern fashion, set and props creates verisimilitude and allows a teenage audience who will be interested in similiar things to relate further to the characters. The use of the scattered photographs creates mystery and intrigue over their signifiance, engaging the audience immediately. This appeals to a teenage audience as they are commonly associated with losing interest or attention and need to be gripped quickly. The opening of the Thriller ' The Number 23' also uses close ups of numbers, dates and names to create a similar kind of mystery and intrigue which can absorb an audience's interest quickly.

In addition we have appealed to boys (and presumably some girls) in our teenage target audience by including creating tension and action early on through the use of fast cuts between the point of view of the killer and a close up of the girl looking at something in the trees. This will engage and interest the audience, keeping them on the edge of their seat very early on in the film, this is reinforced by the use of eerie music full of mystery that matches the action well, building up and suggesting something isn't right and something bad is going to happen.

The opening sequence of Quantum of Solace features a car chase, which although is on a much larger scale and is even more action packed (and the action and tension are different kinds to ours) it also uses this strategy to engage the audience early on, create tension and appeal to a young teenage boy audience who like lots of action.

Evaluation- Part Three

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

If Out of Focus was an actual feature length Thriller it could be distrubted by the Optimum Distribution Company (http://www.optimumreleasing.com/) because it is supported by aid from EM Media- a company specialising in generating business in the East Midlands for filmmakers by providing actors, equipment, props and locations to film with, within the East Midlands. This could be one possibility as we have created this opening in the East Midlands and if it were a real film we could use the support from EM Media (http://www.em-media.org.uk/) to create it, staying within our own location and it would generate business for the area- meeting the requirements of EM Media's agreement for support. However there films do not tend to be large scale action or suspenseful films but more culturally specific films with a niche audience such as 'This is England', illustrated below.

Therefore another distributor that I think would be suitable to distribute our Thriller were it a real film is New Line Cinema. (http://www.newline.com/) Research says: 'New Line Cinema was founded in 1967 and is one of the major American film studios along with 'Warner Brothers' and '20th Century Fox'. Although New Line Cinema was originally an independent film company, it became a subsidiary of Timer Warner 1996 and later merged with larger studio sister 'Warner Brothers' in 2008'

This company is suitable as it has distributed many Thrillers in the past such as Cellular, The Number 23 (posters and trailers below demonstrate that they are from the Thriller genre and ways of advertising them) and Se7en- which our opening sequence takes inspiration from. They are similar as the openings act as prologues and are montage of short clips which pose questions about the narrative. Se7en was a crime thriller released in 1995, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. It was directed by David Fincher (who's directoral debut was Alien 3) and followed the story of a 'retiring detective and his replacement, jointly investigating a series of ritualistic murders inspired by the seven deadly sins'. The film was a financial success grossing over 327 million worldwide.

However, if it was distributed by a large company like this it may not be very popular due to no well known actors, locations or a big budget being present in it. Therefore our film would be more suitable to be distributed to local Broadway cinemas across the UK by a company like Optimum (with support from EM Media) rather than multi-plexes which have certain requirements (like the genre and stars) for a film to be accepted to be shown. Although Optimum and EM Media do not make films in the Thriller genre it could be their first attempt at targeting a new audience and market.






There are several effective ways that our thriller could be marketed. As it is aimed at mature teenagers aged between 16 and 22 and more specifically boys, an effective way of marketing and promoting the film would be to use the internet as this is accessed by most people of these ages and is a large part of their lifestyle. A web- site could be created with trailers, interviews, sneak- peaks and news about the film and a link/ advertisement could be placed on social networking sites as well as film and game sites such as Empire and Gamespot, sites boys of this age are sure to visit. In addition Youtube would be another site to place trailers and clips from the film as this is visited by the majority of people who have access to the internet. This method of advertising the film would be successful as it uses a tool/ technology (the internet) that the target audience is regularly involved with, allowing news of the film to reach out to them. Further marketing methods that advertise through sources the target age are interested in that would be used are posters, television trailers and advertisements in magazines which boys of this age would buy such as game, film and 'lad' magazines. In addition they are 'whats new' services on game consoles like the Playstation 3 that could advertise the film too.

