Final version of my film

This is the final draft of my film opening, it has been taking me a long while to finish. As I set my titles placed in the very beginning of the film, and I used the special effects of the font of my title. A mass of blood slowly disperse to form the title "Clock's Ticking Late", also with a mixtures of red and white colour, it makes audiences feel a bit stressed, I am quite satisfied with the result. I have also made the text from font size of 60 to 40 because if the fonts are too big, it will affect the few minutes of my main opening credits.

I have used Olivia's scream, rather than the scream from Jenny, because it simply wasn't "frightened" me enough.  I have imported the sound of a weird guy's laugh. I have redownloaded my distribution company "New Line Cinema" in High Definition quality instead of the previous one.

Evaluation 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The nine frame grid shows shots I feel best repersents what I was trying to achieve.


Frame 1
This is the first shot that appears on screen (excluding the title of my film). It is the establishing shot which sets the scene and builds up the atmosphere.


Frame 2
Frame 2 is shot outdoor, and it brings audiences' attention to the next scene. I particularly like this shot as it's long shot and makes it look like they are being watched.

Frame 3

This is a extreme long shot, it shows there's one person missing on the bench. And there's a very pale hand appeared on the left side of the frame, it shows there's a person hiding behind the tree. It has a contrast of the colours used in the rest of the opening, as later shots become darker.

Frame 4

This frame shows Olivia is sleeping on her bed, and the slow reactions of the strange girl behind her. As I found out whilst planning and looking at exsisting film trailer such as "The Child's Eye" how the strange girl's been setted.

Frame 5

A match on action shot is used here, moving from the back to the front showing Sarah opens the door.

 

Frame 6

This is a close up shot of the strange girl getting closer and closer to the camera, it's been used a very dark lighting effect to built up the bizarre atomsphere.

Frame 7

This photo of Mengyu was taken behind the door, the spotlight shooting at her face from the bottom, which express her creepiness of character to maximum.

Frame 8

This is a very dark photo, as it has been filmed outdoor at night. And it shows Jenny has been chased by the strange girl, running towards the road.

Frame 9

This is the very last shot in the sequence. It is also the last title that appears in the opening which reads "Directed by Janice Ma" this title along with "Produced by Janice Ma"come in last as they are the more important titles in an opening.

Evaluation 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I decided to choose the ghost for the role of the  as she has the creepy looking with dress up, and has dark hair which fit the appearence of ghost in the scenes. I got this idea from the girl from "The Grudge - Black Girls" as she has the same appearence.

They both have dark, creepy, gloom looking in similarities.

Mengyu is practically another version of the "The Grudge Black Girls".

However, the only difference between the twos, are that Mengyu in my video look more plain and realistic than the actual character in the movie. Due to the added effects they have had on the published composition from the professionals.

They both wear black long cloth and have the same hairstyles.

Evaluation 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A production company creates ideas and motion pictures, tv programmes, and adverts etc - they may also find funding for the products they produce.

A distributor is someone reliable who would get the film out there and support it fully. New Line Cinema would be the most reliable - they've been going for years.
The production company logo is seen at the beginning of my film. The actoresses's name tags are shown with a style of crippy font. Producer and Director are setted as the final scene.
My film influences are The Child's Eye, The Grudge, the black girl, and The Eye.

Name of the Company: New Line Cinema

The Website of the Company: http://www.newline.com/

Headquarters: 116 N Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Incorporated: 1967

Notable Films:
A Nightmare on Elm Street

The Mask

Se7en (Opening Credits)

Austin Powers (Opening Credits)

The Lord of the Rings

Sex and the City

Wedding Crashers

Notes: (Acqueired by Time Warner, currently a label of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Market Research: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/New-Line-Cinema-Inc-Company-History.html 

Evaluation 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?

This is Gillian Hu, she is 23 years old and she is one of my best friends. She is studying aboard in the US, and it's her final year in the University. She is studying Human Resource Management at Rutgers University, and she live in  in Highland Park, New Jersey. She was born in China, and she has been studying in the US since she was only 18 years old. She loves travelling around the world, she spends most of her time taking photoshots of plants, buildings, emotional changes on peoples' faces, pets, etc. She is a outgoing girl, she enjoy socialising with other people. She likes shopping, as she said she's easily been satisfied and having a good mood by buying stuffs she loves. Most of her clothes were bought from "A&F", "H&M", "Hollister", "Forever 21". We hang out almost twice a week in China, we like going to the cinema, because both of us are film-holic people. Our favourite films are "The Ring", "The Chid's Eye", "Orphan", "Scream", etc.


