What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? (Question 3)

What does a production company do?
A production company is often the company that takes care of the finical circumstances of a film. As well as dealing with the financial side of the film, a production company is also responsible for the concept and development of the film. Production companies are often owned by a media conglomerate, film studio or an entertainment company which when put together creates what is called a studio system, theses companies can be mainstream independent or completely independent. Advertisement is another category that a production company does.

What is your idea of a film distributor?
I think that a film distributor is a company that is responsible for the distribution of a film when it's released both in cinema and on hardcopies that can be bought at home. The basis of a film distributor is the factory production of the product.

Who might be the distributor for your film and why?
Our film could be distributed by a company such as Warner Brothers, however because the film is very low budget this is extremely unlikely to occur, a more suitable means of distribution for the film is through social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube which would allow the film to be published worldwide for no charge.

Where would the money come from for a film such as yours?
If we wanted to make our opening sequence into a full film there are numerous places and people that can be asked to help support our decision. I know that for one as a borough there is budget set aside for young peoples project as long as the said project is able to help and benefit the community.  Because our film wouldn't be a high budget blockbuster or anything near that standard as a group we would have to ask multiple investors for small budgets this way they are secure in knowing that even if they loose the money it wasn't a huge loss to them, in addition it is also quite good for us because if a certain investors pulls out we don't loose all of our money and we still have the majority of our budget to work with.


Why have the various people been named in your titles? Which jobs appear in your titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?
The first two names that appear in the titles are of equal status as they are the two main characters for the film, the names being Ryan Kent and Jamie Payne. Four other names than appear after the first two in this order Chris Adegoke, Daniel Wright, Kayleigh Morris and Alisha Ward. These names then ascend in the order of importance to the film. Kayleigh and Alisha are not seen in the opening sequence due to time limitations, however as the film progresses they would appear. The reason that the two girls names are above the two boys is because they play a more important and influential role to the story line.


How is your film similar 'institutionally' to others? Name some films which would be released in a similar way.
Institutionally speaking films that are similar to ours include films such as 4 Lions and The Inbetweeners movie which were released by the company Film 4 which is for the bigger independent films, mainstream independent. Reasons for this is because neither of these films had massive blockbuster budgets or massive advertisement campaigns because the money wasn't supplied however The Inbetweeners already had an existing fan base which could of contributed to how well it did at the box office. In addition 4 Lions had multiple investors which is the set up we would have to use on our film if it was to ever be created and released for commercial viewing.

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 (Question 7)

Since creating my preliminary task I feel that I have learned more when it comes to creating a media product, I have realised that the planning is just as important as the creation of the final media product. Through creating this two minute opening sequence I have learned how to use an iMac with more ease, I also feel that I have developed my editing skills through using the programme Final Cut. We learned three key features of a media product, the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot reverse shot. As a group we used these three techniques in our final media product which can be seen from the screenshots below.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product (Question 6)

Apple I mac

This was the means of technology that the footage was uploaded to and all the other programmes used were accessed through. It was also used to create certain documents for research.

Camera

The camera was used to capture the footage that was need for our opening sequence to take place. Our group used more than one camera when we were filming due to filming on different days.

Tripod

A tripod is a piece of equipment that our group used to get some of the still shots that we needed, it works by attaching the camera to the top of the tripod which allows for full manoeuvrability. 

Live Type

This was the programme that was used to create the main title for our opening sequence, however no sound could be edited in so after the title was created it had to be imported into Final Cut for there to be sound dubbed over the top of it.

YouTube

This website was where our finished product was uploaded too and can be viewed by the public it was also the first place to research opening sequences and get ideas for our sequence.

Google

Google is the biggest search engine in the world and our group used it to research other opening sequences and other film genres.

Facebook

As a group we posted a survey that we created on Facebook, a leading social network website, and this allowed us to get more feedback than we originally would without it.

Final Cut

Final cut is the programme that we used to edit our opening sequence, it allows you to alter multiple characteristics of your film for example the aspect ratio and adding special effects.

iMovie

Our group used iMovie to import the footage onto the iMac as it does it automatically and is much easier than importing it from Final Cut, it is also the programme that we use to do our directors commentary.

iTunes

iTunes was used to listen to sound effects and music that had been downloaded and would be used in our opening sequence.

