Evaluation

Media Death3 Evaluation - Jordan Sanderson

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms of real media products?
Death3 challenges the real forms of media by breaking and changing conventions, we showed this in a variety of ways, for example, excluding shots such as establishing shots, which are usually essential to films; this was done to represent how the characters themselves did not know where they were. Death3 also challenges the typical post apocalyptic genre with the fact that the main characters are in fact; teenagers, this contrast from the original convention makes Death3 stand out from the typical scientist versus nature/aliens scenario which we see on cinema screens today.

The film focuses around the characters trying to survive for as long as they can without the standard alien invasion which is seen in many films, e.g. Independence Day (1996) or War of the Worlds (2005) both films include alien invasions, but still show the human race fighting for survival.

How does your product represent particular social groups?
Death3 represents teenagers as able beings who are capable of surviving on their own two feet. This is demonstrated right at the start of the film as they had already survived the apocalypse, we tried to keep the characters as real as possible, for example detailing they had exams to sit in the scripts dialogue, the characters also had a sense of realism with the fact they talk about their families before the end of the world. It shows them in a way that we would not see them in day to day life, it is clear that our characters all come from different backgrounds and the way they talk to each other shows they have not known each other long, however, they deal with the situation and plan to what they should do.

What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why?
I believe our film could be distributed by Columbia Pictures as they have released various blockbuster titles throughout the years in the post-apocalyptic genre, some examples are 28 Days Later (2000), Terminator: Salvation (2009), 2012 (2009). Each film shows the apocalypse in a different way, for example 28 Days Later Shows the world overrun by zombies, a typical zombie thriller in the idea that the world is taken over and returned to a primitive state because of the unfortunate outbreak. Terminator: Salvation depicts the fall of man to the hands of machines who once worked for humans; the film itself is unique as this idea has only been used in a small amount of films. Finally 2012 is a real hard hitter with cinemas bringing a now well known conspiracy theory to an audience of millions, because of this the film was able to bring in the audience because of their interest of what is really going to happen in 2012, all three films show the end of the world and have been sold or marketed by the distributer well, I personally would choose Columbia Pictures because of how well they manage to sell films of the post-apocalyptic genre.

Who would be the audience of your media product?
Considering the main characters are teenagers I would say that the audience would be teens or young adults, this is because through our research we have found that most apocalyptic films now contain a wide variety of action or horror scenes to make the film more interesting, it is because of this it could attract our target audience, for example the use of teenagers being forced to brave a new environment could make our target audience wonder what they would do in a situation such as this. Ironically, the only way to find out would be to watch the film, thus pulling in our target audience.

How did you attract/address your audience?
Death3 attracts the target audience because of the ages of our main characters, they are all teenagers, this already creates a connection between them and the potential audience, this will entice the potential audience to actually come and watch the film for themselves.

Another idea of how Death3 could attract the audience is because of the fact it is a post-apocalyptic film. Wide audiences seem to take an interest with what the world could be like in a post-apocalypse situation, it is because of this that they are compelled to see the films. Post-apocalyptic films are also noted for their special effects, with this research we decided to include an image of a skyscraper which was photoshopped to look ruined and burned, this process only took a few minutes to achieve, the image was then ready to import into the product, because we utilized this convention, I feel that Death3 will appeal more to our target audience.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
During my time on this product, I have learned how to correctly structure the opening sequence to a film, this includes titles, sound and visual effects. I have also learned about technologies such as green screening to help create scenes which would not have been possible without the technologies, scenes such as the news rooms in Death3 show this effect off to its full potential.

Another technology I have learned about is Adobe Elements and Adobe Premier, the programs allowed you to edit your film professionally, but easy to understand way. We were also able to fit in images which were created from Photoshop especially for the product, images such as the ruined building and the background to the news rooms. We were also able to fit in the bars which detailed the latest news to create the more authentic news feel.