Another advertising method for our Thriller would take inspiration from Univeral's marketing strategy of Bridget Jones' Diary released in 2001. Universal used synergy with various companies to promote the film for their benefit and attract customers to the other company. Synergy benefits both companies and is a tool to gain audience interest and popularity in the film using the services or products of other companies. Universal made deals with the Body Shop, Diet Coke and Virgin Megatores to promote Bridget Jones. The companies selected and promotions used link to the narrative and characters of the film. For example Diet Coke uses 'diet' which links with the aspiration of Bridget to lose weight. Synergy is an effective way of capturing the audience's interest in the film. We could collaborate with companies which our target audience is interested in such as Sony and Apple. However it would be more tricky to promote our film this way as it is not aimed at a mass audience, nor doe sit have a plot that is easy to link products or promotions with. Therefore we could highlight the dangers of abduction of teenagers and promote awareness, this links to the narrative of the film and is a serious current affair.

Evaluation- Part Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The opening to our Thriller focuses on the social group of youth or teenagers, and despite the negative connotations youth recieve in modern day we avoid representations such as gangs. The opening focuses on representations of the common things youth do or are involved in. For example two of the characters are a couple and are seen walking together and hugging. This is a typical and believeable action for youth to perform. Teenagers are often involved in relationships at this age and are expected to do things together such as going for a walk, a teenage audience will relate to these actions and understand them, perhaps having done them themselves. The characters also wear believeable and fashionable clothes that a teenager would be expected to wear and have an awareness of. For example the girl wears brown boots, blue jeans and a grey coat and therefore is represented as aware of fashion however this is exposed as trivial with what is about to happen to her, revealing her innocence and adding tension to the scene. The picture below is taken from our opening and illustrates an how teenagers are regularly in couples, their clothes and their actions, all of which teenagers can relate to.

The character that Andrew plays is seen walking alone, this does not conform to the common attitude that teenagers are always with lots of friends when they are out and suggests that his character is isolated, lonely and does not fit in- a reason why the killer could target him. (evidence of this is provided in the stills from our opening below)

Youth are also represented as innocent, vulnerable and naive in the opening. This is done by using high angle shots and locations where they appear are isolated such as fields, streets and parks- places that teenagers commonly visit. We filmed at these places with no one else there to emphasise a feeling of isolation and danger and causing the audience to sympathise as children are not safe in places that should be (evidence of these locations is provided in the location shots for our opening below). The characters also appear to have done nothing wrong and they are being taken by a killer for no apparent reason. This will make the audience sympathise with them and feel worried about them. We could have filmed in more typical places for teenagers to be like town or in shops however we wanted tension and a sense of isolation and threat in places that young people visit. Filming where there are lots of members of the public can also make it difficult to film due to distraction and noise.

Evaluation- Part One

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

The opening sequence of a film is one of the most important parts of the film as it needs to capture the audience's interest in the narrative by providing hints and questions about the plot. To ensure that our opening felt like a Thriller we had to mimic the style and conventions of actual openings and thrillers in our own.

Our Opening Sequence conforms to the codes and conventions of title sequences by:

• Establishing a narrative- the scattered photos (illustrated below) hint to the audience that the people in them are being watched, the scenes of the people in the photos suggest they are targets/ victims being watched and followed. The ending establishes the fact that a killer is targeting teenagers.
• Generates audience interest- by setting up the narrative without giving too much away- only the idea of a killer and victims is known.
• Titles display the makers and stars of the film.
• Suitable music is used to enhance the sequence, establishing mood and atmosphere. In our opening the music is used to create a mysterious and tense atmosphere.
• The Opening sequence acts as a prologue and montage before the film starts properly, this is common in films as existing opening sequences use this style. For example 'Seven', which switches between short shots of different objects and the titles, hinting at the plot and elements in the story. Our opening is similar to this providing clips of past victims of the killer and was inspired by the style of this opening. Below is the opening sequence of Seven.
• No speech is used- a style used in many opening sequences and again another aspect of the opening of the Thriller 'Seven'.
  