Blogger

We used blogger to record the creation process of our two minute opening sequence it was also another place to post the questionnaire our group had created.

Survey Monkey

This website is the website that we created our survey on when in the planning and research process of the opening sequence, handy features include being able to upload directly to Facebook and Blogger.

YouTube 2 MP3

This website was used to turn music and sound effects found on YouTube into MP3 sound files that were compatible with Final Cut.

Scribd

Scribd is the website that we used to create the questionnaire, it is free to use and anyone is able to view it.

How does your media product represent particular social groups? (Question 2)

Our opening sequence contains two main characters Louis, played by me, and Barry played by Jamie Payne. The first of the characters that the audience is introduced to is Louis I have compared him to the character Phil from The Hangover. One major similarity that the two characters share is that they both try to lead others astray, Louis constantly tries to lead Barry astray and Phil tries to lead the rest of his group of friends astray which ultimately comes back to haunt him as they lose their friend Doug. Another similarity that the two characters share is that they are both casual in the way they act and the way they dress. However one difference between the characters is that they lead different lives Phil is a teacher who often has one night stands whereas Louis tries to look for a relationship with women.

The second of our two characters is Louis who has some resemblance to the character Allan from The Hangover. The personalities of these two characters are similar as they are often lead astray due to their lack of intelligence, because of this they are constantly getting into predicaments where they are unsure of how they got there in the first place e.g. Barry being stuck to a tree and Allan slipping his friends “ruphies”. One distinct separation of the characters is the way that other characters interact with them for example at the beginning of The Hangover the other characters dislike Allan as they believe he is just there to be nuisance however a friendship grows over the course of the film, the opposite can be said for Barry as Louis considers him a friend at the beginning of the film even if he does insult him.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenges forms and conventions of real media products? (Question 1)

1. (Title) The title of our film slides from the top of the screen down to the centre, the title then proceeds to break away and fall to the bottom of the screen, when the title falls there is a smashing sound effect in the background. This sound effect sets the scene for the rest of the opening sequence as it is quite light hearted and this is similar to other films such as Zombie land, just the titles are not interactive.

2. (Setting) We decided to set our opening sequence in a park as it is unexpected and this makes the audience wonder what caused the situation to occur, because we have an unexpected setting it relates to films that influenced us such as The Hangover and Dude wheres my car.

3. (Costumes and Props) Our group decided to use props that you expect to see at a party for example we used props such as party poppers and a phone, we also decided to incorporate other props such as a mask which makes the audience wonder what it's purpose was. In addition we used a close up shot of some tape on the floor, this also  makes the audience wonder what the purpose of the tape is there for. For our costumes we just dressed Louis in smart casual clothing and Barry in casual party clothing that you would expect to see at a party.

4. (Camerawork and editing) We used a lot of facial reaction shots which is a customary feature in comedy films as characters reactions can often change the mood of the audience.  We also used two zoom out shots to introduce Barry and Louis and the location and predicament they are in. When editing we decided to put two flash backs in and added in an effect to convey the fact that it is a flash back.

5. (Title font and style) We used the font Arial Rounded MT Bold as it's easy to read but yet has a sense of informality about it suggesting it's light hearted. We made our font colour yellow on a black background so it stands out and again suggests that the film will be light hearted and funny because of the title sequence.

6. (Story) Our party sequence flash backs provide a brief run down on the story of our film and entices the audience into wanting to know what happened the night before because f the short period of time the flash backs are seen for. In addition to the flash backs our setting is also used to tell the audience about the story as after a night out you wouldn't expect the first thing you see when you wake up to be a park.

7.  (genre) The genre of our film is comedy which is a genre that is generally received as light hearted and fun, because of these elements such as vibrant colours are used for example Louis's shirt. Also our setting is quite light hearted as a park is often thought as a place for a family and friends to go to. In addition our script is something that shows our film as comedy as we used two gimmicks, the first being Louis waking up and falling out of a tree and the second being Barry waking up taped to a tree. Casual swearing is also used which means that the film isn't serious.

8. (Character introduction) The first character that is shown on screen is Louis, he is shown waking up in the branch of a tree after a party the night before, this supports the idea that Louis is always getting into trouble somehow this allows the audience to understand that Louis isn't a serious character. The second character the audience is introduced to is Barry who is found taped to a tree, he is unable to remember why he is taped to the tree or why, this suggests that he isn't very smart and is easily led astray by Louis, because of how these two characters are portrayed in the opening sequence the audience know that something comedic is going to happen somewhere through the film.