Not all new technology we used was software, we used special microphones to record certain parts of the film, this was to get a clear, clean sound which would not be possible to receive with a standard camera, it was also easier to use this for editing as there was no video to get in the way.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression to the full product?
In the progression from the preliminary task, I feel I have learned a great deal in how to present a shot and how to select the camera shot or angle it would be appropriate to move to afterwards to create the essence that the film flows and fits together flawlessly. All aspects of how to structure the film were covered, for example, my group went through a plethora of audio to find the appropriate sound to create a desolate and isolated scene. We then had to structure the visual side of the film to compliment the audio in a way they either helped us build tension, or set the scene.

Titles and credits were another area I have now learned how to correctly use and place, to create the essence of a flowing film with no distractions, credits should not be placed in an area that distracts the reader enough to miss the action from the film, but just enough to read them, they must also transition smoothly with the film, almost to look as if they are meant to be there to create the illusion that everything fits together.



This is the opening shot of our film, we chose to start with a shot that slowly revealed the environment. To give the audience the same feeling as the characters in the sense that they do not kow where they are. The landscape we chose suited this idea because it looks desolate and inhabitable.




This shot shows all three characters together talking about what they should do next. It also shows how out of place they are in the landscape around them.



This shot was created using greenscreen and adobe after effects. The idea of this shot is to show an emergency news report urging civillians to stay calm. During this the camera breaks up and gets distorted as shown in the shot above.



This shot is prior to the event that distorts the camera. In the shot we can see the anchorman and the news studio created within adobe after effects. The two images were put together using this program and greenscreen.



This shot shows what the viewers at home would see after being disconnected from the broadcast. This shot also has meaning in the sence they are now disconnected from humanity and are on their own.




This shot is used during the opening sequence of the film. The scan lines overlapping what the audience is seeing represents the idea that this has already happens and was filmed. This shot was created using adobe after effects. Acompanying this is music which creates the feeling of uncertainty because no one knows what will happen next.

Story Board

Here are the first two images from the groups story board





The original concept of the story changed due to how our ideas evolved once we set foot into the scene where we would be filming, for example we decided we would not show a flashback of the building in the film, but a montage of past events to introduce a title sequence

Camera Map

The camera map from the image above does not truely reflect our film as once arriving at the site we found that certain shots would be suited to a different location. Be it because of the positioning of the sun or because of what we could see in the landscape. As the scene is a desolate area, we tried to incorporate as many shots as possible that incorporated this idea.

Script

Shooting Schedule

The shooting schedule was always kept simple, we used one day to film all the footage we needed, another to film the greenscreen content and the rest was used to bring it all together. As we wanted to represent the world as a dry and desolate place, the weather was an inportant aspect in our film, for example, if it was raining in the shot, the world around the characters would seem more active and alive. Which is not the purpose of the film, we wanted it to be just the characters and audience.

Post-Apocalyptic Film Openings

Resident Evil (2002) (Zombie Apocalypse Scenario)

When the film first starts we see the Umbrella Corporation logo, which ties into the games as most fans will know that the film is an adaptation of a game based around a zombie apocalypse. During this time we hear a narration of the back-story of the Umbrella Corporation. The narrator tells the audience that almost every home has a product from Umbrella in it. It also tells us that “It’s political and financial influence is felt everywhere” this already tells us that Umbrella will have some part to play in the story. After this short introduction we see the title Resident Evil slowly fade in and out which is accompanied by non-diagetic music which can almost be described as techno, this could tell the audience that the film is very science based or involves a vast amount of technology, which already sets the scene for the viewers.

We then see a zoom into the actual framing and scene itself, which is rather odd to see in any film. Once in the scene the camera zooms into a man wearing what looks like protective clothing. The man is also handling some chemicals from behind a sheet of glass via mechanical arms. This use of mise-en-scene already gives the audience the impression that the time period the film is in is almost futuristic.

We are then treated to a series of close ups of the mechanical arms handling the chemicals. We see that the chemicals are then placed into a metal briefcase and locked automatically. This process alone automatically indicates that these chemicals are important for the plot of the story. However fans of the Resident Evil series will already know what these chemicals are. I do not feel that this opening is effective in explaining the story to newcomers to the series as it keeps the audience asking questions such as where, why and what.

We then see a close up of a man tripping and accidentally dropping one of the chemicals on the floor. We then hear the diagetic sound of sirens, which indicates the chemical was hazardous to humans. We then cut to an extreme close up of our characters eye. In turn this signifies the start of the main story. It could also give us the impression that she is waking up from a dream, and what we have just seen is the dream.

