EVALUATION QUESTION 4 (PART 3) LIMITATIONS OF TECHNOLOGIES AND FINAL CUT PRO

Limitations of Technologies

Some of the limitations of the technology that I faced was the fact that the hardware we use is still based on DV tapes, which requires students to digitise the footage. I had to put the tape in the tape deck, then capture the footage onto the Mac, but also I had to cut the footage up when capturing it. Because I didn't really know how to do this at the beginning, I had to get someone else to teach me about it just in case I did something wrong and end up deleting all of my footage instead of capturing it. This method, in my opinion seems out-dated, another way one could have done was to shoot direct onto the SD cards, and this would have sped up the process.

This is an example image of the log and capture tools on Final Cut Pro;

FINAL CUT PRO

Using Final Cut Pro at the beginning seemed both familiar and unknown at the same time, because I used similar software last year i.e Adobe Premiere Pro. Due to the fact that I used similar software, Final Cut Pro seemed easy to begin with, but then looking further at the controls, it seemed to me a lot more confusing and so when I managed to put my videos onto the timeline, I had to be careful in case I managed to delete my footage or something so I watched YouTube tutorials and I did this in order to get to grips with all the controls such as;

The following images were some of the tools that I used in Final Cut Pro;

Others included Effects like Video Filters, I particularly used the Blur and Distort and Glow effects to create the flashback scene. The general transitions I used throughout the entire film were Dissolves, and Cross Dissolve, Fade In Fade Out in particular.For the audio effects, to accompany the effects from the Flashback Scene, I used the Echo and Reverberate effects to make the scene seem more surreal and dream-like and out of time.

I had problems using the Razor Blade Tool, as when I did cut some of the scenes and move the selected bit to another part of the short film, I usually forgot to move the sound bit which then  meant I misjudged the timings of both the video and audio which created little 'jumps' which made the flow of sound in particular much less smooth. 

For scenes when Rosalie touches Paloma I used the colour correcter and inserted more of a blue-ish hue to those particular scenes to come across as cold and harsh and gives it a bit more variety.

So what I have learnt from using Final Cut Pro is to make sure that when I cut certain bits of the scene, I need to move the audio part of it to another part of the film in order to create a seamless aural transition. 

Using the Mac for the first time was hard to get to grips with and slowed my progress down a little bit as I had a little disadvantage as I wasn't that used to Macs as say other students. It was somewhat different to Windows which most people are accustomed to.

EVALUATION QUESTION 4 (PART 2) FILMING

Filming Process

In order to film my short film, I used a HDV Camera and standard tripod which was issued by the college;

 

TRIPOD

I had difficulties using the tripod whilst filming, because I didn't really know all the controls and as it was steady or straight, the camera was tipped at an angle and I couldn't straighten it out.

HDV CAMERA

I had to film my short movie twice as the first time, due to lack of knowledge about the camera, because I shot the film first time without realising the microphone wasn't turned on, I just automatically assumed that it was on as the settings were already placed and we, as students were instructed not to touch or alter the controls, however when I played back the footage a few days later, to my dismay, not a sound could be heard. I then learnt how to turn the microphone on and off and checked that the sound bars at the corner of the screen were moving up and down while recording which indicated to me that the microphone was on recording sounds. Luckily second time round, everything worked perfectly.

Advantages of using HDV

One of the good things about this camera as opposed to the small, Sony Handycams that we used last year is that you can obtain accurate focusing, also because of the motorised zoom control this means that one can achieve smoother zooms. Another good thing about this camera is that there are loads of dials and display options which gives you over-all better image settings, it also has an on-board directional microphone which is a good idea, had I learnt about the controls first-hand, I wouldn't have had to re-shoot my short film. 

Disadvantages

However, one bad thing about this camera is that it is quite big and heavy to carry, it's not manageable like the Sony Handycam, which made it difficult to carry around all these different locations to shoot the film. 

EVALUATION QUESTION 4 (PART 1) BLOGGER

4.How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

BLOGGER

I used the blogging site Blogger to write in my AS and A2 Media Coursework. When I first started using this, I wasn't used to all of the controls, but after testing and playing around with all the buttons and controls and slowly, my blogging interface and the presentation came more alive and I think, engages the audience quite well. One good thing about Blogger is that it is free, if you have a gmail account, which I did previous to using Blogger, then you already have an account which you can sign into. 

This is how my blog is set out, with the title and how many posts I have created. Another good thing about this blog is that it is easy to use, the interface is intuitive and everything is clearly labelled. However, the disadvantages of using this is that when uploading photos, Blogger sometimes automatically resizes the photos into smaller ones, so more often than not, I normally need to adjust my photo sizes manually each time I insert them into a post. Another bad thing about this site is that there are fewer special features and fancy additions than other platforms i.e Tumblr. One other thing is that many users of this can't get the design they wanted, and to me, most of the templates aren't aesthetically pleasing, the templates seem plain and uninteresting.