  
  

Our opening sequence conforms to the codes and conventions of Thrillers by:

• Fitting into a sub- genre- which is crime/ action
• Establishes a story which would feature detectives trying to stop the killer rather than work out who they are. The identity would only remain hidden during the opening to generate intrigue and interest. This type of plot has the common structure often used in thrillers.
• Establishes a story which could occur on a grand scale (a convention of a Thriller)- mass- murderer, abductions and a grand investigation to stop the killer could all occur later in the film from the narrative that is set up here in our opening..
• Establishes a story which could include large and violent set- pieces- another convention of a thriller.
• Creates Engimas- such as the identity of the killer, the ideology behind the killer's actions and who the victims are and what happens to them
• Tension and suspense is created- through the use of a change in music that is much more tense, slow and signifies danger. The audience is kept on edge as the camera keeps cutting between a close up of the girl- Sophie looking into the trees and a point of view shot of the killer, whilst the music builds up to the climax of the killer dropping the camera and running towards the couple. The combination of the tense music building up slowly and the cuts between the two points of view creates an unnerving finale, where the audience waits for something to happen.
• The title of the film 'Out of Focus' links to part of the film's plot, this is common of thrillers for example The Number 23, the title has significance to the film's story. In our thriller the 'Out of Focus' refers to out of focus pictures that the killer would leave at the scenes of crime as their mark to the police and a link to their methods of murder.
  
  

Our Opening Sequence challenges the codes of conventions of actual openings and Thrillers by:

• The use of teenage characters- this would not be the case in actual films as more mature characters would be used as it would be more realisitic and would allow the exploration of a more diverse range of emotions, personalities and themes. However we chose to star in the opening ourselves rather than cast adults due to our acting experience. Although adults make it seem more realisitic, we preferred to not have to waste time being unhappy with the acting. Young characters have a purpose in the story and if the film were real it would go on to feature adult characters.
• By not introducing a protagonist- the characters are victims of the killer, the protagonist would be a detective trying to stop the killer however they are not seen in the opening. This is another trait taken from Seven which is an existing opening that does not introduce a protagonist.
• Not revealing the identity of the villain- Thrillers are about stopping a villain rather than uncovering who they are like in a murder mystery. Although it could be argued we challenge this convention by hiding the killer's identity this was done intentionally in the opening to create suspense and intrigue, if it were a full film we would go on to reveal their identity.
  

Overall, the opening does conform to the codes and conventions well and the style is an accurate take on the Thriller.

Re- Filming of Photo Pan (12th April)

Today we re-filmed the photo panning sequence because the first time we filmed it we realised in editing that we did not film in widescreen and so was the wrong format. This time we filmed in the media office as we thought there was no point in going to Sophie's house again. We never reveal the location in the shots, there are only ever close ups as the camera pans over the pictures, therefore it does not matter where the shots are filmed. The only requirement was the room needed to have enough space to place pin board down. The media office enough space and was near to our classroom. .

This time we placed a black cloth from the drama department underneath the pin board so we could place other photos around it and was a better effect than carpet. Me and Sophie took it turns to film the pan sequence trying to keep our hands steady and taking several breaks, we filmed for a long time so we could select the best parts later. We also shut the blinds in the room, turned the light off and used a film light to create a dull lighting scehem and dark shadow effect on the images, creating a sinister mood and atmosphere. This was something we wanted to do when filmed the scene originally but did not have the equipment or conditions to do so, so I was glad to be able to do it now. Andrew kept making the light flicker during the pan to create tension and give the effect that a candle in the room was blowing and flickering.