9. (Special effects) This shot shows the special effect we used on our flashbacks, we added a special effect that is commonly associated with dream like flash backs, this tells the audience that the time frame of the film has abruptly jumped.

1.    1. (Title)  The hangovers title is lightly coloured against a black background which is similar to our group’s title, which is yellow against a black background. The hangover’s title is also similar to ours because both titles feature elements of the film, for example The Hangover’s title is styled similarly to signs that are associated with Las Vegas. Our title falls from the centre of the screen and straight after the audience see Louis wake up and fall out of a tree.

2.     2. (Setting)  The Hangover is set in Las Vegas where a group of men have to search for their lost friend, when compared to our groups opening sequence a city to search is much more vaster a landscape to search for something but there is a connection in that Louis has to search a park for his friend Barry.

3.     3. (Costumes and Props)  Like most comedy films there always seems to be one scene where all the main characters are dressed to a smart casual dress code this can be seen in the above screen shot, this is similar to what happens in our opening sequence as both Barry and Louis are dressed to this dress code. Another feature that The Hangover and our film have in common is that props are introduced to hint at what happened may have happened the previous night e.g. the duct tape in our film and a tiger in the Hangover.

4.    4. (Camerawork and editing)  The Hangover uses a lot of close up reaction shots of the actors which is a common conception seen in comedy films and it is also something that our group incorporated into our own opening sequence. These reaction shots tell the audience about the character and lets them understand how the character works and reacts to other characters.

5.  5. (Title font and style)   Like mentioned previously our title sequence and The Hangover’s sequence share similarities with colour however they are styled differently as The Hangover’s title is much more detailed where as our groups title is rather simplistic in comparison.

6.  6. (Story) The majority of comedy films introduce the main gimmick or predicament very quickly so the audience know what the film is about and have to anticipate how the characters are going to deal with it. Both The Hangover and our opening sequence introduce the predicament quickly.

7.    7.  (genre)  Many comedy films include casual swearing and foul language, the more controversial the film the more controversial the language is. Our opening sequence includes casual swearing which can represent the area the film is set in, the hangover also includes casual swearing but it seems to be much fouler.

8.    8. (Character introduction) Characters in comedy films are often introduced one by one so the audience can get an understanding of them. The Hangover has separate scenes where the characters are introduced and backstory is given to the audience about them. Our opening sequence doesn’t do this as we only have two main characters so it is more beneficial for the audience to watch the two characters interact with each other opposed to by themselves.

9.      9. (Special effects) Special effects is an element that is not commonly seen in comedy films an neither our opening sequence or The Hangover use many special effects.

How did you attract/address your target audience (Question 5)

Who would be the target audience for your media production? (Question 4)

This is dave the student he is 18 and just finished studying his A Levels and is currently waiting for his results. Because of Dave's age he currently enjoys alcohol and alcohol related humour as it is a new experience for him. Dave uses the internet and his TV to access a lot of his media texts, this is because it is a cheap and quick way to get news and information. He also Rock music and forms of Cheesy Pop, hence the Village people on his T.V.

Finished product: The Leap Year

Storyboarding

Shot list and costume list

Today we decided to create a costume and shot list. These lists contain the costume that Barry in Louis will be wearing during the party and park sequence. We also created a shot list which details the shots that are incorporated in the opening sequence.

Typography

Napoleon Dynamite: 

After the production company and film title appears on the screen the rest of the titles rank from the least important to the most important, starting with one of the supporting roles to the director.

An interesting feature about Napoleon Dynamite is that the titles are interacted with by a hand and everything is on an every day objects e.g. lip balm, plates of food and a student ID card. Depending on who the person is in the titles depends on what object they are on, the more important the person the bigger the object they are on.


Fight Club:

The fight club title sequence has an animation in the background of traveling through veins and the human anatomy.

Leap year final screenplay

LEAP YEAR

SETTING: HOUSE

Company logo comes in with Macho Man playing in the background. 10 seconds of party montage. Sped up and slowed down moments. Shots of BARRY and LOUIS drinking a lot and BONNIE not drinking much. Film title comes on screen then goes off and reveals the next scene.