However, in the end, after using this site for 2 years, I have learnt most of the controls and managed to create an interesting blog post, I added different colours, hyperlinks to various sites, pictures, Youtube videos, sound effects and other things that just in my opinion, grabs the audience's attention more.

EVALUATION QUESTION 3 (PART 4) WHAT I HAVE LEARNT

The comments from the overall audience feedback

Looking at the video of my audience feedback from my fellow students, the written responses from various people on Facebook and the other videos of the (general public) I have found that most of their comments were quite positive towards my film, and all the negative comments I got can only be described as constructive criticism, to give me something to think about and look back on for future references, to ameliorate my short film to make it the best it can be.

Positive Comments

Most of the positive comments mentioned were mainly about the flashback scene, and the end scene in the toilets, where Rosalie appears in the mirror. Most of the comments remarked on good visual effects, good transitions and editing. It managed to create thrill and suspense/ atmosphere and this was mostly aided by the non-diegetic sound.

I think putting the one year ago in black just makes it distinctly obvious for the audience to avoid any confusion, just to make it 100% clear in order to not estrange the audience. Most people remarked that they liked the visual and sound affects, I made it look dream-like so the audience know that it is not within that time frame.

They commented on the end scene too, saying that I made a good job with the editing for Paloma to look in the mirror and then for Rosalie to appear as well like that, it was just like straight out of a horror movie. Different people had different answers and different interpretations about the end scene, but most of them really liked the effects I had done with this scene.

Genre

When I asked them to establish a genre, they all managed to mention the genre Thriller, however they all came up with different hybrids within that genre, Horror, Supernatural and Psychological. The fact that only a few people recognised it as a psychological thriller seem to me that I maybe need to look further into the codes and conventions of that particular genre for that to really come across in the short film. One commented acknowledged: ' This short film plays on the mind. It is for you to decipher and determine what is going on'

Narrative

When asked, most people cited that the narrative was easy to understand, however a few people said they were a bit confused, but they managed to understand what was going on by the end of the film. This was due to things like audio, some couldn't really hear what was happening, but mainly most of them understood what was going on and had no problem understanding the narrative.

Enigma

The majority of the people I asked indicated that the flashback and ending scene created more of an enigma than any other part of the short film, but it must have been the way I also worded that particular question: ' Did this short film create an enigma?' Most people became quite confused by the question and some even hesitated before coming up with an answer, so maybe I should have worded it differently and in a simpler way and maybe I would have got different answers.

Negative Comments

When I say negative comments, what I actually mean is comments that I can take as constructive criticism in order to progress with this short film and improve on it.

What needed improving

• Most people commented on improving the acting. The acting was not the best, even I thought that, watching the short film back, it was a bit too over-zealous and didn't seem real or natural,  some have mentioned that hiring out professional actors. However due to the fact that I couldn't hire and find any professional actors who are willing to work for effectively nothing, I had to rely on fellow students on short notice, which makes the short film less believable.
•  Some mentioned more character development
• Making the shots flow a bit more and become less jittery
• Audio could have been improved with the pitching and volume

Looking at what needs to be improved, I would say that most of this stuff is quite technical, the fact that I didn't have that much filming before shows that I don't have the experience to make that good a short film, however I think taking all these comments on board, I should  be able in the future to make a good short film.

Someone also mentioned character development. ' I didn't feel connected to the characters that much'. Due to the short time I had to make this film, I do agree with that comment about not being able to connect with the characters as much as the audience do in feature-length films, I think in order to improve on this, I would have to look at making the narrative as easy for the audience to understand as possible to not create any confusion and alienate them. 

EVALUATION QUESTION 3 (PART 3) VIDEO RESPONSE (YOUTUBE)

Interview 1: Dave, 22 (4 questions) 1:16 mins

Narrative was easy to understand: ' Yeah, it said one year ago, it was something that happened in the past, it was still haunting her, it doesn't take a genius to work it out.'

Interview 2: Nikki, 19 (5 questions) 2.06 mins

One disadvantage of short films: ' I didn't feel connected to the characters that much'

This is probably due to poor character development because of the brevity of short films.

Another quote that focuses on the narrative and lack of time for proper character development: 

' I didn't understand the stabbing scene, I though he just punched her and ran away. And it didn't seem like she died..until you heard the ambulance. Something bad must have happened to her. I also didn't understand her throwing a rock.'

All the things she said could all be due to the codes and conventions of short film and brevity is key. This makes it difficult for characters and narrative to progress.

Interview 3: Nigel, 63 (5 questions) 2:24 mins

Here are the 3 interviews I did with non-Media students, and I had ages ranging from 19-63,  and I asked them the same questions I asked my friends on Facebook. The answers that these people varied, some didn't really understand some of the questions I was asking them, and they found it hard to answer, while some had no difficulty in answering the questions. When asking the questions, and having played back the videos on Youtube, I found out that their answers varied a lot, I had one person saying the narrative wasn't easy to understand and I had another saying that it was easy to understand.

