Media Studies - Two Minute Film Evaluation

Media Studies Evaluation

Alex Pawsey Candidate Number - 3617

For my Media Studies coursework I was asked to create and plan a two minute opening sequence to a film, I was given the choice of what genre I was able to use and the plot. I edited my film using the ‘Apple imovie’ software which was very easy to get used to and I feel It was very successful in the job it enabled me to do, which was editing bits of shots, deleting shots and adding music as a non-diegetic add on. I feel this software has vastly improved the experience of our film making it feel like a more professional production rather than a cheap film experience.

Due to limited funds and basic camera and film equipment we had never planned on a high budget film, we decided to base our film around the British film industry style as most British films work on a low budget and a very effective, we wanted to produce our film in this way.

We created storyboards to plan our work and generate ideas that could be put forward into the film.
The genre we finally settled on was a ‘Thriller’, we settled on this as we all enjoyed films that followed this genre. It would also take a very small budget to create the feel we wanted.

We chose to film our film in a non linear format, with ideas coming from the usual suspects and pulp fiction with both films using this form to great success. Our main idea though did come from the usual suspects with a death scene at the start and leaving the audience in suspense and eager to find out about what caused the death. I think we used this format to relative success.

Our target audience for the film is a general audience around fifteen plus due to drug abuse and the ability to properly understand the storyline.
The planning of the film could have been better with my storyboard being of poor quality with poor artistic skills, I feel it would of looked better with a computer aided storyboard or a shot list instead of just the storyboard on paper, and I will consider this if I ever produce a film again.

Our Film itself was shot over Two days with a different location for each scene, The main death scene at the start was shot within the school grounds whereas the Morning scene was filmed at the actors house, filming at these locations was a bonus for our budget as we didn’t have to pay anything. We filmed our scenes using a JVC HDD camera which was of decent quality but didn’t live up to big Hollywood blockbuster type movies at all infact it was a bonus because it fitted in with our cheap British film like feel.

We used a variety of different techniques in our filming including making a makeshift tracking shot out of a chair transporter and a chair which proved to be surprisingly successful and provided a makeshift tracking shot, we also used a lot of techniques from the films we watched including 40 Year old virgin where the morning sequence occurs but we shot ours without the comedy element to coincide with our thriller genre.

The props and equipment we used were very low budget as they were all borrowed and we didn’t have to part with cash for any of them including the ‘Medical drugs’ the JVC camera and the use of the Apple iMacs for the editing software.

Before we shot the film we practiced our techniques by doing a continuity film this helped us when we came to actually filming as we had got used to all the camera and equipment and it was pretty simple to set up, shoot and edit the movie.

After practicing on the Apple iMacs using the iMovie software it became simpler to use by editing and adding the track ‘Toerag – The Rifles’ in as non-diegetic music the song was suitable for the morning routine as it had a slow tempo and a built up suspense which was very suitable for the shot.

My Film Started with a Teenage boy presumably overdosed on the floor with a packet of drugs in his hand, this had the desired effect as the audience was thrown straight into shock as they witness death and are eager to find out what has happened, this shot also deals with the problems some teenagers have in there lives such as drug abuse, suicide and death I feel I have achieved the desired effect we utilized the sound effects on the iMacs to create ambulance sirens and other such sounds to enhance the experience.
The morning routine that follows the shot was successful in my view as it was simple yet effective with the routine combining a shot sequence from close ups to tracking shots.

Overall I think my two minute opening to a film was relatively successful and achieved the look and feel of a classic British film, if I were to film it again I think I would work better under a bigger budget, better equipment and I think I would spend more time and care to create a better storyboard and plan the film better as time management during the project was lacking as things were rushed in the end, whereas if it were properly managed we would of come out with a better outcome.