Evaluation of Progress from Prelim Task to Main Task

• Progress in Research and Planning

Prelim

We didn't have a target audience at the time or the genre of what we wanted to do.

We didn't include music so the only sound was our dialogue which was briefly scripted and briefly prepared also. We didn't discuss adding music because the dialogue was our main focus.

We did not think much about our setting, the choice of canteen was not a good idea as the sound echoes in the room

Final task

We watched many heist films to give us a sense of how the opening 2 minutes are approached. We noticed the title and the music especially. This was difficult to decide because of the various 2 minutes opening heist films have. We also noticed the amount and kinds of editing that are being used and did our best to incorporate at least some of these ideas into our opening, as seen in our evaluations of how closely we have stuck to the heist genre.

Progress

This task helped us to choose what particular genre we wanted to do. This also made us have a clearer storyline. The camera angles have improved since the prelim task also because that was part of the issue we had and because we spent so much more time thinking about this.

• Progress in Storyboarding and Scripting

Prelim

There wasn't a storyboard which led to the task being disorganised and didn't flow. We didn't do much planning in this task.

We filmed in the canteen which made the hearing difficult because of the echo and the acoustics which we did not check on other locations.

Inappropriate large echoey space

The dialogue was not prepared so we didn't repeat it exactly word for word. This made it difficult to edit and the echoes in the background wasn't any help to this because of the various ranges of the echoes.

Final Task

Storyboard was detailed and was added to many times and it was also edited.

One of our many storyboard drafts

We presented our storyboard and this allowed us to see what worked and what didn't work. Knowing this allowed us to edit and adjust our storyboard accordingly.

We also produced an animatic of a storyboard this was useful because it allowed us to see how long we wanted each shot and how the music and dialogue would work with each shot.



Planning of shot and possible credit

Not much time was spent on creating a script because we didn't plan on having much dialogue.

When choosing our locations we made sure to plan ahead of time, although some of the locations we originally planned to use weren't available for use at the time. However, our main locations had been thought through.

Progress

Due to our storyboard we were able to control our filming, this meant there was less time spent working on new ideas on the day of filming. This made us more prepared on the day, as we were more organised in the order and plot of the film, giving us a general idea of the film. Due to this the filming process became less time consuming.

In our prelim, we did not generally think about the script and actions, this led to continuity problems in match on action. This caused us to think about continuity more thoroughly. However, these issues still arose in our final piece and we know we can improve even more on tasks we carry out in the A2 course.

Because we planned ahead and wrote a brief plot, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to show in our  opening 2 minutes and all our research really paid off.

• Progress in Camera Work

Prelim

We used a tripod to ensure that the shots didn't wobble.  However, due to our inexperience in using the tripod, we weren't able to detect the slightly canted angle resulting in an unusual shot.

Off balance shot

Poor framing of shot/reverse shot

As we were not familiar with the cameras yet when doing our prelim task, we had many issues in the case of filming over piece on the camera as we rewound it to the wrong place, this cased us to have issues in editing as we did not have much material to work with and some of our good shots were recorded over.

Final Task

Because we had so much more experience from previous tasks with working out the tripod and camera, we became more familiar with how they work and knowing the procedure as to how to make it work to its optimum potential.

When knowing how difficult some of the angles are (for example, arial shot) we had to think more realistically about what shot we could have and what we couldn't. In our storyboard we originally wanted a 360 shot of the table, but we had to take that out as we found out that it was beyond our ability to do it effectively and we limited ourselves to a smaller camera movement instead.

 

On the day after we finished the story board we had a chance to practice with our chosen camera angles to see if we could cope with them and perform them on the day. If we found out they were too hard, we had time to adjust it to suit our level of ability.

We had a variety of camera angles in our main task as we felt it would make it more interesting, and give the right feel of the film.

Adds mystery to this character

• Progress in Editing

Prelim

When we first used Final Cut Express we were very slow as we were not very sure how to operate it.

Unlike our final piece we only had to edit one video / audio track, (whereas in out main we had several plus music, title and credits) however even with this small amount of editing it still overwhelmed us as it was very new to us.

