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

When I created my preliminary task, I was very limited in what I could do. This was purely because although I may have had an idea of what I wanted make, I often did not have the knowledge to implement this on the Final Cut software used. An example of this happening during my preliminary task was when I did not know how fade one shots audio into another. This made some of shots audio seem slightly jumpy as the sound suddenly changes. In my full final sequence, after learning through help from my teacher and by experimenting, I learnt how too input and use effectively Audio Fade Ins and Fade Outs on Final Cut. An example of the use of Audio Fade Ins and Fade Outs is shown above. These made the sequence flow more smoothly.

Throughout my progression from my preliminary task too my full product, I have got better at creating narrative when filming and editing my footage. When first asked too produce a sequence at the beginning of the year, when I recently viewed it, it was often unclear what was happening. This was partly because I broke the 180 degree rule but also because some of my clips were not long enough. When I look at the way I film and edit today, I have improved massively. One reason for is because I realised that you don’t need too film everything a character is doing. For example, in my preliminary task, me and my partner could have filmed the character walking down the corridor and then cut too him walking down the stairs. This is apposed too showing the character walk all the way down the corridor and opening the door and then walking down the stairs. I have also improved at framing my shots correctly. In my preliminary task in the second shot, the characters head is cut off. After realising my error, I now make sure my framing is perfect before filming the shot.

In conclusion, I have learnt massively throughout my progression from my preliminary task too the final product. The most significant has been  my ability too create narrative when editing. I have also learnt how too frame shots, put in too practise the 180 degree rule and also a variety of audio and visual transitions on Final Cut.

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

Whilst creating the sequence, I have found out about and got better at using the technology available to me. I have improved massively at my abilities to edit my footage on the 'Final Cut pro 5' editing software provided. Furthermore, I have learnt how to use the cameras provided to their full potential.

Final Cut is technology that is used on apple Macs. Throughout the course I have got better and more knowledgeable at using the technology. The software allows you to input moving or still image with audio and edit them into sequence. One thing I learnt about this technology is that you can input different effects on to your footage. One of these is the slow motion effect. I used this effect at the beginning of my sequence to prolong a clip to overlay titles. The effect allows you to decide what percentage of the original speed you want the clip to slow down to.


When using the camcorder and tri-pod, I learnt about the technologies that it offered. For example, the Tri-pod allowed you to turn the camera 360 degrees and up and down. This enabled you to move the camara all directions whilst keeping te camara still.

Evaluation: How did you attract/address your audience?

We attracted are audience of young adults by making features in my sequence relate too there own lives. For example, the choice of music was input primarily too attract our target audience. The use of the Modern music genre ‘Dubstep’ was used in our sequence. Because a we knew a lot of our target audience listened too the genre, we knew that they could relate to it. This in turn attracted them. Also, we made are character wear similar clothing to what are target audience would probably wear. This is shown on the left. This would also allow the audience too relate to the character. This way of attracting your target audience is effective because it in turn it would encourage people to tell there Friends about the film which then promotes it.

Evaluation: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Due to the fact that the sequence does not have any difficult concepts to understand or a complex narrative, it can be watched by a mainstream audience. More specifically, the target audience would be young adults around the ages of 14 to 24. This is due too the teenage culture represented throughout. Furthermore, because speech is hardly used, no slang is identified which may not be understood by some people. As science fiction is generally not aimed at specific audience, after choosing the the genre of science fiction, we weren't restricted to a specific audience. We then chose to aim the sequence at a teenage and young adult audience. We done this by having a teenage protagonist, typical teenage music and making the narrative so it can be understood by them. 

The music was chosen intentionally to attract are chosen target audience of people aged around 14 to 24. This was done by selecting modern music that was popular with the age group. Overall, although my media sequance has a target audience of young adults aged around 14 to 24, it can be enjoyed and understood by a mainstream audience also as there are no difficult concepts to understand.

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

As the production is aimed at a mainstream audience, I would expect a large institution such a 'Warner Bros. Pictures' to distribute it. Also, a similar Science fiction 'I Am Legend' which is aimed at a similar audience is distributed by 'Warner Bros. Pictures'. Due to the nature of science fictions, large funding for special effects and props are often needed to make events seem real. This would need a large institution too fund this such as 'Warner Bros. Pictures'. Furthermore, mainstream films with a large budget already spent on them would have large amounts of advertisement to increase popularity. This advertisement is often on TV which costs large amounts of money which only large institutions can afford.

In conclusion, I would argue that due too the large funding needed and the type of audience that would watch the film, a large institution would be needed too distribute the product such as the institution 'Warner Bros. Pictures'.

Evaluation: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

How does your media product represent particular social groups? from Ned Harvey on Vimeo.

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

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? from Ned Harvey on Vimeo.

Reaction too Final product.

When first viewing my completed sequence, i was mostly pleased with its outcome. I was especially pleased with the mis-en-scene throughout that are location offered. This included shots of the warehouse we filmed in and also debris that was scattered around the warehouse. The debris looked good because it showed that the place where are character was staying was not looked after which is what we wanted to put across to the veiwer. I was also pleased with the way we input titles at the beggining of the sequance. The still shots that we overlayed the titles on created a good effect.
Although i like may of the shots we used, i thought that we should made more things happen in the narrative. We could have done this by having another scene showing the man who shouted at our main character. This would have made a better narrative and also of got the audience more interested in who the man was who shouted.
Overall, i am pleased with my final product although i wish we had developed more on narrative. Never the less, our production had many good shots and title were input creatively.

Finished product!