She enjoy the most is watching TV shows like "Gossip Girl", "The Vampire Dairy" during her free time. She listens to Pop, R&B music, for example, like Fergie, Akon, Rihanna, Chris Brown, etc.

She like to watch TV shows and episodes like 'Skins', 'Gossip Girl', 'Inbetweeners', 'Family Guy', 'Two Men and a Half' and so on.

She listens to Ellie Goulding, The Black Eyed Peas, Daft Punk, Adele, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye West and so on.

She loves Horror films the most, she will definitely fall in love with my film. She loves watching plots like Revenge, Betray these kind of weird things. Anyway, I hope her enjoy my film opening and give her a strong feeling of she'll never forget about it.

Evaluation 5 - How did you address your target audience?

The followings are the review of my film opening by my friends.

Icsey's:

After watching the beginning of film “clock’s ticking late”, I couldn’t come back to the real world after watching it, about few seconds. It impressed me deeply and the story is really unique and interesting.

It goes tough with a girl’s dream. In her dream, the scene shows a girl was walking along in the corridor, and suddenly all the lights turned off; a scary girl was showed up after that and she's coming closer and closer, it does really make me feel frightened, and I was almost going to scream.

The background music also creates a horrible and mysterious feeling. Afterward, the scary girl has showed up with more ridicules behaviors, such as she suddenly disappeared while they were chatting. And she arose behind her friend like a ghost, while a girl was sleeping. I am so excited about what is going to happen next and who that girl is, why did she become so bizarred.


DAPHIHI'S:

THE OPENING SCENE OF THIS MOVIE GAVE ME A ROUGH IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT STILL LEFT THE SUSPENCE OF WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. UNKNOWN.

IT DID GAVE ME GOOSEBUMB AND RAISE MY HEARTBEAT, WHEN THE GIRL APPEARED IN THE HALLWAY. OUT OF NOWHERE.

THE EFFECTS WERE REALLY GOOD. AND SO DOES THE BACKGROUND MUSIC.

IT HAS A CALM TUNE, BUT IT STILL HAS A HINT OF MYSTERY OF IT.

I REALLY LIKE THE PART WHERE THE GIRL SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED FROM THE BENCH THEY WERE SITTING. THE SHOTS WERE REALLY SMOOTH.

AND FOR THE MAKE-UP PART, IT WAS NICELY DONE. IT GAVE THE SPOOKY LOOK. WHICH WAS NEEDED FOR THE FILM, BUT IT ALSO LOOKS NATURAL.

OVERALL, THE ACTING WAS THE BIGGEST PART WHICH REALLY MADE ME SIT ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE REALLY ATTRACTS MY ATTENTIONS.

Evaluation 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

 

 

Laptop - I used this for editing my video and also doing any research or blog work.

 

Tripod - It can be change with different heights, it depends on your height and the shoting effects you wish to get, it's available for you turn to any shoting angles and it has light weight to be easily carried with as well.

The top of the tripod is for placing your camera, as you can see the screw is to be inserted on the bottom of the digital camera.

iPhone 4 - I used my phone for quick photo-shotting and for some lightings as well, as Mengyu needs bright lights sparked from her chin and above.

Digital camera - I used my own camera for my film, as this is small to carry around, and I'm very familiar with it. So I have better controls with all camera techniques.

The Art Of The Title - It has been introduced by Mr Fraser, it is a really useful website for the title of my film. As after I watched the opening credits of "Se7en", I find out a lot more ideas of my title. 

Microsoft Office 2007 Power Point - We've used this for presentation of "Research on other 6 films", which they have got the similar ideas as mine, and talk about it, how does it relate to my film.

Microsoft Office 2007 Word - This is the most common way that we used it for summaries, reviews after watching the film, and you can type all informations in then copy & paste to my blog.

YouTube - It is the most helpful thing for my film, as I downloaded the New Line Cinema film company's logo on the website, and it has all kinds of different videos I can learn ideas from.

The media text books & notes - They are playing the BIG role in my production of filming, and Mr Fraser has gaven us the checklists of all posts on our blogs are suitable or not. And they gave us clear definitions of each points.

Evaluation 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

In my opening I have several match on action shots.

As you can see in the 1st picture both characters (Sarah and Charlotte) open a door.