Re- Edit (22nd/ 26th March)

This week we got to work on re-editing our thriller making amendments and improvements to our opening for the final piece follwing the feedback from our teachers and the class. We decided that we would not record voiceovers to be played in the background explaining facts about the killer and victims from news reports as we felt it would give too much away too early on and would sound too much when combined with the music. The main job of the week was making the ending more tense and thrilling as this was one piece of feedback that we got from our teachers. They felt that that more focus should be placed on the killer and not the couple. We edited the ending so there was less long continous shots of the couple. Whereas before the camera cut from a close up of the back of the girl and the boys face to the other way and then a long shot of the killer watching we edited the sequence so the camera kept alternating between the close up of the girls face while hugging her boyfriend and the long shot of the killer watching. This builds up much more suspense and tension than before and puts more focus on the threat and presence of the killer. The two shots we cut between are shown in the stills below.

(1) (2)

We also cut some of the walking sections down as feedback told us that they were a little too long. Whilst me, Sophie and Josh edited Andrew looked for some alternative music that was more background and drone that would build up tension at the end.

http://freeplaymusic.com/
He carried out his search on the website above and gained 5 possible tracks to use, he saved them on to our shared (T) Drive so that we could access them whilst editing the footage in Adobe Premier on a separate computer. Below are the titles of the tracks:
•Figures Taking Shape
•Freeze In Place
•Secrets Told
•The Dark Side
•Victim Pileup

Next week we need to re-film the photo pan sequence in widescreen. Hopefully having this second chance at filming will allow us to improve the footage from the first time.

Feedback on First Draft (22nd March)

Today we watched everyone's first drafts of their Thriller Opening's and discussed what we thought the story was and what we thought was good and what could be improved to feedback to the group. We then got feedback from our teacher, these points were:

•Unusual approach
•Good camera work
•Good music choices - tension built at points
•Out of focus shot at the end - good ending
•Music - at points makes it sound like Television Drama
•Re-film shots in wide screen (that weren't)
•Length of shots need to be edited and cut down
•"Tom" and "Sophie" romantic section, looks too "happy" and focused around them
•Cuts more from "stalkers" point of view so that it build up tension

We got to work on adapting our opening ready for the final edit.

Editing- Part Three and Completed Draft (19th March)

Today we had to have a completed first draft of the our opening. All we needed to do in this lesson was add the titles to our opening. We searched through various types of titles but opted for quite a plain font which was thick and black but quite gothic and dark. They were clear to read and blended well with the black and white action on screen. We placed the titles in areas across the screen which would not obstruct the view of important shots. We then kept checking through our opening for any parts that needed to be cut down or amended. I am happy with our draft however I believe the following things need to be worked on for the final draft:

1. The section of the couple is too long and not tense enough and needs to be cut down and have some more shots from the killers point of view. Some other music which is more tense could be used here too.
2. We need to re-film the photo pan in widescreen. These parts need to be longer.
3. We need to re-film the end of the victim Andrew plays section in widescreen and include it.
4. We need to record some voiceovers and other sound effects to create a more of a montage feel.

Out of Focus (Opening)- Draft Edit

Editing- Part Two (15th March)

In today's lesson we continued the editing process for our Thriller opening, focussing on the second half- involving the scenes we shot of the couple being watched and then chased by the killer. After the scene of 'Victim one' walking and being followed we inserted the second photo pan scene onto the timeline directly after this, again placing a fade effect to ensure a smooth, subtle transition. We edited this so the shot ended on a picture of the couple which then faded into a shot of them walking through a field together happily. This would make it obvious to the audience that they were being targeted. As with the other victim scene we had filmed the shots for this part from different angles so we could edit multiple angles together in a sequence. The first shot of the couple is a front view as they walk towards the camera. The shot type is a mid-shot which allows you to see half of their bodies so you know they are walking but can also see their happy and relaxed facial expressions oblivious of what is to come. We then edited the footage to cut to a long shot from a side angle- this allows the audience to see the surrounding area and where they are going. In this shot the boy who I play turns to look to the side this is where we decided to cut back to the front view. We edited this so the front view shot appears again when I return my head from looking. This creates a flowing scene where the different angles match together, again ensuring continuity.