Recently, me a my partner finished editing our final media sequence for the task 'Create the introduction to a Fiction film'. After filming, we put are footage on to the schools macs. We then used 'Final Cut' which is professional editing software to crop the footage to produce a narritive that could be interpreted by the audience. We also used 'Final cut' to input visual transitions to slugs (black screen) and also in between some clips for effect. We also used audio transitions when editing on 'Final Cut'. Simple fade in and fade out audio transitions helped to get rid of sudden sound changes that made the sequence seem jumpy. On one clip, we changed the speed of the moving image to 70 percent its original speed. This created a slow motion effect which prolonged the clip and furthermore created the desired slow moving feel. After editing the footage and inputting titles, we were happy with what we had produced. We then exported the edit to a quicktime file which enabled you to view the sequence in a higher resolution and more easily.

  Example of the use of Fade in Fade out effects (Cross Dissolve)

Example of the use of in Audio transitions

Titles in film Sequence.

Me and my partner decided to film various still shots inside of the warehouse where are preliminary scene is shot. This would set the scene for the viewer. Also, the shots are mostly dominated with dark colours, this helps to create a desired bleak feeling. We input titles over these still shots placing them into spaces within the still shots so that the titles and the shots convened. This is done similarly in  the film 'The Butterfly Effect' which is directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber.

In between 32 seconds and 47 seconds of the clip above a title is shown moving into the shot and then out again. This type of incorporation of titles into moving images is what we have attempted to do with some of our titles.

Music in Media Sequance

Recently, me and my partner obtained copyright free music using the Internet. This music is free to use and download. After previously completing audience research we found that 65 percent of people thought that music was necessary in the introduction to our genre of a science fiction film. Out of that 65 percent of people, we then asked what genre of music would be best to use giving them the categories of Minimalism, Urban or Rock. 47 percent said Minimalism. 38 percent then said the genre Urban with one explanation being 'the genre fits well with a Sci-Fi genre'. The large genre of Urban includes many modern smaller genres such as Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Jungle and other underground genres. The remaining 15 percent said Rock with someone saying it 'would not create a Sci-Fi feeling'. The main Track we used over our media task had a Dubstep genre which fitted well in the sequence. The track was used when the protagonist starts getting chased. The heavy drum rhythm in the music helped to create the desired feeling, making the audience scared for the person. We chose this track with reference too our audience research.

Reviewing other peoples work.

Recently in class we watched peoples media projects from earlier years. These media projects we analysed are the same as me and my partner are required to produce. After watching each of the 3 production, we were told what mark and band leval they all had got. We then discussed good and bad things about the productions. This was useful as it helped me and my partner to identify ways at which we could produce a succesful media production. In each of the media projects there were also various faults. In one, the sound was dominated by the sound of wind. This made the speech hard to hear. One also had no titles which brought the mark down. After being shown these productions, we will make sure that these faults are not done in our media project.

Editing on Macs using Final Cut software.

Me and my partner have recently finished our initial draft of the titles section. This is around 20 seconds long and contain various still camera shots with overlaying titles. The various still shots are of places where the introduction is set. These shots show the remote landscape that created the desired feeling of an isolated place. We then, after putting the footage on to the Macs, started to edit on Final Cut. We input the titles and then moved them across the still shots so that the titles could be seen easily.
The Final cut software allowed us to use various transitions. The one we mainly used was the Fade in and Fade Out tool. This allowed us to create a smooth beginning to the film by slowly fading into the first shot from a black screen. We also used the fade in transition in between each still shot and also for the titles. This made the the shots flow into each other and also made scene feel like time was passing. 

Lead Actor and Props.

In our media task, we only have one actor as our 'introduction to a fiction film' is set in an abandoned area. The actor Daniel Elstub plays the lead Protagonist in the sequence.

Questionnaire + Results.

After filming, I have created a questionnaire to give to people in my sixth form to discover more about what type of music (if any) they expect and would like to hear in the genre a Sci-Fi Thriller. This will help me when editing my media task to decide if I should input music into the sequence and if so what type of music there should be.

Firstly, i asked 20 people whether they 'expect to hear music in the opening of a Sci-Fi Thriller film?'
The results were:

I then asked the 13 people that had said Yes to the previous question the question 'If yes what genre of music would be necessary for the genre of Sci-Fi Thriller?'
The results were:

The majority of the people i asked thought their should be music in the sequence. I also asked some of them why they thought this. I was told by someone 'that it would add and if the correct music was used it would create the effect of a Sci-Fi Movie. Also, people generally thought that the music that would create this 'Sci-Fi effect' was the music genre Minimalism.

Pictures of new location.

Raised platform where Protagonist's living quarters is filmed.

Filming for task.

Yesterday, me and my partner in film making, Jacob, finished the filming for our media studies task. We filmed in an unused warehouse. We originally planned to film on a roof as this was what we had denoted in our storyboard. We then changed our location after going up and starting to film. This was mainly because the wind created unwanted noise picked up by the cameras microphone. This then masked other desired diagetic sound. Instead we used a raised platform in an unused warehouse for our initial scene to be set in. Because this provided a larger space, it allowed me and my partner to film the shots we wanted. Also, because we filmed the majority of our task indoors, this made the desired diegetic sound made easier to hear.

Storyboard for our opening film sequence

First page of storyboard

Second page of storyboard

Pictures of planned filming location

Planned filming location for our media task

A clip showing where me and my partner plan to film our version of an opening sequance for a film.

Sci-Fi Thriller

After speaking to my partner, we decided to change the genre that we were to make from 'Crime & Gangster' to 'Sci-Fi Thriller'. Some examples of Sci-Fi Thrillers are:

The Butterfly effect opening 
Donnie Darko opening
Fire in the Sky opening  

Crime & Gangster genre Research

For my media studies task: 'Create the opening of a fiction film' i have chosen to use the genre of Crime & Gangster. Examples of opening sequences of the Crime & Gangster genre are:

Pulp Fiction Introduction
Shawshank Redemption Introduction
Shank Introduction