Coursework Evaluation

To being my coursework, I had to decide what I wanted my outcome to be i.e. Film opening, trailer etc. I began by analysing two film openings and trailers to see which of the two products I prefered, aswell as getting a chance to get some basic conventions noted for my chosen genre; 'Psychological'.
Firstly, I had to expand my knowledge of the genre and it's conventions, in order to truly understand how to create a production which falls cleanly into the genre. I would do this by conducting primary research (Researching direct from sources i.e. Films) and secondary research (asking peers and forums their personal opinions). This would give me the parameters in which to work in order to create a high standard production piece.

I started breaking down multiple openings from films such as 'V for Vendetta' and 'Shutter Island' which gave me a clear view of what a viewer would expect to see from my chosen genre, this would give me my first insight into what I could expect my audience to be looking for on a theoretical and analytical basis, this also allowed me to begin thinking of some ideas as to what how I might go about planning and making my prodtuction.

• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/genre-research.html- Researching

This then led me to begin my secondary research; in which I used devices such as Focus Grouping, to gain an understanding of what the public at large would expect to find in a Psychological film. I was surprised with some of the results, as they conflicted my earlier research, however after more questioning, my Focus Group showed signs of correlating with my research. Conventions such as introduction of the main character with no dialogue, and country or sad music being used to amplify tension. This ensured me that some of the criteria and conventions that I had analysed were seen by others, and gave me the confidence to begin noting a brief guideline for my production. I also conducted some research into the type of people who would watch my production, this meant going outside my Focus Group and analysing certain figures, as well as interacting with my peers in order to gain an understanding of the people who I need to direct my production towards; this also meant that I could define my specific route of marketing, the most popularly chosen method of which was social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Audience Profile:

• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/audience-profile.html

Focus Group Findings:

• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/focus-group-findings-1.html 
• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/focus-group-findings-2.html   

I was then at the planning stage of my coursework, in which I had to complete my pre-production module. This would be my script, and it went without say that this was an extremely important part of my coursework. I constructed my script with my research in mind, as well as trying to include elements bought up by those in my Focus Group. I found it quite difficult to conform to the conventions and combine my ideas into one piece, this meant that scripting took longer than expected, and was redrafted two times.

• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/pre-production-script.html

After recruiting my actor and obtaining the props i needed, we scheduled the first shoot and had a final brainstorm to see whether anything should be changed or altered. Having that discussion led to multiple small changes which I feel bettered my production. The filming took place on a saturday morning, and went smoothly meaning that I had more time to edit the footage.
The editing process was time consuming, and it was a steep learning curve as editing is not my strong point, and this shows somewhat in my final outcome, however the production itself is done to the script and I feel i have conveyed the ideas which both I and my peers conjured.

I posted my production to Youtube in an attempt to get feedback. I posted both the raw draft edit, found below:

As well as the HD enabled, full edit - in order to get progressive feedback from my peers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfBfsvq5-Y0 - Youtube Link

...and after some minor alterations, my production was complete. I feel that my project went well, and I throughly enjoyed the research and planning stages of my coursework. However, I feel the final product itself leaves a bit to be desired, If I could have my time again, I would have captured more raw footage, meaning that my options in the editing stage would have been broader, and my outcome may have been slightly improved. Nevertheless, i feel my use of diegetic sound, and rough capturing style (which conforms to the conventions of the genre) are the key points of my production, and add to the sense that the main character is being studied by an entity which is outlined in my script. I am extremely please with the setting of my production, and after getting lucky with the weather, I found myself in the perfect setting which I had envisioned during the planning stage of my production. To conclude, my project had a sturdy foundation, and my research and work has culminated into a well structured, if slightly short, production. I feel I have captured multiple conventions of my chosen genre, whilst managing to include my own perspectives and ideas.

My full research, notes and planning can be found here, along with the questionnaires which were handed to my Focus Group and peers. -

• http://mediaproductiontj.blogspot.co.uk/

(Pre-Production) Script

Setting: Rainbow bridge, early morning (sunrise), calm se
-Establishing shot- pans right across rocks to ocean.
-Mid-long shot- Protagonist perched on a rock looking out to see, he is silhouetted but can be seen looking around.