We then placed the third and final part of the photo pan after this section which then fades into a close up of the couple hugging against a fence. We edited this so the camera cuts between both sides of the couple first seeing the boy's face and the back of the girl and then vice versa before cutting to a long shot from the viewpoint of the killer as the girl starts to notice something. We then placed the shot of where the camera drops and you see the killer run towards the couple. As a group we decided this would be a good place to end the opening as it leaves it on a cliffhanger and the audience would not know exactly what happened, only assume. Although we really liked the footage we shot in the trees as the couple are chased as it was a good location, had some good shot types and was fast paced we felt it was not needed and took away from the intrigue and suspense. We believed the shot as the camera drops was an ideal ending so we placed a fade out to black at the end.

Next we added the music which we found in our first planning lessons and it really suits the piece well enhancing what is seen on screen creating a sinister mood, injecting the audience with the feeling of something is going to happen. Overall, another successful lesson, on Friday we will add the titles to our Opening and look through it to edit any other parts ready to upload the first draft to Youtube and then our blogs. We also need to decide on a name. In the editing section of the project the group has worked well, alternating between doing extra research and helping whoever is on the editing computer, which although mainly is Josh the rest of the group is always telling him ideas of what to edit, cut, insert or change, he is just elected to carry the action out as only one can be round the computer.

Editing- Part One (12th March)

In today's lesson we captured the footage which we shot earlier in our free period in our final filming session and begun the editing process. Before we started however we looked through all the clips we had shot, naming them so we could remember what part was what. This was a task crucial to the efficiency of the group as some groups in the past have had lots of clips and cannot remember what each one was.

We had filmed several versions of the same scene to ensure that if any mistakes were made we had a different version to use and did not have to go out at the last minute to re-film. Because of this, as we looked through the clips we discussed which were the versions of the scenes we would use as some were better than others. For example the shot where the killer drops the camera was filmed several times and initially we had opted for the version where the camera cuts very briefly to footage previously recorded on the tape as the effect suited the action however we found when we watched the shot on the computer that it froze instead. Therefore we now had to use the first version we took, although this is not perfect I suggested we could cut a small section out where Andrew's hands come into the shot and speed it up- giving the effect of falling. Below is the computer we edited on using Adobe Premier Pro:

We also decided that the handheld camera filming of the photos was superior to the version we filmed on the tri-pod, which was rigid, inconsistent and not as smooth. Although the handheld footage could be shaky at times we watched all of the footage we filmed and cut out the excess footage that was not needed or was not good enough. We then edited the best quality footage into three seperate parts. We judged the quality on how still the camera was and if a consistent slow- medium speed pan over the photos was sustained. We will place these three different parts of the photo pan sequence in between the scenes of our victims later in the editing process. We added a spotlight effect to highlight what was in the centre of the screen and create the effect of camera lens, fitting in with the narrative of taking photos. The idea is that the opening will keep cutting back and forth between the panning of the photos and clips of the victims.

Next, we started editing the section of Victim One- played by Andrew walking and being followed. We filmed Andrew walking down the street from a side viewpoint from the other side of the road, in front of him as he walked towards the camera and behind him as he walked away. We placed these three clips together on the timeline starting with the side viewpoint before cutting to the front view and then the rear view. We spent a lot of time cutting little sections away so they matched with each other, meaning the continuty was met. For example at the end of sideview shot Andrew walks past the end of a wall and as the camera then cuts to the front view he needs to be in the same position so we cut the clip so it started with Andrew next to the wall meaning it follwed on accurately. This can take time and you have to be very specific however it is rewarding when you get the shots to match and the transition perfect and it looks effective having different shots and angles in a scene and is a techinque actual films use.