EVAULUATION QUESTION 3 (PART 2) WRITTEN RESPONSE

These are some of the written responses I got from Facebook from my friends when asked the following questions about 'Evanescent';

• What did you think of the short film?

" I thought it was really good! There is a couple of places where it jumps a bit, like the shift in scene from the woods to the toilets. But I love the effects, particularly the scene from one year ago ( the flash-back scene) although perhaps more could have been made of the stabbing/shooting ( Mainly in terms of acting though)" Holly, 20

" I thought overall, it was a good short film, it had suspense, and thrill, the camera movement was good and the effect was good also" Sarah, 20

" I think the film is good, the concept is good, maybe a little on the over-used side as it as been done before. The cuts and the angles were good, however the cuts on people's reactions should be longer. Like in Made In Chelsea style, where they show and hold reactions to create the atmosphere. Along with the effects like the flashback, it's obvious it's a flashback and the horror seen in the toilet, the effects were good. I think in general it just needs tightening up on the audio side with pitching and volume. But overall it sends the right message and conveys the story well " Thoma, 20

" I thought it was a good, thought-provoking film" Isobel 19

•  What kind of genre would you put this under?

" Thriller/ Horror"- Holly

"Thriller"- Sarah

" Genre, I'd put it under Thriller/Horror"- Thoma

"I'd put this film under the Psychological Horror genre"- Isobel

•  Is the Narrative easy to understand? Were you confused at any point of the short film?

" Yes it is, it was really clear what was going on the whole way through" - Holly

" I was a little confused at the start when it went to 1 year ago but then I got the gist of it halfway through"- Sarah

" The narrative was very easy to understand, there is a lot of detail in such a short amount of time"- Thoma

" I understood the narrative completely, at it was easy to grasp the concept"- Izzy

• Does the short film generate an enigma?

" Maybe, I kind of assumed something bad had happened to her, but that's definitely left open to interpretation, I guess she could have just fainted or something"- Holly

" Partially, yes it does present an enigma of the ghost, however, due to confusion I think it only generates an enigma towards the end"- Sarah

" There is an enigma at the start, when the girl sees the ghost and her other friend doesn't, which causes a little enigma on whether there was a ghost at the point or not, the editing on that was good, not too long or short just enough for the viewer to catch a glimpse"- Thoma

"I think it was in her mind because the flashback seemed to be affecting her and it was probably worry"- Izzy

I also asked some of the participants this following question:

• What would you do to improve this?

" Maybe work on some of the acting in some scenes like the killing and when seeing the ghost, and just make the final change in scene flow a little bit more"- Holly

" I'd improve it by possible having more going on instead of just walking around the woods, to create more of a story like introducing more flashbacks etc."- Izzy

EVALUATION QUESTION 3 PART 1 (INTERVIEWS)

• Audience Feedback
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  For this part of the evaluation, which focuses on audience feedback, this will require me to show my rough-cut or my final draft to as many people as possible and ask them for feedback. So I showed a few of my friends on Facebook, my video and asked them these 4 questions below and recorded their responses.

  
  The following questions that I am going to ask people on Facebook are;

  
  

  1.      What did you think of the short film?

  2.      What kind of genre would you put this under?

  3.      Is the narrative easy to understand? Were you confused at any point of the short film?

  4.     Does the short film generate an enigma?
  
  I have already interviewed some of my fellow students and asked them questions about my short film too, but I thought in order to get more varied feedback as my fellow students know how to answer these questions professionally, I used social media, i.e Facebook to show my short film and ask my friends these 4 questions to get their honest answers, this will give me answers that the general public would give me if I asked them. Then after reading, listening to all of my feedback on my short film, no doubt filled with constructive criticism, I will break this down and reflect on some of the answers that they have given me.
• Below is the video on Youtube which I already made regarding my fellow student's answers;
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EVALUATION QUESTION 2 ( PREZI)

EVALUATION QUESTION 1 (PART 4) MAGAZINE ARTICLE

To create my magazine article review, I used Adobe Indesign. I was a complete novice when I first started using it, so I had to look up some tutorials online to help me out with how to create a page layout. After watching a few tutorials I managed to understand more and more about it.

This is a step by step guide to me using Adobe Indesign;

When you first open up Indesign, you are given options like the ones above, to create my magazine, I had to create a new document.

This step gives you more options about your new project like the width and how many pages you want etc.

This is the layout at the beginning of the new project, you must make you keep within the inner purple line so that everything you put in it stays visible.

I clicked the text box and copied and pasted my article script into it which I already done before and it will just place it in order.

I then added this rectangle box at the corner to put in my other picture of 'Evanescent' in order to add some variation for the promotional campaign.

You create a rectangle box, then I moved mine to the right corner and made it portrait and copied and pasted my picture into there.

The image above shows the final magazine article, and I have added arrows and diagrams and explained what I did in order to create this project from start to finish.