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

This is the link to the 5 minute video that I made, which explains and discusses the different ways in which my two minute opening challenges, develops and uses forms and conventions of real media products:

The making of La Ferme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg-pvlFVswA

Video Problems

Yesterday I managed to convert the sound files so that I was able to import them onto Final Cut Pro. Once I had completed the director's commentary for the two minute opening I then exported the film and saved it on my pen drive to upload when I got home. However, when I went to open the film it only played the voice over part and there was no video, even though I made sure that it worked when I was at school. Once I have figured out what went wrong, I will upload the Director's Commentary and the final part of the evaluation onto Blogger.

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

I think that I have learnt more about the different camera angles that are available, such as close ups, low angle, medium close and medium high. For example, during the filming of the preliminary task, I did not do any close ups, or change the camera's zoom but instead kept the same camera angle. However, in my actual task, I used a wide variety of shots and angles, including extreme close ups and panning shots. I have also learnt a lot about editing, as I did not edit the preliminary task as it was on iMovie but instead just added titles and credits, whereas when it came to editing my two minute opening, I used Adobe After Effects and Final Cut Pro to add colour correction and muzzle flashes onto the footage.

Also, I believe that the use of match on action in my preliminary task is different to that of my actual one.

This is a screen shot of some match on action that I used in the preliminary task. I believe that it is not as good as the one featured in my actual task as it is not as smooth.

This is a screen shot of the match on action that is featured in my actual task. Here, the soldiers run through the trench and in the next scene the camera is behind them but still looking at them running.

I also used a lot of colour correction during the editing of the actual task. For example, i used brownish colours to represent two different time periods. Brownish colour represented the present day, whereas dark blue represented the past.

These screen shots show the actual footage against the colour corrected one:

In the preliminary task, I used shot/reverse shot but it was not very good, as it was in one take. However, during the actual task, I managed to use it but this time it looked a lot better. 

 The shot/reverse shot scene in my preliminary task was not very good compared to the one in my actual task

First the audience see the back of the soldier and in the next shot see the front of him

I think that I have learnt a lot about the titles as in the preliminary task, I used a basic title template that I found on iMovie yet for the actual task I created my own using Adobe After Effects.

I think that the way in which the names of the actors appear and then disappear add to the somberness of the opening. I also think that the column of smoke adds to the tension of the film as it is a symbol of the battle that is featured in the two minute opening.

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

During the planning and construction stages of my two minute opening, I have used a wide range of equipment, such as cameras to lighting equipment.

These are some pictures of the media hut and the equipment that I used to create the two minute opening:

The computers, where I updated my blog and searched for sound effects and soundtracks.

The Macs, which I used to edit my footage and import onto Final Cut Pro

Best Mac in the room (my one)

The lighting equipment that I used during the Preliminary task

The Green Screen was used during the filming of the Tenacious D music video

This is the equipment that i used to film my opening:

• Tripod
• Mini Tripod
• HD Camera
• Flip Camera
• Sound Recording Device (white thing)

(Not shown is the mini boom pole)

The computer programs and other applications that I used to create the two minute opening are:

• Adobe After Effects CS5
• Final Cut Pro
• YouTube
• Blogger
• iMovie
• Soundtrack Pro
• Converter
• Toast Titanium
• Windows Media player

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

Since my film is a war film based in WW2, I decided to look at films that are similar to my one. The three that I will look at in more detail are Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and Saints and Soldiers. All three of these films feature US Paratroopers, which are the main characters in my film.

Saving Private Ryan
Distributor: DreamWorks
DreamWorks: Is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses totalling more than $100 million each.It began in 1994 with the aim of becoming a new Hollywood studio.

Band of Brothers
Distributor: HBO (Home Box Office)
HBO: Is an American television network owned by Tim Warner. In  December 2010, HBO's programming reached 28.6 million subscribers in the US, making it the largest premium cable network in America (in terms of the number of subscribers). In addition to its U.S. subscriber base, HBO also broadcasts in at least 151 countries worldwide.

Saints and Soldiers
Distributor: Excel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group: Is a media company founded in 1995 by former Disney executive Jeff Simpson. It is associated with Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, which is a branch of Christianity, and many of its products are targeted towards the Latter-day Christians, and the particular distribution of many pieces of LDS cinema.

Director's Commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfWR9noRNgk

DreamWorks Logo

HBO logo

Excel Entertainment Group logo



Who would be the audience for your media product?

The age for my film would be between 15-50 year olds as there is quite a lot of action and violence but not enough to make it an 18.
The film is aimed at those who are keen war film enthusiasts, particularly those who are interested in WW2, as the film is based on the experiences of a US Paratrooper in Normandy France 1944.
However, in my opinion, the film is almost anti-war as it shows a shell-shocked soldier staring at the life-less bodies of his fallen comrades. I think that it is also quite interesting to see the effects of warfare on the mind and how the struggle of war is not just to survive but to keep your sanity as well.
If the entire film was made, I would film it in the same style as the two minute opening sequence and it would feature action, drama and show the real effects of war.
I believe that the post traumatic stress and the occurring flashbacks that come with intense combat are good to watch and an interesting insight into the mind of a soldier involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the 20th Century.

This is a link to the annotated opening looking at the different aspects of the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMlnDwByma8

These images are scene in the beginning of the film and show the horrific aftermath of a battle

Images of death are a reoccurring feature in La Ferme

This shows a soldier just after he has been hit by shrapnel from an artillery shell

Films such as Saving Private Ryan, Saints and Soldiers and the mini-series Band of Brothers are all rated 15+ as they feature bad language and violence that is not suitable for people younger than 15. However, it can depend on the rating given to each film as it depends on the use of different moods and themes.For example, The Battle of Midway and All Quiet on the Western Front, are both set in a wartime context, the first examines the themes of honor, sacrifice, and valour, and the second is an anti-war film which emphasises the pain and horror of war. As a result of this, the rating may differ as the first is almost pro-war, showing heroism and gallantry yet the second would focus more on horrific scenes of death and misery in order to appeal to a more anti-war audience.

The poster for the Battle of Midway film

The horror of battle shown in All Quiet on the Western Front

Death, suffering and misery feature heavily in All Quiet on the Western Front

 

Sound Trouble

For one of the evaluation questions, I recorded myself talking about certain aspects of the two minute opening, such as the titles and genre, yet when I tried to place these over the actual footage on Final Cut Pro, it did not work so I then tried to convert them using Toast but this ended with the same result. As a result of this, I will have to wait unti next week to add the voiceovers.