We decided to have our opening in black and white as this symbolises flashbacks or prologues and fits the mood of the piece. Initially we only had the photo pan section in black and white however the transition from black and white to colour for the other scenes was an obvious contrasting change and did not work. We then tried putting everything we had done so far colour and edited the saturation and colour but it made the footage look unclear and a slight cartoon feel. We all preferred black and white as it fitted the style of a Thriller by creating a dark tense mood.

So far we have the first part of the photo pan at the start and then the camera cuts to the scene of Victim one. In between the twos scenes we placed a fade effect at the end so the scene faded smoothly into the first shot of Andrew walking. We tried several transition effects including dissolve and wipe however some were not smooth enough and some made too much happen, whereas we wanted the transition between the two to be as subtle as possible. We even tried leaving the transition without an effect however it was too sudden. Unfortunately we ended a successful editing lesson badly due to realising that the photo pan footage and the footage of Andrew which we filmed earlier were not in widescreen and so was not in the required format and meant that the screen was smaller than the rest of the footage. We do not have time to re-film anything now so we will use the footage for the draft and re-film anything we need in widescreen for the final edit. We perhaps forgot to check the format on those occasions due to problems with night mode and the rain.

Final Filming (12th March)

Today in our free period we went to a park near Fairfield school to film our last scenes. One of the shots was the same as one we took last Friday- of me as a victim being watched while I waited on a park, sitting on a swing. However we refilmed this with Andrew today due to me now being in the sequence we filmed on Monday. We had to film quickly and effectiently as it was raining and was very cold. The weather did create a good dull atmosphere and appropriate pathetic fallacy for a Thriller though. The shots filmed today were taken by me with help from Sophie in between her taking location shots. The first shots were of Andrew walking into the park from a far and approaching a swing then of him sitting and gently swinging on the swing- alone. This gave a sense of isolation, vulnerability and the park setting symbolised naiveity and innocence of the younger generation. I filmed Andrew on the swing from different angles like Josh did with me however we did forget to film the high angle shot we did with me that would have exposed the character as vulnerable. Josh filmed one take of this scene from in front of Andrew however I thought it looked more professional and effective when took from the side or on a diagonal angle.

Here are location shots and stills (with examples of shot types) from this scene-

I then shot footage of Andrew getting off the swing and leaving the park in two different ways. One take was from the killer's perspective hiding behind a tree and watching and the other was just a 'normal' film take where the camera is invisible. I placed the camera a little way from the path that Andrew would walk across after leaving the park and I follwed him with a pan as he headed towards a small alley that would take him out of the park. During this, Josh as the killer walks into the shot. We tried Josh walking in from the side a little way from the camera however this was clumsy and not natural- it seemed to deliberate. We then tried him walking from behind the camera and directly past it into the shot. This looked a lot better and created a sinister and tense shot. It also made the camera appear to be invisible, as if it was not there.

Here are some stills from this scene-

After this Sophie filmed Andrew walking down the path from the front but on a diagonal angle with Josh following. Finally from the bottom of the small alley I filmed Andrew walking down it with Josh as the killer following him. We filmed the shot several times due to interfences from the public. I also filmed the shot several times where each time I placed the camera further down the alley so as the characters walked down they were not too far from the camera and hard to see after a while. The shot finishes with Andrew walking round a corner at the end of the alley with the killer following him- leaving the outcome ambiguious.

Here is a location shot of the alley- (which is dull and dank, a place which is somewhere you believe someone could be abducted)

In editing this scene will be placed before the scene where the killer drops the camera to chase after the couple as that shot is more conclusive and will be our ending. In editing we will mix the footage of the past victims and the photo pan to create a montage like opening acting as a prologue to the killer's action/ methods. The group has worked well and despite the rain filmed some good footage- we also saved time so we could go to lesson and start editing.