From watching the opening of Resident Evil I have learned how to open a story to new viewers and how not to raise too many questions that will confuse the audience. I have also learned how the environment, costume and sound are vital to setting the scene and atmosphere which in turn will hopefully grasp the audience.

Shaun of the dead (2004) (Zombie Apocalypse Scenario)

Shaun of the Dead opens up on a mid shot of our main character Shaun, who is wearing what looks to be shirt and tie, showing he has just been working, drinking and smoking in a pub, looking rather zombie like himself, already giving the idea that the protagonist isn’t that clever either. We then see a mid shot of him and his girlfriend talking about how they never spend time together. While this is an odd start for a post apocalypse story, it shows the main characters life before the event, giving us a backstory behind the characters and how they know each other. The opening scene is used to let the audience know about the characters and the problems they are having before the event which causes the post apocalyptic situation. This could put the audience in the story and ask the question “What if?” as the scene we are seeing could be seen as an everyday situation.

After this scene we enter the opening sequence which is accompanied by some none-diagetic music which is rather upbeat. We then see various images of people working in factories simultaneously or businessmen answering phones at the same time. This could be a small joke at humans as it depicts us as all doing the same thing without any thought, almost as if we are already zombies. The title Shaun of the Dead then appears on the floor of an alleyway. During this time we see a panning shot with a crowd of people walking towards the title at the same speed in the same walk, again poking fun at the audience.

After this sequence we then see a close up of two feet almost dragging themselves across the floor. The camera then pans up to the face of the character, we hear a moan which the audience could relate to a zombie if they have watched other movies with zombies in them, however, we then see that the character is actually Shaun, again this is poking fun at the audience saying we are already like zombies.

The film itself is quite interesting in the sense that it is a post-apocalyptic horror comedy. The mix of the three creates an almost uneasy atmosphere as once something shocks the audience the characters will make a joke about what they had just witnessed. From this I have learned how contrasting genres, music can be used effectively.

2012 (2009) (Global Catastrophe Scenario)

The films opens up with various shots of the planets accompanied by some eerie music to set the scene and add mystery. Between each shot we see credits with a fade in and out transition. This is good in terms of an opening sequence in my opinion as it keeps the audience gripped to the action. We then see a shot of the edge of the sun, in front of this we see two planets that are aligned, this already gives the audience some idea that the story that take place has something to do with the events in space, also because the planets are aligning, the sheer size of them already gives the idea that something big will happen. We then see flames shoot up from the sun engulfing the shot. The camera then pans down to a shot where another fire blast is seen which is used as a transition to the next part in the story. This title sequence alone already sets the scene for the story as we know it will be dark because of the music. The idea of a huge event in space, which is obviously out of humanities control, indicates that something is going to happen.

We are then jolted back down to earth, in India where it is raining heavily, this is already significant in terms of odd activity, stereotypically, India would be seen as a hot country. The idea that the weather is odd here would already arouse questions with the audience. We then join two characters inside of a car. We see a mid shot of the front seat of the car. The shot looks as if it is seen from the view of the passenger in the back seat. This puts the audience in the characters shoes. This would be crucial in a movie such as 2012 as the director would want the audience to feel like they are part of the film so they feel maximum impact when certain events unfold. We now see a long shot of the exterior of the car. This shot is also tracking the movement of the vehicle. During this time the car goes through a large puddle splashing someone sitting on the side of the road that is holding a toy boat which holds a shocking resemblance to the Titanic. The man then drops the boat in the water out of shock. The boat then turns on its side as if it was sinking. This shot has an iconic reference as the ship Titanic sank, thus giving the idea that something bad will happen. Small hints like this are given during the opening scene, such as the weather.

The two characters then get out of the car. They are dressed in smart casual clothing; this could indicate that they do not have a high ranking status.

This opening scene creates questions for the audience to ask. I feel this is effective in keeping the audience interested in the movie. I have also learned that the use of iconography can be used to represent a coming event in the plot.

Image of Skyscraper (Before and After Photoshop)