In the 2nd picture they push/pull the door. This match on action shot is used to make the audience really see what is going on.

Edit program - Windows Movie Maker

I've been decided to use the Windows Movie Maker for my film editing programme, and I've searched one of the best tutorial video on YouTube for helping me with the editing.

For doing my preliminary task, I've used Corel VideoStudio instead of the Windows Movie Maker, they basically have the similar ideas of film editing, but I prefer the settings of Windows Movie Maker. There's a great summary of how the whole editing programme runs and some technics. And I found it really helpful.

 

 

Title sequence

New Line Cinema film production

Main Character - Mengyu Jiang

Main Character - Olivia Kong

Sarah Wang - Minor Character

Jenny Zhu - Minor Character

 

Costume Design by Jenny Zhu & Janice Ma

Art Direction by Olivia Kong

Production Design by Janice Ma

Casting by Janice Ma

Film Editing by Janice Ma

Cinematography by Jenny Zhu & Olivia Kong & Janice Ma

Produced by Janice Ma

Directed by Janice Ma

Health and safety

In my film, there is one most important safety issue to be focused with which is the last part. It shows Jenny is running in the dark on a narrow road, as she was chasing by someone else, so she's running quite fast. As the film is being filmed at dark outside the building, we must make sure there's no stones or any hard things on the road, she also should be certainly prevent herself if any injuries happened eg. fallinging over.

Most of my filming is filmed inside the building, therefore it has the least probability of having risks. But I must be aware of my camera, like it droped on the floor or somewhere else when we are filming outdoor, as it is an expensive item. And also I don't want to waste any time of filming and editing.

My foundation portfolio development

Film title: Clock's Ticking Late

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Locations: Girl’s boarding corridor, Mengyu’s bedroom and outdoor playground

Character(s): The main character is a girl (her name called, Olivia) who is in a bad dream, others were Mengyu, Sarah and Jenny

Target Audience: 15+

Brief Description: This is a story about a girl has super accurate feelings with the Sixth Sense, and it tells in her dreams. In the beginning of the film, there have been some strange things in her dream, the most intimate friend suddenly become horrible girl, and even has bizarre behavior, however, all her best friends around, there’s a series of things have been happened, and they were seriously been frightened. Will the nightmare really going to happen in the coming days? What will happen next? What caused these kinds of strange things happened between them?

Mise en Scene of my film - Everything in the frame

Location - Girl’s boarding corridor, Mengyu’s bedroom and outdoor playground

Set design - Frightened and shocked faces, screams, also have pale face without any expressions

Costume - Bathrobe, knitwear, long jersey top, black leggings, pair of slipper, black long sweater, etc.

Make-up - Bobbi Brown, MAC, NARS, Chanel, etc.

Iconography - Photos were taken by iPhone 4 and digital camera

Properties - Headphones, iPhone 4

Colour design - High key lighting, back lighting, blurred lighting, etc.

Physicality - The changes of emotion, the expressions in their eyes, run and screams, etc.

A day with Mr Fraser

After watching my film "Clock's Ticking Late", Mr Fraser and Mr Breese has gaven me a lot of useful ideas of how to make my film more vivid, putting some gradually layer shooting into the film, and emphasis the actress.

A rough storyboard of my thriller film, drawn by Mr Fraser.

Fish-eye shots for every movements of the storyboard by my iPhone 4:

Tilted bed, as it gives audiences a weird feeling.

A shoot of Sarah walking through a door, I put the camera into vertical way, it leads to screen effect is a sideway door.

The dark girl (Mengyu) is stangding by the door.

A dark corridor, the layout is she's getting closer and closer to the camera, let viewers have elaborate bravery fibrillation, and want to scream.

The light goes out when Sarah walking on the way to her room, through the corridor. At that time she sees Mengyu, etc.

A good example of thriller film suggested by Mr Fraser, "Repulsion".

Different kinds of editing

Editing - the stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised into an overall narrative. 

Continuity Editing - the most common type of editing, which aims to create a sense of reality and time moving forward.

Jump Cut - an abrupt disorientating transitional device in the middle of a continuos shot in which the action is noticeably advanced in time/ or cut between two similar shots, usually done to create discontinuity for artistic effect.

Credits - the information at the beginning and end of a film, which gives details of cast and crew etc.

Cross Cutting - the editing technique of alternating, interweaving, or interspersing one narrative action with another - usually in different locations or places, thus combining two: this editing technique usually suggests Parallel Action. Often used to dramatically build tension and/ or suspense in chase scenes or to compare two different scenes.