There was one shot that was too short, which made it seem strange. We did detect that it did look odd, but we were not sure as to why, until our teacher pointed it out to us. We did not have the experience to recognise common mistakes.

Final Task

The use of Final Cut was used more effectively.

We used a lot more layers in our sound and videos sowe were able to get some overlapping, for example, non diegetic music under the dialogue, use of motion paths to include our cards being 'dealt' into the title:

Because we had a lot more time to edit our final piece we were able to be a lot more precise in our continuity editing and know were exactly the next shot should come in, this was easy when we enlarge the track to make sure it was precise and the match on action was clean:

We added in several effects and transitions, to add to the continuity of a scene change, we mainly used fades, but we also used a wipe.

We created titles and credits in other programmes such as Livetype and Photoshop, this is to add a deliberate effect in our editing and overall create a more sophisticated effect.

 

Photoshop to create ident

Credits using LiveType

Progress

We have developed a wider understanding of editing in general, we know what programme to go to for whatever need we have.

There is a big difference in the carefulness of our editing. In our first one it was very sloppy in the way we did our match on action, whereas the final one is pristine.

More layers were used, as we grew in confidence we felt we were able to add more layers to give it a more structured piece.

In comparison to when we first started we have definitely increased in speed, this is because we grew more in confidence and familiarity with the programmes.

Evaluating Genre Conventions in our Product

1.Title

• Bold orange text with a simple font appears on a black background
• Orange has a slight retro feel associated with the heist genre
• Animated cards fly from the bottom of the screen as if being dealt
• Fits into the style well because bright coloured text is common in heist films
• Cards emphasise poker game at the beginning and that it is a heist film which is a big gamble so is easily associated with gambling.

2.Credits

• Same bright orange text as the title
• Two different animations on the text one for the actors and the other for the crew.
• Stand out from the action but don't disrupt it.

3 & 4. Characters

• Each character has a unique style to help differentiate from one another
• The Boss character is defined by being mysterious with very little of him being shown
• The ‘Hacker’ is distinguished with his clothes being more casual then the others
• The ‘Pickpocket’ is distinguished by her smart clothes
• The ‘Charmer’ is distinguished by his smart suit
• All the characters are portrayed as being wealthy
• Mixed cast of male and female actors
• Each character falls within a stereotype of the heist film genre where there is a wide range of characters who will fulfill different roles and carry out different functions in the group. This is the case in e.g. "Ocean's Eleven".

5 & 6. Mise-en-scène

• Wealthy characters, costumes are very smart with suits being used to emphasise this point
• Props such as a poker sets are used to create competitive atmosphere
• There are three main locations used, one for each individual character
• The first location is a large house which the first character owns. The house is very neat and is decorated with expensive items; this is to show that this character is very wealthy
• The second location used was the tech room used by the second character that enters the room and starts hacking a computer. This location helps reinforce the characters' stereotype and has a sense of the small individual beating the big company which is important in heist films.
• The third location is of a park where the third character steals a bag of an unsuspecting victim, a park bench is used because they are classic spy meeting places so there is a cross-over genre there.

7, 8 & 9 Camera work

• We used many varied shots in our film because we had to show three different characters in three different locations.
• During the poker scene we use a couple of close-up panning shots; this allows the viewer to feel closer to the action, and to add movement to the scene
• We used extreme close-ups on the boss character so as to not reveal his identity. This mystery is used a plot device to keep the audience guessing
• We tried to keep the shots varied as this is common of other heist films
• Long shot of park to allow sense of space and where characters are in relation to each other - heist plots are complex so this kind of orientation is often needed.

10. Editing

• We tried to keep the editing style as non-transparent as possible as this is common of most heist films
• Freeze frames where used as the credits for a character appeared, this added screen time emphasises the important characters
• Several wipe transitions are used, this - common device in heist genre e.g. "lock Stock" and "Hustle" as heist genre has a distinctive non-transparent editing style -  used every time the location changes, this also adds a light-hearted and up-to-date feel

11& 12. Sound

• Dialogue is used by the boss to briefly hint at the beginning scene, this is kept short and vague so as to add mystery
• Throughout the first two minutes a jazzy bass track is played, this keeps the tone upbeat and is the kind of music associated with the genre. Jazz music is used throughout the Ocean's franchise for example.