Filming- Part Three (8th March)

Today we continued to film scenes for our opening sequence- aiming to keep to our film schedule and finish filming by the end of the lesson ready to film on Friday. Unfortunately we do still have a part that we need to film however we will do this in a free period we have on Friday before the lesson and will not lose out on anytime. The group worked well together today and this is the first lesson where everything started to slot into place and come together. At the start of the lesson we went off to film straight away to ensure we had the maximum amount of time possible. Today we filmed scenes of Me and Sophie playing a couple walking together in through a field. This scene will be cut to at several points between shots of the photo panning sequence we filmed last week and as explained previously will make up a montage/ proglogue style opening of past victims of the killer. We chose a field as it is a realistic place for a couple to take a nice walk together and a place where someone can easily watch them without being seen. Fields are often places were people are took and killed elsewhere. The first shots we took were of Me and Sophie walking along a path using a long shot, occassionally zooming in. We tried this from several angles so we can edit them together so you see the shot from different views. These shots where the camera would be 'invisible' and not a point of view shot of the killer. To ensure the acting was as realistic as possible I told Andrew and Josh to not tell us when they had started filming therefore we started acting as soon as we set off along the path. This technique seems to have been successful.

Here are shots of the location in which filmed this first part of the scene:

Originally they filmed us walking and sitting down on the grass however this did not look very natural so we tried again and instead walked from the path to a fence (which you can see slightly in the images above) and get up and sit on it. However this took too much time so we settled with me leaning against the fence whilst Sophie stood in front of me. This is a typical position for a couple to stand in and hug. Again this was filmed from different angles to add varitation, make it interesting and show our understanding of different shots and our ability to edit them together. The shots we took were a long shot continuing from us walking down the path, a long shot from the side rather than the front seeing the fence in the shot before we stop near it, a close up of me and you see the back of Sophie whilst leaning against the fence and a close up of Sophie and you see the back of me whilst leaning against the fence. Close ups allow the audience to see our facial expressions, particularly as Sophie starts to notice something in the bushes- building up tension. We filmed against the fence because directly behind it was longer grass, lots of trees and bushes and this would where the killer would be watching from.

Here are a variety of images of us filming this sequence and examples of the different shot types:

We then filmed an idea me and Sophie had in the planning stage- a shot where the camera is on the victims- the couple, from the perspective of the killer watching them- as if it was his camera filming them. Andrew filmed this shot and moved behind a tree create the effect of the killer moving to avoid being seen as Sophie starts to starts to notice something in the bushes behind her whilst she is hugging me. Then when he has been spotted he drops the camera and runs towards them. This will be cut with the close ups and shots we filmed earlier. This is an effective and skillful shot that creates a sinister effect however it was difficult to film as we had to make it look like the camera had actually been dropped by the killer without actually dropping it because the fall would damage it. It needed to fall in a way that looked realistic and land on an angle. I told Andrew to shake the camera fast and jerky while bringing it down to the ground and drop it when it is just centimetres away from the floor over one of the tree trunks. Therefore it could land on an angle and the shaking makes it hard to see what is happening- giving the effect that it had fallen. We filmed this three times so we could choose the best one. In one of the takes when the camera was dropped the footage actually went fuzzy and cut to the footage we were recording over for a second. This was an effect we created by mistake and actually looked effective as it was so quick you could not actually see what was on screen and it could have been what the killer previously had recorded. We decided to use that version of the shot.

