Analysis of Filming of The Trailer #2

As a group we managed to complete all the necessary preproduction in which we would need in order for us to film this included new story boards, voiceover scripts and all the permission documentation.
The filming of our new sequence of scenes took nearly 3 hours in total. This included all production members taking production stills and photos for the portfolio. Once we had begun filming things seemed to run smoothly and go well. We managed to obtain all the extra shots in which we needed for the trailer. Like before I assumed the role of director as I was the one who designed the story boards with help from the other team members.
On the day of filming something in which did cause some concern was the fact that one group member had an alternative idea as to the way in which we would film certain shots. The reason I feel this was is due to the diminutive amount of time in which we had in order to produce the pre production. Meaning there was less time for debates and queries. This problem was overcome by referring to the story boards and I believe that they are happy with the overall effect of the shots.
Additionally for one of our scenes in which we filmed it was required that a chair was pushed down a flight of stairs in order to add some action and chaos to our trailer. This was a fairly noisy process and although we did inform the staff in their office that that this is what we were doing a member of staff did become concerned as they had not been informed of our activity and consequently asked us to stop. This would have been problematic if we hadn’t informed other teachers as it is likely they too would have wanted us to stop but because we had we were able to obtain the shots we needed first before somebody became concerned. After the filming the same member of staff did approach sympathetically and enquire that we had the shots we needed.
Even though the actual filming of the trailer went well during the editing of the footage our editor noticed that our new footage was shot in 4x3 and our original footage was in wide screen. This was an error on our behalf as we did not think to check the settings of the camera. Although in our defence the scenes shot in wide screen were not deliberate and we did not choose for this to happen. Although essentially this seemed problematic we have been able to rectify the problem during the editing process.
I feel that the completion of the filming process for our trailer has boosted the moral of the group and we are now almost back on track with regards to being finished on time. Any problems that occurred on the day of filming were dealt with in a professional manner and the whole experience is proof of good organisation and team work as we have been able to alter our schedule and still keep up the work load through the added efforts of the group.

Revision of the Trailer Idea

After filming our initial trailer we then proceeded to begin editing. It was at this stage which we noticed that our selection of shots did not give the effect we were looking for. This became problematic because our chosen genre was horror and essentially from viewing our paper edit it looked more like a comedy or a spoof. This was not the effect in which we were aiming for. As a group we decided that the reason for this was because in some of our scenes the actors didn’t really appear to be in character. Although we did ask them not to smile as a member of the production team we couldn’t physically stop them form doing so. As we were filming in their own free time and they were doing the acting as a favour. Furthermore none of our chosen actors were professional. However the failure of our first trailer can not be blamed entirely on the actors. As a group I feel we paid to much attention to the slow build up of enigma and this resulted in us missing out the action scenes which are designed to make the audience jump. We intend to address this problem by rescheduling a day for filming, where we will primarily address incorporating action shots which within itself should help to build more enigma. Additionally we decided to include a visual representation of a weapon again this is to help build the enigma. With all of this taken into consideration it should address our previous problems.
Nevertheless although the filming of the film had not gone as well as I had first thought it was not an entire waste of time. As much of the footage shot initially can be used in the final trailer as it is the way in which we have attempted to build tension and enigma.
The plan now is to reorganise the storyboards to incorporate some of our new ideas. This will also result in changes to the voiceover story board and script. The new ideas in theory should not affect the script as there are very few spoken lines as our intension is to use dramatic music produced by a group member and recorded by the group to help build the tension and enigma within our trailer.
All in all i feel the experience has been a learning curve for the group and that as a group now it has made us more aware of the fact that all the codes and conventions used within either trailers or films all play an important part in the representation and into how the audience perceive a media text.