Evaluation of Use of Genre Conventions

Evaluate how your product used, developed or challenged the forms and conventions of real media products

Predictions:

• ·         Audience thought there was a twist in the film which would be correct

• ·         Predictions are easily made because of the establishing of basic situation

•  ·         Which is in keeping with our genre, as heist films follow a formula – it is the exact nature of the twist which is difficult to predict

1. Title

• ·         Striking title against a black background, has a contrast  and almost 70s feel
• ·         In keeping with the genre as film openings often reveal the title only 
• ·         Cards tie in with themes of gambling + being deceived

2. Credits

• ·         Same colour as title orange and for main characters appear next to them as they are freeze framed - common device for heist films, seen in e.g. "Lock, Stock" and "Hustle".
• Other credits  are put in over the action again the same colour – less obtrusive and don’t distract from the action but still distinctive
• They needed to stand out as they had to bring some interest in the opening sequence and some are there longer than others as to be remembered more

3 & 4 Characters 

 

• ·       The characters we have put in our piece represent the stereotypical roles that are generally related to our genre
• ·         Main characters are mainly males and one woman - heist genre traditionally male-dominated
• ·         Our characters are younger than would be used in a film close to ours but we feel it works well to refresh the genre and create new situations which are possibly less serious
• ·         Our hacker was cast as a direct opposite of the other characters (no suit, different overall style) showing some variety and also tends to conform to heist conventions of having very distinctive characters in the gang with clear roles and areas of expertise.
• ·         As in other heist films we used men to fulfill most of the narrative roles and also typical woman’s roles i.e. damsel in distress.
•         The women though are used in unconventional roles as they are involved in the actual action and are not just waiting to be saved etc - becoming more common in the genre and we wanted to continue this.
• ·         The main characters were not all as would be found in real media products as they are not all the polished characters that we normally see, but this works with the age of our cast

5 & 6 Mise-en-scene

• ·         The women are dressed casually in this piece compared with the men in suits and also the hacker wearing casual clothes which is a contrast
• ·         The location of the poker scene was different to that of other media interpretations as it was brighter and bare.
• ·         Make up was not used as characters are young and fresh which is how we wanted them to come across although not too young, more 20’s than teenage.
• ·         Wanted the kidnap scene to look like someone’s shed/basement so we used someone’s to give it authenticity
• ·         The delivery person was dressed very simply as they normally dress but no logo, like some pieces could have chose
• ·         Use of iconography like playing cards help to create genre feel where gambling and sleight of hand important elements

7, 8 and 9 Camera Work

• ·         Our use of extreme close up is there to add mystery and show emotions in situations i.e. surprise, our last shot with the extreme close up of the eyes it helped us to add in a connection with the characters without showing too much of what they looked like.
• ·         We also had a few POV shots showing what the characters were seeing as if you were in their position, which gives you a limited perspective/ knowledge typical of the genre
• ·         Also had some low angle shots to add interest around a scene and to make the characters seem bigger than normally are.
• ·         We had over the shoulder shots with some conversations and also to show what was in the package delivered, it is used a lot in every film opening to keep interest and also show emotion when receiving news
• ·         We had low angle shots to show vulnerability for example in the hostage scene which had a good effect
• ·         We also had long shots to show and entire area and to include the scenery, gives the scenes some authenticity as it could be as you would view the scene if you were there - again more common of form (film opening) than directly related to genre.
• ·         We also had some panning shots when the poker happened around the table moving from face to face, showing each character in turn, and showing they are important characters.