The image above shows the location Me and Sophie found behind the field and thought it would be an excellent place to film like a chase or running sequence as the couple try to escape from the killer after he dropped the camera and ran after them. We took several shots of Me and Sophie running from out of the bushes and looking frantically where to go before running past the camera. This was done with a long shot so you could see all of our bodies and the surroundings and a pan was used to follow us as we ran- the pan gave a sense of being trapped and the effect of the characters having to keep moving. Andrew then filmed an extreme close up of the lower part of Josh's body as the the stalker walked slowly hunting his prey. This would contrast with the fast moving of the victims and would create tension as the predator hunted it's prey while his identity remains hidden. Overall, a great lesson where we filmed some great footage with a variety of shot types and in a well chosen location. The group has a better idea of where our Opening is going now as our ideas are more focused. We aim to finish filming in our free period before the lesson on Friday where will film the end of the other victims' (Andrew) story which we started last Friday.

Filming- Part Two (5th March)

Today we started to film the moving shots of our victims in different locations for our opening sequence. Before this we captured the footage of the photo pan sequence which we filmed on Monday. We did this to save time because if we wanted to capture all our footage at once we would be in a queue with everyone in the first editing lesson- so hopefully this will will save some time.

My Idea-

Whilst we were doing this I had the idea of the opening sequence being a montage- the camera would cut between the photo pan and the footage we would film today and on monday of the victims before they were took by the killer. We could have the music we found playing and recordings of police reporting on the killer and victim's parents giving a statement playing in the background. Sophie felt this would make the sequence become like a trailer however I knew it wouldn't because it will not start to cut faster, give too much away or reveal parts of the beginning, middle and end of the film. Also a lot of films have montage like prologues as the opening, (cutting between different shots with different unknown characters talking in the backround) before the film starts properly. Once I had explained this everyone seemed to like the idea and we will use it.

Filming of Victims-

Once we had captured the footage some time was wasted sorting out the camera and tri-pod but at the start of the second hour we went to film. Unfortunately for the rest of the lesson we only had three group members because Sophie had to go and play in a Table Tennis Tournament. The three of us headed to Toton Lane to film shots of Andrew as one of the victims walking somewhere. We chose this as a location to film as it is a normal street that someone could walk down and there was not many pedestrians there at that time. We did not have to choose any sort of special street for any reason so this was fine- plus we did not have time to waste. It was a good choice however as we noticed a polic operation sign which we would include to suggest that a police investigation was in progess which would add to our thriller. Me and Josh filmed Andrew walking using different camera shots and angles- so we could edit them together later and make it more interesting to watch. It is also a good skill to edit shots together with accurate continuity. We filmed him walking using a long shot from the other side of the road, walking towards the camera and walking away from the camera. The final shot was a long shot of him crossing a road on the other side of a road from where the camera was placed. We filmed these shots quickly and efficiently. We filmed these several times in case of mistakes and so we could select the best parts. We also left time at the start and the end of each shot to make editing easier. These shots are classed as professional shots where the camera would be invisible. We also used Andrew's camera (due to limited battery on the Media camera) to film an amateur shot of Andrew walking which would be from the point of view of the killer watching/ following him. This was took by Josh but I do not think we will use it because he went a bit too far in making it look shaky to suggest it was the killer's POV.

Here are the location shots of where we filmed this scene-

We then went to a playground to film me as a different victim sitting on a swing waiting for someone. We chose a playground as it would add a sinister feel to sequence where children can be took anywhere and there not safe on a place specifically for them. Josh and Andrew filmed this scene, which consisted of me walking into the park, going to the swing, and sit waiting gently swinging whilst the killer would be watching. Again we filmed the scene with different shot types to make it more interesting and show we have a skill and an understanding of different shots/ angles and their purposes as well as the thought that has gone into making our opening. The shots were a close up, a mid-shot where the camera was placed directly in front of me, a mid- shot where the camera was placed next to swing and looked on at me from just off the side (diagonally). I also suggested we take a shot from on top of the slide to get a high angle shot which would represent my vulnerability. After this we filmed the scene from the POV of the killer again to show he is watching (this was done better this time and hide parts of trees and bushes in the way to show he is hiding).

Here are the location shots/stills of where we filmed this scene-