Production: Feedback from the focus group on my first rough cut

Unknown from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

Above, the video is my first rough cut that I showed to my media class today, to get feedback on the positive points about it so far, and also the negatives that I need to change, and what to do next and where to improve.

 
MAH00552 from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

In the feedback video the response was mainly positive, with comments such as the teaser trailer creates an enigma and makes the audience want to see more by paying to go to the cinema to view it. And, the shot of my dad flicking on the switch and the 'Flash' transition at the end of that make it flow into the next shot smoothly, and personally I think it makes it more obvious to the audience that a bit of time has passed between the flicking on the light shot and the next shot of the two brother's at the graveyard. However, there was some constructive criticism to help me with my next steps on improving my teaser trailer, which was to trim the end of the clip of me walking away in the background because one of the actors (Alex) looks towards the camera for a split mini-second, also once I've completed the editing and production of the teaser trailer then I could import it from Final Cut Pro to iMovie because iMovie have a stabiliser effect which will make any clips that wobble a little smoother. Also, the music was suggested to be more sting-based to create a build-up to the climax of the teaser trailer, and then possible have a drum beat in the quicker scenes to resemble a heart beat which will add to the suspension. Finally, add an extra layer of text on top of the 'Coming Soon' title to be able to have the production studios and logo and actor/director names in a smaller font at the bottom of that title. I will make these changes and add more to my teaser trailer next, before I show it to my focus group again.

Editing: Uploading all my filming footage to Final Cut Pro

Production: Taking pictures for my ancillary products

In this post, I am taking the pictures for my ancillary products, these ancillary products are a magazine cover and a film poster.

Taking pictures for my magazine cover

Above, are some of the pictures I took for my magazine cover, I think some of my favourite ones are the ones that look straight on to the graveyard, as this is only going to be the background in the magazine cover, and the two brothers will feature in front of it, I didn't really want it to be from a side angle, like one of the pictures above, as this may be too distracting for readers to have as a background photo.

In front of the graveyard I'm going to have the two brothers in their smart outfits, looking straight at the camera with a serious look on their face:

Even though I knew exactly what camera angle I wanted and what pose I want the brothers to be in, I was not sure how close up I wanted it or whether I wanted a long shot, therefore I took a picture of all different distances and I will experiment on photoshop with which one works with the graveyard picture in the background, plus on photoshop I will be cutting out the background of these pictures so it won't have the kitchen in the background, it's just this was where the best, most realistic lighting was because of the huge window. Once I have decided on which distance picture looks best, then I will take the same picture of the other brother and photoshop that into it as well.

Update

Above, is the set up of me taking pictures for one of my film posters; this is for the poster that will be situated on bus tops, I realise that in this picture I have taken the photo landscape, but afterwards we noticed this and took them portrait.

Production: Filming the teaser trailer

Before, I filmed the proper scenes with both of the brother's in their correct outfits, I chose to film some of the scenes roughly just to make sure that they would work or were possible to film, and also to make sure the angle worked well, instead of messing around trying to work that out on the actual day as I didn't want to waste people's time.

The scene above is where the brother's will be running away from the villain that is chasing them, I chose to film it from a tracking angle, and therefore I was running behind them, this is for it be from the villain's perspective which was fitting as I play the villain even though that is not given away in the teaser trailer to create some mystery.

Originally, I was always going to have this low angle of me getting out of the car, however when I made my first rough draft it seem slightly shoved in, therefore I cut it from being added. 

Update

After showing my first rough draft to my teacher and media class, we discussed how there was not enough narrative to the teaser trailer, and also how it felt more like an opening scene as the clips followed on from one another. Therefore, I have chosen to film some new scenes so that I have a jumble of different scenes from the film, and also more narrative to add enigma, I've done this by revealing some snippets of the secrets that they find out, for example baby pictures of someone that they do not know and also a scene of the two brothers holding a gun to the other to create new suspicions. I have now decided to add the above scene of me (the villain) getting out of the car, as it now fits in with the jumble of scenes. And, below is a new scene that I have filmed of the mother arguing with one of her sons, to again, raise new suspicions and add enigma.

Planning: Different camera shots/types/angles that I could use

Planning: Inspiration for my ancillary products

IMG 2160[1] from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

Planning: Organisation of tools and resources

IMG 2157[1] from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

Planning: Surveys for my ancillary products

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Update
Once I handed out the survey above, I got feedback that some of the questions were difficult to answer because of the wording or the choices for answers. For example, in one of the questions I had asked two different questions and when the only answers were either 'Yes' or 'No' they didn't know what answer to put, also my target audience is too wide making some of the answers difficult to answer if they're about what's suitable for the target audience (I will also need to go back to my target audience post and change this), finally for questions where there are multiple choice answers other than 'Yes' or 'No' they needed to know how many answers they could choose.
So, below I have changed my questionnaire so it is better, clearer and easier to understand, and I will hand these ones out to the class again to get some better responses.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Update
Here are the responses I got from my new survey.

1. Majority was 'Yes' for this question.
2. Because of the answer for the first question, and because that's the answer that I am going to go with, there is no need for question 2 anymore.
3. Just the hero's.
4. No need for question for 4.
5. No need for question 5.
6. Yes.
7. Other.
8. Empire magazine.
9. Bus stop, billboards and inside the cinema.
10. No need for question 10.

Planning: Cinematography

Planning: Time management for production

Here, is my time management list for production:

• As I have arranged a date to film - Saturday 20th December - that is when I will film all my scenes for my teaser trailer.
• During this I will take pictures of me filming the action.
• While I am editing the teaser trailer at school, I will be taking the pictures for my two ancillary products at home - after I have chosen inspiration ideas for my magazine covers and film posters - for Alex I will take the pictures on Wednesday 21st January, and then the pictures of Carl and the two of them together on Friday 23rd January.
• I hope to then get a focus group to look at my teaser trailer on Tuesday 27th January.
• Then, add/improve my teaser trailer on all the feedback that I get from that focus group.
• After this, I will be most likely to move onto choosing the pictures I like best and that fall into the conventions of my two ancillary products, and start to photo shop and edit those pictures to look the way I want them to.
• I would also like to have a focus group for my ancillary products after the first rough cut of editing them.
• Then I shall turn my attention to making the final touches to those ancillary products and finishing them off.
• Before, I present both my teaser trailer and ancillary products to my target audience and get feedback from them.
• Finally, if there were any changes that my target audience felt I needed to make then I will go about finding a way to make them.

Planning: Health & Safety evidence