• Camera pans back - countered to the establishing shot, before jumping back to the character

-Prop usage; Spray paint, Mobile phone-

•  -Close-up- Protagonists lower half, and hand in frame - rough camera shots - he is spray painting the concrete beneath him, however what he is painting is not in frame. The camera then pulls back to the same shot, only now we see all of the Protagonist as he continues painting.

=Spray Can=       

• Protagonist is now shot from the front with his back to the sea, again he is                silhouetted/shaded. He is looking down at his image which the viewer still can not see.

-In frame; Protagonist, Image, Sea, shade+light-

• The Protagonist then seats himself in the middle of the image. The audience see it is what looks like a jaunted crosshair. As he begins to seat the camera jumps to another angle further back, giving the viewer a greater sense of what's around.
• -Low Angle Shot- As though the camera is lying on the ground, we now the see Protagonists face in detail, we see that he is a teenager; sporting a hoody, glasses and jeans/chinos.

-Music fades in: 'Top Of The World' - The Carpenters-
-Prop Usage; Mobile-

• -Mid-shot- The Protagonist stirs and reaches into his pocket, he pulls out his mobile phone.
• -OTS shot- The Protagonist looks at his phone for a moment, before returning it to his pocket. She shot then jumps to a mid-long angle, as the Protagonist rises.

-Prop Usage; Rock-

• -Close-up/Mid-shot- The Protagonist is now rooting through rocks, we see only his torso down as he pushes rocks aside for a moment before selecting one of decent size.
• -Mid-shot- The camera is now facing away from the sea towards the image in which the Protagonist was sitting. Protagonist brings the rock over and places it in the middle of the 'crosshair' before turning and walking away from the concrete slab.

Setting: Promenade Path
-No Props used from this point onward-
-Attempt to capture the public, random joggers/cyclists etc.- (Authenticity)

• Protagonist begins to walk from the previous location across a long path, the sun is still shining as we track the Protagonist from behind. (Attempt to capture passers-by). Then the same shot length only from infront, the Protagonist sweeps past the left side of the camera - ending up behind it. (Again, try to capture the public)
• -Mid-long shot- Railway bridge, all of the archway is in frame, behind it is the sea. Protagonist continues and walks to the left side of the camera.
• -Mid-long shot- Underpass, the Protagonist is silhouetted due to lack of light, however the walls are still vaguely visible (Urban settings)

Setting: House
-No props used-

• The Protagonist walks down a street and stops outside a house. He is looking into the garden for a moment, before shaking his head, sighing, and walking in.
• -OTS shot- Protagonist walks into his garden. We see a car, and the colours are very vibrant as the Protagonist drudges in.

-Final establishing shot of surrounding environment i.e. houses and park-

Planning - The rest of almost all of it.

Risk Assessment -

I have to take into consideration the safety of not only myself, but of my actors and assistants whilst I capture my footage. Certain shots will put us in difficult situations which will will have to deal with maturely in order to ensure the safety of the people on site.

Firstly - the Angel Bay shots will often be shot on uneven surfaces and from high angles atop rocks. To ensure the safety of my actors, I will select the where the camera shall be placed and worked myself based on how easy the position is to negotiate and how safe it would be for an assistant and myself.

Secondly - A couple of shots in my production involve aggresive physcal contact. I must take care to script these actions both on paper and when we come to film the shot in order to make sure there are no accidental injuries.

Equipment -

I have my own equipment which I will use to film my production, the equipment lists as follows:

• Toshiba Camileo X200 HD
• Tripod
• Lens Cleaners
• Remote Record

This equipment should be all I need to create my piece. manipulation of Audio/Video will (obviously) take place after the recording of my production in it's entirity.

Planning - Almost of it.

Name - 

When I looked at the names of Psychological films - I found myself attracted to the titles of the more popular films, the likes of "V for Vendetta", "The Shining", "Shutter Island" and so on, I realised that the titles include hints as to the stories progression or idea. This is something I will have to take into consideration when writing my film as it will have to work in tandem with the title and vice-versa.
My film contains elements of standing up to the powers that be, and not being afraid to point out the flaws in a world which conform to them, it also contains elements of standing out from the crowd is better done behind closed doors nowadays, it also includes an individual outcast.
I would LIKE my title to be something representing a message being delivered and the feeling of isolation or being alone.
The following are words and ideas for titles I have thought up:

• The Courier 
• Locked Out
• Raise The Flags
• ...Within A Circle

Reasoning behind the possible titles:

• A Courier carried important messages back and forth for days on end all alone.
• Locked out from both Social and Mental normality because of their opinion.
• Raising a flag implies showing strongly your beliefs through simple acts which aren't aggressive.
• Within A Circle, as the old phrase goes, "A square within a circle", pretty self explanatory. 

