The director had to oversee all aspects of film production including storyboarding, editing decisions, music supervision, and ensuring the opening sequence was high quality. Through creative solutions, the director aimed to produce a result worthy of their abilities by acting as a link the team could rely on for technical and creative advice. Location selection was essential to capture the period feel of the 1960s-inspired drama. The director was committed to the film and ensured all opinions were considered in decision making.
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Evaluation
3. Being director I had to oversee all sections of the film. This included story boarding
and animatics, making editing decisions such as timing of the credits, music
supervision and most importantly making sure our opening sequence was
presented as best as we could.
I used many creative solutions throughout the process so we would end up with a
result worthy of our abilities. I acted as a link that the group could rely on for,
technical and creative solutions I visualised our plot and how the film may of been
seen and who our target market was this was so to make every detail tended to. I
worked on and expanded a vision for the final product, and established a realistic
aim for us to reach. selecting the correct locations for the film was essential. This is
because of our Film being a period drama we didn’t want to show any signs of it
being a film inspired by the nineteen sixties we wanted more of a filmed in the 60s
feel. The camera, sound, lighting, design and special effects all had to be
considered to give it as much of a sixties feel as possible. I had absolute
commitment and a passion for our ‘Cry To Me Cindy’ film, we were constantly
making decisions, but it was important for me to make sure that everyone's
thoughts and opinions were heard and considered.
5. Through my blog journey I have gained so much knowledge
about the forms and conventions of ‘real media products’ that
we have continuously been monitoring the ways in which the
professionals capture our target market and attempted to
mirror this.
Our media product develops, uses and challenges the
conventions of real media product in many ways. One being
our shot choices construct the audience to become a
character itself. I think the idea of our opening sequence and
the concept behind the shot choices, lighting, costume,
angles, sounds, ect... help to result in the conventional ideas
of an independent film opening however unlike the other
case studies, we’ve taken a much more realistic approach.
Attempting to question this preconceived idea of the
modelling industry, striping the glamour and questioning the
fascination.
6. I think the idea of our opening titles and the notion behind the plot
intention and concepts such as the mirror shot, turning on of the lights
and the many low angle shots, develop and improve traditional ideas
and conventions of an opening sequence. This is because the story-
line is faintly and cunningly planned out yet keeps the audience
wanting more.
One way which the product challenges the conventions of real media
products is by building the main characters background from the start
to show the viewers what kind of a film it would be and what the main
issues are within the film such as the smoking and alcohol.
It challenges real media products that are commercially produced with
simple effects and editing tricks. It challenges commercially produced
products as our media product features real social issues which occur
throughout society on a daily basis. One of the main issues throughout
the film is the use of alcohol, drugs and peoples physical appearance.
These were continually planted throughout the product to create a
sufficient effect for what people were really like within the sixties era.
8. The beginning shot shows our main character our protagonist. This reflects the forms and
conventions of real 1960s films, such as ‘The Graduate’ and ‘Breakfast At Tiffanies’. This first
establishing shot is from an extreme high angle or birds eye view, this gives the audience a
voyeuristic approach giving us the impression we are guarding and protecting the young innocent
girl.
This develops the conventions as in products such as ‘The Graduate’ the main character faces the
camera straight on evident that we as the audience are being addressed as a character yet in our
product we want the audience to connect with Cindy but have more of a detached experience
therefore we can form our own opinions of the characters.
9. Now after the beginning establishing shots, Cindy turns the light on above her head. The
shot pans up with her movements as this happens. This is to craft a subtle signifier that
the light switch is a metaphor for her life. Before she reaches the switch she stumbles
around therefore showing delicately that this isn’t going to be an easy to watch film.
10. Cindy forms a bridge like contour with her feet as she stamps down. This shot is a close
up extreme low shot that captures Cindy stamping her foot down. This burst of vigour
declares many questions about our character. Also the bridge-like formations
demonstrates this symbol of equality or construction. However beneath the foundations
of the structure lies the destructive source of her life.
The suggestive illegal substance was skilfully positioned here to present the idea of
possible failure or destruction of Cindy’s structure.
12. Our media project symbolizes every young teenage girl faced with growing up in a complex and
complicated world. For centuries women have had a certain appearance and have always been under
pressure. As far back as the stone age women have been given a certain social standing of being this
goddess like being, who was never equal to man. The 1960s was a break of freedom an era of rebellion.
The time allowed for a younger generation to have a voice and experiment with a new way of life.
Women were now aloud to vote freely, contraception was introduced and women were now more equal
than ever before.
To a certain extent in today’s society there are aspects of the younger generation being free and ready to
experiment. I think it was important for us to express the under-side of the sixties era as well as being
able to reflect what was apparent then as well as making it relevant to the younger generation of today.
Drinking alcohol is one of the main issues within my media product as it was very much part of the
everyday person’s life back in the nineteen sixties mainly by the younger members of society. The use of
alcohol represents the younger generation’s social group as it is firmly fixed within society and is mainly
used to have a good time and to just forget your problems. By using the alcohol as an important issue
the younger audience can connect with the film as although it is set in the sixties the things that were
happening then are still happening today. It engages the younger audience as they can see what they
used to do and realise that things haven’t changed that much but it is being done for different reasons.
By using these topics to create a link between our target audience and the film they can start to see
where the stereotypical connotations are such as all young people drink, smoke, go out to parties all the
time and are obsessed with making sure they’re physical appearance is good. Another connotation
which is connected the target audience is that everyone believes that all young people do drugs and
drink alcohol which is shown in our media product.