10 Editing

• ·         In editing we used freeze frames to capture the faces of the important characters and to put their actor’s names over the top this pointed out the characters to watch and also allowed a base for some of the credits, this is used in other media products like ‘Hustle’ so it follows the conventions of well known products in the genre.
• ·         We also had a few wipe transitions to change location/focus which can be seen in films like ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ to move from one scene to the other and create a sense of different plots in different places in post production

11 Sound

• ·         We also added in enhanced ambient sound like doors slamming and removed wild sound. Sound added in in post production is common in films like this as certain sounds cannot always be heard or have the desired effect.
• ·         We also added in appropriate non-diegetic music that was repetitive but went with the story line and had no lyrics to distract from the speaking underneath (diegetic sound) much like the music used in heist films to keep energy in the scene
• ·         We have some dialogue in our piece but very few bits most important bits at the end and the beginning, not giving too much away.

Evaluate how your product used, developed or challenged the forms and conventions of real products

1           

            Title

• Orange text on a plain black background giving a classic heist film look
• Title suits our genre because of the style and the colour orange which is a bold colour
• Deck of cards to go with the title which also suggests there is a joker (double agent) in the pack.

  Credits

• Same as the title, orange this appears with the characters or another part
• Simple credits which wouldn't distract the audience too much because we want the audience to be focused on the film as well

3, 4 & 5 Characters

• Heist films always have a variety of characters to work together as a team which we have shown through this film
• The characters that are used in heist movies are usually involved with criminal scenarios e.g robbing a bank but by doing that there needs to be a gathering
• It is often middle aged men getting involved in crimes in heist films. Our cast are teenagers so adds a fresh style to the genre as their lives and concerns will be different
• Our characters are a male and female
• The two males and one female as our main characters would be breaking the genre code in some ways because heist films stereotypically are an all-male cast which updates a genre

6 & 7 Mise-en-scene

• There is often a scene where in heist films poker is involved
• Using props such as the round table which would be helpful with camera work and also the bags to be used to swap
• Unlike other heist films, we have shown the characters playing in the daylight rather than at night because of lack of lighting equipment so hard for us to follow genre conventions here. 
• Lack of lighting worked in the shed location where one of the gang is kidnapped - the back lighting as the door opens helps to conceal the identity of the man who walks in - this is a common use of lighting.
• A further location is a room full of machinery goods to create the environment that the hacker is in a place which is comfortable for him. It uses conventions well because the hacker wears casual clothes
• The final location is at a park which usually is public. This is a location that is common for 'drops' in spy films so we are slightly mixing genres here.

7, 8, 9, & 10 Camera Work

• We use close up and extreme close up to hide the unknown boss character so the audience wouldn’t recognise who the person is, although he is very important
• There is a panning shot in the poker scene which is stereotypically used in heist films. As the camera moves round to capture different reactions
• A long shot is used to show that another person is coming into the scene who will be effectively used for the message that needs to be received
• A POV shot at the hacker scene to show what he was attempting to hack which gives the audience a sense of involvement

11 & 12 Editing 

• There are 4 changes of scene to show that the scene has changed
• The door at the beginning of the scene, we have added a sound that is louder and more dramatic
• There is silence when there is an extreme close up of his eyes to create tension and makes the audience more intrigued to know who the person is
• Also editing at the packaging scene because it goes back and forth from when the messenger is talking and seeing one of the main the character’s emotions
• There are wipe transitions used to change the scene as a part of the editing style

Evaluating Genre Conventions in Our Product

Predictions

• As title hints this plot seems to have a lot of twists. You are  able to guess some of them in the beginning two minutes.

• Audience feedback was all about guessing what was going to happen next and who the double agent was.

• This made us feel confident that our sequence was bringing up the right questions.

Title

• The colour of our title is a dark orange colour as this is was a popular colour for heist films in the 80s, and so it gives the feel of smart, sophisticated movie.

• The orange colour makes it stand out from the black background.

• We used a quite simple font to give it a professional and serious look to it, showing that this film is not entirely a comedy, although there are touches of light-heartedness.

• The picture is of all the aces and a joker, linking in with the gambling and the name of the title, we thought it suited it well as the joker implies that there is a cheat or an unexpected element in the group. The card game look is common for the genre e.g. opening credits of TV show "Hustle".

2-6. Credits

• They are the same colour and font as the title, so that they are connected.

• The colour makes it stand out and catches the eyes of the audience.