Analysis Of The Filming Of The Trailer

The date in which we had decided to film approached and with most of our preproduction completed the filming went ahead as scheduled. This was possible because we had made sure that anything that was needed for the production of the trailer was completed fully before the date of filming. This provides evidence of good organisation and time management skills on behalf of the group. Having everything we required for the trailer finished before the date of filming allowed for us to revisit tasks and make any amendments in which we felt necessary. The actual filming of the trailer took no more than 3 hours. This included all production members taking production stills and photos for the portfolio. The reason in which I feel things went so well is all down to thorough planning, good organisation and time management skills. Items such as detailed story boards and scripts enabled us to produce our trailer swiftly and efficiently.
My role within the production of the trailer was to act as director and take primary responsibility for coordinating the work of all of the team members. As well as referring to the script and story board to make sure that they were being followed as closely as possible. The reason in which I assumed this role was because I was the team member who developed everyone’s ideas into one compatible one this being the role of the screen writes.
If I had to suggest a problem which caused the most issues it would have been location. As although we had taken test photographs to make sure that it were suitable for our needs we did encounter some minor problems. Firstly and possible the most threatening was the fact that the stairs in which we had decided to use as one of our locations had a bike padlocked to the railings. We then faced the dilemma of finding the owner of the bike and asking whether it would be possible for them to move it temporarily. The reason in which this caused such a problem for our production was the fact that we were attempting to create a sense of isolation and abandonment within our trailer. Furthermore the stairs in which we intended to use were the only appropriate location within the college. Our first port of call was the staff room in which we were able to contract the person whose bike it was through a lecturer. In the end this situation did not pose a serious threat however it did put us behind schedule. Nevertheless this time was made up as our producer became more confident and accurate when using the equipment.
Additionally with regards to location we faced another crisis as unfortunately one of the doors that we had intended to use produced too much reflection. Something which could have been avoided if it was noticed when producing our test shots for our trailer of the locations. The only way around this would have been to have taken the test shots of the location at the same time of day in which we planned to film at. Although other members of the group found this occurrence quite disheartening and stressful for me I was less concerned. As essentially there are many doors within college in which we could have used. Which is what occurred in the end and I feel the end product of that scene is just as effective.
Something else which posed a threat to our production was that one of the cast or actors did not turn up as arranged and we had to find somebody to replace them a short notice. Although inconvenient this did not pose to large a threat to the production schedule as we were able to call upon peers who were willing to help. As a result of this the production of the trailer commenced on time. However even if the filming did not start on time this would not have been a problem as we had booked the equipment and location for longer than would have been necessary as we had taken the unexpected into account.

Finally the last problem in which we encountered was a sudden dramatic loss of battery life although the batteries had been fully charged at the beginning. Although potentially if we were unprepared this could have caused a serious threat to our production but thankfully the batteries didn’t run out. Also because we were so well organised there was a back up battery as well as the opportunity to run the camera off of mains electricity through sockets at all of our locations. Fundamentally this never really caused our production any threat. The reason for this being that as soon as this problem was noticed we began running the camera off of the colleges mains electricity to make sure that when filming we did not lose any footage.
On the day of the filming of the trailer each group member took the initiative to bring in their own personal stills camera in order for them to take production stills and photos in which they may choose to use on either their individual magazine covers or website pages. This not only shows initiative it provides evidence for the fact we as a group are forward thinking. As by using the same day to take production stills it has increased the continuity for our campaign through the use of dress codes as a signifier. This will be reflected in both the magazine cover and web page.
In conclusion on the day of filming everything went according to plan and we only faced minor difficulties on the day of the production. We managed to accomplish all the scenes in which we required. Filming each scene at least 3 times to make sure we have a variety of shots to choose from. This essentially should make the process of editing easier. Any problems that we may have encountered were dealt with in a professional way and with all members of the group equally doing there best to produce a top quality trailer.