14. The target audience for my media product is fifteen to twenty
year olds. This is because my product features many different
topics which this audience can relate to with things such as
alcohol and drug use as it is a very common occurrence within
these young people’s lives in the twenty first century. By having
set the target audience as fifteen to twenty year olds I could gain
feedback from people of this age group as many of my friends
are within this target audience or alternatively use other pupils
from my school to gain feedback on my product.
However I also feel an older generation of people who
remember the swinging sixties as a part of their growing up, may
too enjoy it as I feel it would be the perfect link between them
and the modern generation.
16. From the research that we conducted I have found some suitable media institutions
that could potentially distribute my product. Such as working title two.
In 1999, Bevan and Fellner opened an additional conglomerate entitled Working
Title 2 Productions, though frequently known as WT2 is an added feature to the
original ‘Working Title’ company. The corporation is an independent film production
division managed by Natascha Wharton, and has produced films for instance, Billy
Elliot, Shaun of the Dead and The Calcium Kid.
These films are all made to suit specific audiences, the independent style films; films
that were made to tell a story that wasn’t quite to everybody’s taste. Therefore they
were never created to be a blockbuster. Much like our ‘Cry To Me Cindy’ it was
never intended for a mass market, nor to generate certain percentages of money.
Our film was intended to be a hard-hitting reality of the truths of a generation that
was often glamorized that can be mirrored within society today, and the genuine
suffering youth can go through.
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel Four
Television Corporation. They support the funding of independent films, such as the
Merchant-Ivory docudrama The Courtesans of Bombay. The company has been
responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. Such
films include, ‘The Iron Lady’, ‘This Is England’ and ‘The Inbetweeners’.
17. Film4 Productions are celebrated for producing high quality, successful,
independent British creations. ‘The Inbetweeners’ being on of their
major achievements
On its first day of release, ‘The Inbetweeners’ Movie grossed over £2.5
million in 409 cinemas. The film then went on to set a new record for the
most successful opening weekend ever achieved by a comedy film in the
UK, outdoing ‘Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason’ and ‘The Hangover Part
II’ after earning £13,200,000. It retained its number 1 position in the UK
film charts for 4 weeks. As of November 20, 2011, the film's total box
office gross is £45,028,695.
This kind of Production Company would be valuable as they have
produced many genres but also focus on inspiring and challenging
watches. Such as ‘Trainspotting’ about heroine addicts and economical
depression; ‘This Is England’ a period drama set in the 80s about
subcultures and finally ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ about adventure and crime.
These films that Film4 Production Company has created perfectly
replicate everything we want to embody within our film.
18. Another media institution that would be good for “Cry to me
Cindy” to be distributed on would be YouTube as
3GProductions could release behind the scenes footage,
competitions or extracts from the film. By using YouTube as a
media institution it would save on cost as it is a free service
which is proven effective by many of the big blockbuster
films to smaller budget films such as ours. YouTube is used
millions of times a day so is a very popular website which
could really be used to promote and gain the film much
needed exposure so it reaches as many people as possible.
20. • The varied pace keeps you on the edge of your seat. The establishing shots
are held much longer than those after the light symbol has been switched on.
The influential scene is reliant of the pace of shots. This is because it takes the
audience on a journey through the brain of our character Cindy. When she
awakes we are automatically thrown onto the rollercoaster of her life. The
commencing decisions she has to make are portrayed and staged through the
impulsive movement of camera and hasty cuts.
• The mirror metaphor shows Cindy as a normal girl allows the audience to
relate to the character. The mirror gives Cindy the chance to portray her as the
audience. We all automatically judge the young girl, yet we tried to come up
with a way of allowing the audience to delay a critical judgement and to see if
we could get a rhetorical based relationship effect.
• Switching on the light at the beginning shows that there is more to come if
you keep watching. It’s almost a drawing you in impact, this pull of light always
attracts an audience. It’s like an alarm within us telling us we should stay
awake to observe and witness this girls life and adventures.
22. When we first begun we felt like we had to show more than we needed to. The
opening titles should be just a taster of what the film will be. However our initial idea
with the party needed to be changed as there was too much about the character and
story given away unsubtly. We wanted the titles to be dramatic but subtly signify the
changes of youth exposed and neglected by society especially looking at the modelling
world.
I think forms and conventions of a ‘Real Media Product’ opening sequence have been
carefully and strictly explored and examined.
Film work in general such as continuity was such a hard concept to manage however I
feel after hours of detailed scrutiny we managed to master the importance and skills
to make sure our opening sequence was technically as high quality as expected.
Once more I learnt about through the process of constructing my product was to
ensure that we got different angles for the same shot so the product could have a
good choice of shots to choose from so that it could get the best footage that
represented subtle signifiers.
23. Also through the process of creating our media product I have learnt
many different things about technology. One of the things that I have
learnt about is that you can use extremely simple techniques or
methods to make the simplest of shots look professional by just
adjusting the positioning of the camera. Things like this helped me to
develop my product to the high level that I believe it is with good
camera skills and approach that I learnt during the construction
process.
Another thing that I have learnt to do with technology is that there
are many different ways of getting around issues. I learnt this whilst
trying to edit a sound file to ensure that the vocals were quieter as I
couldn’t do it in the current program ‘premiere’ so had to open it in
‘Sound-booth’ and there I completed what I wanted to do by
teaching myself through the new technology. By learning this
important lesson it helped me throughout the construction process
to overcome different software difficulties.