• When introducing the characters we used freeze frames to allow the audience to recognise them and as a stylistic device which is recognisable for the heist genre e.g. Guy Ritchie films.

• We made the credits very obvious as we were aiming for a non-transparent film so the audience are aware that they are watching something that is not real. This is a more common editing style for this genre.

4-6. Characters

• Generally speaking it is normally young/ middle age adults who are the main characters in this kind of film.

•  The main characters in our film are aged around 17-18, this is younger than usual, and so updates the genre by adding a hybrid teen element.

• Our characters act as cunning, sophisticated people. This is common in heist films.

• Our characters are the type of people you normally see in heist films like James (5) for example, he plays the computer hacker, whose appearance is scruffy and nerdy; you regularly see this as they are needed to break the codes in the film.

7. Mise-en-scène

• There are several different settings we had as we used a lot of cross-cutting between characters.

• We did not use the regular settings like expensive casinos and wealthy houses as we had limited access to our location choice and had to do every scene on location, thought this added to the verisimilitude of it.

• The locations we used were; dark shed, exquisite house, computer room, outside and a dark office - a varied setting which corresponds with the quick changes of scene we associate with the heist genre.

• The lighting varies in the first 2 minutes, like when in the shed (10) it is very dark and the only source of light is coming through the door, this shows that it is place that you do not want to be held up in and so we know he isn’t there by choice.

• The lighting in the office scene was artificial lighting, so it is possible that it is night of he is in a secret location somewhere (11), a key light is also used at this point to give the boss a mysterious feel. However we mostly use natural lighting as is mostly takes place in daylight.

• Had props such as, cards gambling chips, confidential envelope to create verisimilitude.

• Heist films normally have men with suits in. We too have this, with several of our characters showing they are smart due to their choice of clothes.

• The people we casted were teenagers as we thought it would be different to have a younger cast than usual, thus making us stand out from the other heist films.

• The costumes we used tell the audience a lot about the character like for James (5) he is wearing casual clothes meaning he is not a businessman like Jack (4).

• In the shed scene we also have a backlight (7), to create a silhouette of the person so you are not able to identify who the person is.

8. Editing
 

• A lot of short takes are used in our movie as we aimed at having a fast paced movie that is straight to the point, we particularly do this in the gambling scene (8) where we use match on action and unusual angles to create this pace.

• We cross cut from several scenes, this shows that there is a lot going on at one time.

• When we cut to a different scene we use a fade to black to make the transitions smoother and more obvious that it is a change in scene.

• We thought it would be good to use non-transparent editing as this is not seen regularly in any kind of film, but has been known to be used in heist films, especially the TV show ‘Hustle’.

9&10. Camera angles

• We used close ups to establish who the main characters are in the film, this was also helped due to the freeze frames.

• It is usual to see some extreme close ups in heist films, and that is why we decided to have some as well, we did this to elaborate the non transparent editing, with extreme close ups of the boss’ eyes - also usefully helped to keep his identity under wraps. (10)

• Another camera movement you see often in our piece is the panning shot so the audience is able to see more of the action in one shot, this is mainly done during the gambling scene and again is common in the heist genre as we need to see the reactions of all our main characters.

• POV shots are used as well as it allows the audience to identify with the main characters, and enables them to see what they see.

• We have high angles to establish power and who is in control this is normally used in these kinds of films.

11&12. Sound

• Mainly through the two minuets we have a constant non-diegetic music playing throughout, this helps set the mood and pace of the film. The almost 70s jazz feel is conventional for the genre. 

• The non-diegetic music we chose is relaxed and not particularly fast, this makes it seem that everything is in order, and when the music cuts off that feeling of having control is gone so the audience suspects something is not as planned.

• The boss’s dialogue at the beginning introduces what the character wants and what he is attempting to do. Dialogue is key in opening sequences to set plot and character and especially in plot-heavy genres such as ours.

• The synchronous sound is there to add to the verisimilitude of our film (e.g. typing on the computer).

• The silence at the end gives the feel of tension and unease and builds up the suspense as to who the person is and what is going to happen.