Progress Report: Pre-production Material

For the past couple of weeks the main focus for my group has been the preproduction stages of our coursework. As a group I feel that we have managed our time effectively and efficiently which has resulted in a successful completion of the filming for our trailer. At the moment all tasks are up to date and we are on scheduled to be finished on time.
As my majority role within the pre production is the screen write my consideration as to the most difficult aspect of the planning I would have to say that it was developing the story board in order to make it look like a trailer and less like the opening of a film. However through much deliberation and discussion as a group we were able to come together and discuss the different codes and conventions and how we as individuals had interpreted them. This quickly resolved such issues as where to put opening credits and film title. Fundamentally the difficulties faced with the story boards have been worth it as I have been able to produce detailed story boards. This has enabled the entire group to have a clear picture in their heads about what we are aiming to produce.
Additionally taking into consideration all of the rules and regulations for our trailer has also been fairly difficult. For instance there is legislation in place which states that within a trailer you may not represent a minority group in a derogative way including the use of stereotypes. For me both the representations of a minority group and a stereotypical view are all down to personal opinion. Needless to say I overcome this by researching further into our target audience and I have decided the way in which we can overcome such an obstacle is by firstly not being derogative in our trailer and secondly by not using stereotypes in order to shock our audience. Essentially within all productions there must be a degree of stereotypical values within them otherwise the audience would not understand what was being represented to them.
On the other hand I feel although there have been a few difficulties with regards to the pre-production as a group we have accomplished a lot. One thing in which we have done well is developing signifiers that will connect all 4 media productions to our campaign. Moreover another thing in which we have achieved is a good strong recognition for the key codes and conventions for our trailer mainly but this has then gone on to inform our radio advertisement and our own individual media pieces. This was done through identifying a genre for our products all to follow. This too then influenced and informed our signifiers throughout our campaign.
Finally honestly I would have to say although I feel that we are well organised and on schedule yes it is a shock to realise that the submission date is so close. As there is so much we as a group wish to do with our products in order to make them successful.

Audience Analysis For Viral Campaign Products

When producing a media text it is important to establish who your target audience are. It is common knowledge that most producers will have constructed a fully psychographic and demographic profile of a person who they will be directly constructing their media product for. Although this person is essentially fictitious it is likely that there is someone amongst the audience who fits this profile.However such people will only account for the minority of audience members. Fundamentally it is impossible to interest all members of the public to your product. As a result of this it would be fair to say that as a media producer you do rely on your experience with existing audiences from the real world in order to target your own on a wide basis. For example as a media producer on a wider basis you would be looking to attract an audience through some of either their psychographic or demographic factors. As our task is to produce a viral campaign I feel we are able to influence a vast amount of people as each different form of media is accompanied by their own target audiences. As a group we have had to explore all the different codes and conventions for all the different media forms in which we intend to produce.All in all I feel that when constructing an audience for a media text it is in effect a mixture of both a fictitious thing as well as drawing on experiences. Furthermore it must be mentioned that essentially an audience make a film and must be pre existing otherwise media producers wouldn’t know who or how to target the audience.
The magazine cover and web page which I have produced as part of a viral campaign to advertise the film ‘Locked Away’, essentially all share the same target audience as that of the film. Therefore it has been important to follow the set codes and conventions of the films genre and continue them onto the other products in order for the audience to identify what is being represented to them.
The genre of our film is horror and it is here in which as a media producer you apply codes and conventions in order to attract your audience. A typical convention of horror films is to have them age restricted. This then means that because our film is a certificate 15 that our audience members will all be in their late teens and still in an educational environment. The photograph I’ve used depicts three young people sat on a staircase to induce the idea of students. The reason for this being that our location for the film is set in a college and to fully appreciate what is being represented in the film suggests that our target audience will still be in education. Additionally another mise-en-scene convention for the genre horror is the use of dark and red colours. I have continued this convention onto my magazine cover as essentially I will be using it to promote the films genre.
The demographic features of my target audience are as follows:
· Age: 15-20years
· Location: Britain
· Career: Student
· Nationality: British
· Ethnicity: white
Many of the codes and conventions used within all of my viral campaigns products have specific connotations for my target audience. As they themselves can identify with what is being represented as they recognise themselves in the products. This fits with Foucault’s theory of the narrative of the self. People see themselves in a media product and then consume it as part of a routine to become more and more like it. On the other hand Anne Cronin’s theory of if you buy it you can become it can also be applied as she would suggest that audiences buy media products in order to become more like what is being represented.

How is your contextual understanding of the media developing?