All of these titles hold relevance and are enough to draw you into look at the film whilst still conforming to the conventions of any Psychological title. I will choose my final title later.

Locations -

The locations which I have in mind are easily accessible and are very common settings within Psychological. Nevertheless, I visited the places I had in mind and took notes on elements such as Risk, Themes and the time of day which would be best to film in the condition the environment left me with.

- Angel Bay - 

Establishing shot angle

This is an enclosed bay which faces away from the sunrise leaving most of the bay itself in shadow, whilst providing a pretty sunrise as the background. The risks here are minimal, paths are clearly marked with safety rails, so getting to and from this location will be easy. This location also offers the theme of isolation, as any actors will appear completely alone and cut-off from the world.

- Bryn Elian - 

Exterior Shot

This is the school I attend, and to create a teenage character, I feel it appropriate to introduce him to the environment where I have spent my teenage years to ensure authenticity. The school has long corridors and a stereotypical bell, both of which are things I need to portray my character.



These two locations are the only ones which spring to my as essential at this point in time. My production will be filmed in these locations, however other shots I need can be shot in a number of environments around where I live. The two above remain the most important locations.

Sound -

The sounds used in my production will largely be diegetic (waves, talking, footsteps etc.) as to add to 1, To add to the theme of isolation in my Angel Bay shots, as only diegetic sounds will enhance the effect. 2, To add to the sense of authenticity of the shots in my High School, I want the shots to be as believable as possible.

However, non diegetic sounds provide more of a challenge. The opening shots of my production involve a voice over being layered over footage, the facilities I need to gain access to in order to record this should be relatively easy, as I am aware of 2-3 organisations who would welcome us to record in high quality at very low rates.
As for music, I have permission from my friends band to use one of their songs in my production, this will be the only song in my opening but it will add to the High School aura as the genre is very guitar heavy - something synonymous with High School students.

The only aspect of this which are not set in stone is the Name.

Planning - Initial Plan . . .

Now I feel comfortable in my research, I can move onto my planning stage. This is purely for my peace of mind that somewhere I will have a list of what to do - 

• Name of Film
• Locations
• Sound
• Characters/Actors
• Equipment
• Risk Assessment 

I will add to this if I need to.

Focus Group Findings #2

Based on the responses I recieved from my second questionnaire - I now feel comfortable in my knowledge of the genre, and feel more than happy to continue on to the planning stage of my production.

The answers I have recieved were what I expected and play strongly to my visions of my production. Firstly, when asked, everyone in my Focus Group stated that they would expect some kind of outcast entity as the main character; some even pointed out (my personal opinion) that to have more than one companion more often than not distracts you from the Protagonist. This means that planning my characters is now 100000% easier.
Next up, my group pointed out that Symbolism was a key concept and responded well to the idea of it's inclusion in my production. They also stated that within the first 5-7 minutes, they would expect to:

1. Be acquainted with the Protagonist and his day-to-day life
2. Understand the idea around which the film will be made 
3. To be "swooned" by the camera shots

These criteria will now be at the foundation of my planning stage, and have given me a structure by which to go about my pre-production work.

Finally - The group divided on opinion of the Protagonist proclaiming that he should be a lovable character but remain unhinged. This to me made zero sense. My Protagonist will instead remain untoward creepy, with a likable exterior.

Focus Group Questionnaire #2

This is the second and final questionnaire I will be handing to my Focus Group - In essence, this is the final information trawl I need before I can begin planning my production.

Focus Group Questionnaire 2

1. In your opinion, does the main character of a Psychological film seem more like an social outcast, or does he/she have friends, is he high up in the popularity hierarchy?


2. Would you expect to see devices such as Symbolism or Misdirection in a Psychological film?


3. What would you expect to be introduced to within the first 5-7 minutes of a Psychological film?


4. How do you most commonly feel about the Protagonist? Do you prefer to find him creepy? or would you prefer, for instance, a sadder or brighter character?

These last few points will give me time to make final adjustments to my "Planning Action Plan".