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

My preliminary task film was done to simply show the use of continuity editing and the 180 degree rule, the techniques that are used heavily in conventional films. In it I used only simple camera shots such as mid-shots and close ups and shot transitions were only straight cuts. In my final product I feel as though I expanded on my use of these factors by for example using point-of-view shots , high angle/low angle shots, and long shots. Also in the preliminary, apart from one zoom, the camera was always static, whereas in my final film I used pans and tilts with ofcourse the movement of the POV shots aswell. With shot transitions I leant about new effects I could use such as sharper cuts between two contrasting shots, fade outs including the use of a white fade to represent a change in time. Ofcourse there were many types of shots and cuts that I have not used in my film but am still aware of.

Looking back on my preliminary, the lighting was an issue due to obvious unwanted inconsistencies. In my first film I made which I later scrapped, I agin did not address this issue as the lighting seemed very bright and stale in one room and too dark in the other. In my final film I attempted to resolve this by filming outside to create a much more natural and generally consistent lighting. I feel I achieved this in nearly every shot excpet one or two wjere cloud coverage made them slightly dimmer which I didn't notice whilst shooting. I also played around with the more abstract uses of light through one shot which is focused right at the sun as it comes through some trees which created a really nice effect I feel.

Another aspect was that in my preliminary I had a very direct approach that did not encompass much planning to shots, rather just film as we go along. By the experience through this and my scrapped film where there were many planning difficulties, I realised the importance of good planning. I did this by drawing a more detailed and thorough storyboard and making sure I had all my props I wuld need on set. This allowed me to film in a much more efficinet way and also a more relaxed environment.

In my preliminary task I felt I kept the continuity well, however I showed too much unnecessary action, such as walking from the door. In my final film I attempted to use match on action better, for example by showing the detective spit out his gum and show it landing, but not it travelling through the air.

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

The main thing I learnt about technology surrounding film was the use of the editing software programme iMovie. Before the undertaking of this project I knew roughly how to crop clips and put them in order, but that was really the limit of my knowledge. Through using it to edit my movie I have gone on to learn about using it's inbuilt features such as shot transitions, shot effects/filters, it's typing software, and most importantly it's soundtrack devices. I used many examples of audio layers over each other at different volumes to create effect. Another piece of software I was used was Garageband to create some soundclips involving orchestral scores, I found this very helpful as this avoided the problem of copyright with soundtracks. Both of these pieces of software come with iMac's which I had not used before, and after a period when I started using them where I was unsure of them due to my predominant use of PC's, I now feel no problem using them.

In terms of the recording technologies, I used a DV camera to film which I had not used before. I found this camera very helpful because of it's ability to film in seperate clips which meant they could then be re-arranged easily in the editing process. This was especially relevant to me as during filming it was more effective to film some shots such as conversations at the same time even if they may not appear in that order in the finished product. However these cameras are far from perfect as the effects of lighting, however subtle, were very prominent in effecting the quality of footage and I also noticed that they picked up a lot of background noise that it converted to a noticeable buzzing in the shots.



I have also learnt that technology is not perfect, such as battery running out unexpectadly or computers crashing, and therefore I have learnt it is important to be prepared for these things. I did this through filming in a location close to where I could easily recharge my battery for the camera if needed, and also making sure my work was saved or atleast imported into more than one place.

Evaluation: How did you attract/address your audience?

A device that I have employed that is commonly used in the thriller genre is the use of enigma codes. After the antagonist corners his victim, the shot fade cuts to the victim lying dead on the floor which causes a sense of intrigue in the audience as to how and why he has killed her. The conversation between the two detectives was purposely made to be vague to the audience through them referencing 'it's got to be the same guy' and what the significance of the lotus necklace is to them. Having these questions left unanswered makes the audience want to continue watching to find out. As my target audience includes males in the teenage/young adult bracket, having the two protagonists be around their same age attracts them more to the film as it gives them a sense that they are more connected to the film, especially as these people around their age have obviously risen to some sort of prominence in the form of detectives.

In terms of marketing and advertising, my aim would be to have a large scale cross-media campaign to reach the largest audience possible. This would include trailers to be shown furing advertising breaks on popular channels among my target audience such as SkySportsNews and Channel4 and E4. They would also be shown in cinemas before films similarly in the thriller genre to further attract my target audience. Audio trailers could also be used for radio. Posters, such as on public transport, and billboards would also be effective. Hopefully the film could be promoted through interviews with cast members or features on the film a few weeks before it's release to build up hype around the film and allow possible audience members to feel more connected with the characters. In recent years the creation of web pages in facebook or myspace for example has risen to prominence because of their popularity. As such websites are popular among my target audience, a web page like this may bring more attention to the film as a means of viral advertising, especially due to the nature of the sites where friends pass on links to other friends.