Cutaways - a brief shot that momentarily interrupts continuos action by briefly inserting another related action. Object, or person, followed by a cutback to the original shot.

Freeze Frame - the effect of seemingly stopping film in order to focus in on one event or element.

Eye-line Match - a type of edit which cuts from one character to what that character has been looking at.

Flashback - a scene or moment in a film in which the audience is shown an event that happened earlier in the film's narrative.

Shot Reverse-Shot - edits which switch back and forth between two characters interacting with each other.

Music research

I've chosed a mysterious song as my film's background sound, I also used some scary sound effects to make the audiences feel stressed and frightened.
Mr Fraser has been gaven me 2 discs of weird background sounds, which I find them quite useful and helpful. I also searched some more from the Chinese singers, which are shown below:


My film is aiming for age 15+ people, no restrictions of sexes.


I have decided to use a song which contains the crippy moaning sounds play with piano.

My target audiences

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)

This logo means the film is only suitable for 15 years and over.
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised. My film is a thriller film, there are a few film clips have shock and horror excessive degree, also include some scream, weird lens. If children are under 15 years old, for them to see those horror clips, it is harmful for their spirit and mentally health.

Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Reserach of my film production company

This is a screengrab of productions of The New Line Cinema Company  from Wikipedia.

New Line Cinema

I've choosen The New Line Cinema as my film production company, it is an American film studio.

This is my download from youtube, it is a high definition quality clip, I found most movies from this company's are very interesting and attract me, as I like the shooting style, including its title, the plot, and actors.

Research of film company logos

These are the company logos that I'm going to use which were relevant to the genre and the style of my film and those films they've already been established. This is set as the beginning of my film opening.

Fonts of title

http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=110

The above link is the website of different kinds and effects of the film title, or lists of all performers.

I've been use screen shots to save some pictures of fonts which is the style of horror.

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Film titles

I have come up with a few options for my film names:


1. Aspiration 
2. Clock's Ticking Late
3. Choose Or Run & Hide

In my point of view, my final decision is choose the "Clock's Ticking Late". As I think the other ideas are too hard to figure out the main point of my film. I think this name is not to extreme and fits the feel of the film well.

Latymer School "The Witness"

The reason why I particuarly chose this film, because I think that it has been taught me so much more techniques that I am familar with. It is a good example for me and learn the good stuff, and prevent all the mistakes he's been made. 

Strengths: While in the middle part of the video, the music starts to become louder and noiser which makes a really big contrast to the begining. This can bring up the climax which makes audience feel excitied. In the end, there is a short alarm sound which brings back to the theme of the witness and increase the mysteriousness, so that attracts more audiences' attention.

Weaknesses: There is no intonation in the begining of the video, therefore it does not really attract audiences. Altough the middle part until the end is showing the  the man who witnessed the whole process, it is too fast to showing up the end of the film.

Photo shoots of outdoor

Extreme long shot (XLS) - They are sitting on the bench, and chatting.

Long shot - They are taking pictures by Jenny's new phone(iPhone 4).

A shot of the narrow road that Jenny has been chased.

A blurred shot for Jenny walking through the narrow road during nightfall.

Photo shoots of all charactors for film opening

(Photo has been taken by iPhone 4)

This is Mengyu, a 18 years old Beijing girl.

She is playing the main multiple personality disorder (MPD) girl.

She is wearing a black long sweater without a tight legging or a pair of socks/shoes.

Her make-up was just tonnes of black eyeliner, pale face with very light colour of foundation, a pair of grey colour contact-lenses with her hair pulled across her face.

(Photo has been taken by iPhone 4)

This is Olivia, a 16 years old Hong Kong girl.

She is playing one of the main charactor.

She is one of my best friends, while she is sleeping some strange things happened behind her back.

She is wearing a white and lime stripes bathrobe, with a dark grey t-shirt, and a pair of slipper.

Very subtle make-up.

With her hair all messed up by her hands.

(Photo has been taken by iPhone 4)

This is Sarah, a Shanghai girl.

She is playing the other main charactor in my film.

She is one of my best friends, she saw something strange while she is walking towards her room in the girl's boarding corridor.

She is wearing a white and lime stripes knitwear and covered with a long jersey top, with a black legging, and a pair of slipper.

Very subtle make-up.

With 1/2 her hair tied up.

(Still continued)