For our A2 media studies advanced portfolio we are required to produce an advertising campaign for our production. This is to include a trailer, radio advert, web page and the front cover of a magazine featuring our production. There is a vast range of different media forms and this has developed my contextual understanding of the media in a number of ways.
One way in which the advanced portfolio has developed my contextual understanding is by allowing me to look at more than just the visual media. For instance during the foundation portfolio we were only required to distinguish the codes and conventions for genres within films. Whereas with the advanced portfolio it is necessary for us to look at radio as well as the visual forms of media such as print and film. To add to this it should also be mentioned that because the advanced portfolio is a viral campaign there needs to be a theme in which all the products follow in order for the audience to establish an association with the product. This has developed my contextual understanding of the media in the sense that we needed to look at viral campaigns and find common associations within their products.
Through such research of other viral campaigns it was decided by the group that the common theme within our campaign would be the sound of keys or a visual representation of keys. The reason for this being that a set of keys seemed to be the logical theme in the sense that our film title is ‘locked away’ and our storyline is that a group of students find themselves locked in at college. Our aim is to create an association with a set of keys to our campaign.
Another way in which my contextual understanding of the media has developed is through the research into target audiences. The advanced portfolio has required me to further deeper my understanding of audiences as well as explore new audiences for example radio audiences have considerable differences to those of a trailer audience. Such differences all stems down to the fact that with a radio advert there can be no visual representation. Along side this with, radio adverts such issues as human psychology needs to be taken into consideration. For example it has been said that anything at the beginning of a radio advert is mostly forgotten by its audience. Therefore it is essential as media producers that we make sure all the information we want the audience to remember is strategically placed.
Furthermore my understanding of contextual media has developed as all the different media forms each have their own codes and conventions. Which in order to produce a successful campaign it has been important for me to interpret correctly. I have been able to note that with visual media’s such as print and web that those codes and conventions rely strongly on mise-on-scene to establish the genre. Whereas with such media forms as radio it is more difficult and all of it must be done through the use of sound.
Another key way in which my contextual understanding of the media has developed is through the research into the rules and regulations with regards to producing each of the forms of media. For example when producing an advert for the radio sudden loud noises are prohibited as radios can be found in most cars and sudden noise might distract the driver. Additionally on the visual forms of media it is important that nudity is kept to a minimum and is appropriate.

Devising Teaser Trailer Idea

The first thing in which we did as a group was to discuss which genre we could like to produce a trailer for. It was agreed upon by all that our chosen genre would be horror. The reason for this being that all members had seen a number of horror movies. Resulting in us as a group being able, to establish the codes and conventions in order to create a successful trailer. Furthermore it was felt that this was the genre in which we had most experience with and that had strong codes and conventions. Easily recognised and recreated in our own production.
As part of our summer work we were required to develop initial ideas for a teaser trailer. As a group we decide to use some of these initial ideas from group members where deemed appropriate. As well as incorporating our new idea for the teaser trailer.
From one group member it was decided that our trailer storyline would be very similar. Taking from their work the synopsis and location for the trailer. From my own we decide to take the idea that the antagonists may or may not be real. This stemmed from the mental health issue included within my initial idea. Something else in which we acquired was adopted from the other group member was the lack of diagetic dialogue from the characters, replacing it with music.
Subsequently we developed a story board which was primarily the responsibility of me as I was appointed the job role of play write. When creating the story board it was important for me to take into consideration our influence trailers in which other group members were researching and analysing.
Moreover I feel it was imperative to consult on a regular basis with my group members as they in some cases had picked up on certain codes and conventions in which I hadn’t. Effectively I feel this has improved our production story board a great deal. Additionally each member of the group is now pleased with the completed story board. The benefits of story boards are that you are able to plan the camera shots, camera movements and duration. That enables the group to get a detailed picture of what the final product should look like.
One thing in which posed a challenge to the group was the fact that it was not necessary to make a whole film and thus it does not need cohesion in order to make complete sense. As you would not expect a professional trailer to give away the entire film. However this was over come by including short scenes of the action taking place and the use of jump cuts.
After developing the story board I developed a voice over story board which matched certain scenes to the voiceover. This in the long run should help us place the correct voice over to the correct scenes. Which in turn will cut the time it takes to produce as it has already been organised. The voice over itself again takes influence from other trailers in which we researched. It was noted that firstly the majority of horror teaser trailers do contain a voice over. In addition such catch phrases as ‘coming soon to a cinema near you’ were also featured in horror teaser trailers so essentially we included it within our own trailer. This within its self can be counted a convention of horror teaser trailers.
After creating the story board I developed a script from it, fitting in appropriate dialogue to the scenes which required it. As mentioned above there was very little dialogue. As a group we decided to keep the dialogue to a minimum. As this would make the use of non diagetic music more effective. Again I constantly consulted with my group members in order to maintain their influences throughout the pre production tasks.