SETTING: PARK

(Extreme close-up of LOUIS’ phone on the grass ringing. Macho Man changes from the background music to his ring tone. Extreme close of LOUIS’S hand twitching. Close up of LOUIS’S foot in the tree. Low angle long shot of LOUIS looking startled in a tree and then proceeds to fall out of the tree next to the phone. Mid shot of a dazed LOUIS on the floor realizing his phone is going off. He picks up and answers the phone.)

LOUIS
Err? Hello?

(Mid-shot of BONNIE talking on the phone)

BONNIE
Where the hell are you two? Its eleven o’clock and neither of you came back last night! Why didn’t you come back last night? I’ve been calling all over the place trying to find you, and you finally answer your phone!

LOUIS
What?

(Close up of LOUIS recoiling from his phone as BONNIE shrieks. Mid-shot of BONNIE)

BONNIE
Where. Are. You?!

(Close up of a terrified LOUIS. Long shot of LOUIS looking around. Pan out shot)

LOUIS
Well, there’s trees and grass and I think I see a pond.

(Long shot of BONNIE grabbing a bag)

BONNIE
So, you’re in the park. Is Barry with you?

(Long shot of LOUIS looking around the park)

LOUIS 

Nah, got any bread? You know, for the ducks? I’m all out.

(Mid-shot of BONNIE as she freezes)

BONNIE
You lost Barry! You blithering idiot! Go and find him now, before he does something stupid! I’m coming into the park now (muffling sounds from the phone) LOUIS? LOUIS? What’s going on?

(Mid shot of Louis feeding his phone to the duck)

LOUIS

Here you go friend.

(Close up shot of BONNIE as she slams down the phone. Long shot of LOUIS as he begins stumbling around. Close up shot of LOUIS in shock)

LOUIS

Oh my sweet Jesus.

(BONNIE walks on to the shot)

BONNIE

LOUIS what happen – what the fuck?!

(Long shot. Camera pans up to reveal Barry taped to the tree.)

LOUIS
Hey, good news, I found Barry
Cello taped to a tree! Fast asleep bless him!

BONNIE
Get him out

LOUIS
I’ll try. *LOUIS starts gnawing the tape.*

BONNIE
You’re useless. I have scissors. In my manicure set.

LOUIS
Sheesh… women.

BONNIE
I wouldn’t need them if you watched him for once. I said he could leave when I left but no, you have to insist and he ends up taped to a tree.

LOUIS
Nothing wrong with a bit of fun.

(BONNIE glares at LOUIS and starts going through her bag for a pair of scissors. Long shot of a still sleeping BARRY. Mid-shot of an annoyed BONNIE and amused LOUIS)

BONNIE

Can you please explain to me how in the hell Barry ended up like this?

LOUIS

Uh... Can you tell me why you're such a bitch?

BONNIE

Louis. Stop being such an arse and at least help me try and get him down.

LOUIS

Hey I tried but my canines aren't doing the trick

(Extreme close up of BONNIE’S hands as she cuts the tape BARRY wakes up as BONNIE cuts the tape.)

BARRY

Morning. Couldn't make us a cuppa would ya?

This is our final screenplay because we were told that our second version was too long and that it should be scaled down so it fits the length of time of our coursework brief. 

2nd draft screenplay

Leap Year-1
This is our second draft screenplay. It needs to be cut down so as not to go over the 2 minute limit that we are allowed for our coursework.

Draft screenplay

LEAP YEAR
This is our first screenplay draft, we are currently editing a newer improved version.

Production log

 What we need to plan and achieve for our production:

Locations:

• Park with a pond or lake
• Bonnies house (A group members house)

Props:

• Rolls of cello tape
• 2 mobile phones (Possibly a third)
• Bag of biscuits 
• Loaf of bread
• Scissors

Costume:

• Bonnie - Casual everyday wear e.g jeans/leggings and shirt.
• Barry - Tights and fancy dress
• Louis - Slight element of fancy dress and party wear (Casual smart)

Actors/Actresses:

• Bonnie - Not decided as of yet
• Barry - Jamie Payne
• Louis - Ryan Kent (Me)

Equipment list:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Editing software
• Mac 

Time frame:

• Filming will most usually take place at day time possibly in lessons or at the weekend.