Audience Feedback

After uploading the video onto YouTube I got people that match our target audience to comment on it with what they thought after watching. 

Evaluation

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of media products?

The film Step Brothers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sczh_KjjFNU) has largely influenced our own filming style, like our film it is also a comedy based on the relationship between the two main characters, who are brothers.

We all liked the type of comedy that was used in this film, it isn’t slapstick but it is still playful and quite outrageous and we found that it was the characters personalities that gave the film the majority of its humorous qualities, so, we wanted to re-create this as much as possible in our own film. There is a scene in Step Brothers where one of the brothers is seen waking up and putting on an old t shirt, we used this in our own film where we see Jim picking up an old t shirt from his bedroom floor that we can assume has been there several days. 

Another scene that is similar is when one of the brothers is playing computer games very intensely until he is interrupted, Jim does the same in our film. 

The lazier of the two brothers, Jim, is shown entering the bathroom we then cut to a close up shot of flowing water which is assumed to be Jim urinating until the camera zooms out to reveal that the water is being poured from a kettle. 

Like Step Brothers our film is based on the relationship of two brothers however the brothers in our film are complete opposites and we wanted to emphasize this as much as possible throughout. We also got ideas for our music choice from the film Step Brothers, both pieces of music are of an indie-rock genre which represents and helps to introduce the personalities of the main character, Jim. The main storyline of our film is similar to that in The Secret to my Success where one of the characters also pretends to be someone they aren’t in order to reap undeserved benefits. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Although our characters are slightly exaggerated for the enhancement of humour and entertainment I think that they are typical of their social groups. For example, Jim is a white, working class, teenage male, who is unemployed and lives off his parents. He is represented as being lazy and is it obvious that he spends all of his time not being very productive and either lying around the house or out partying. This is a common stereotype for teenagers of this generation and because our main target audience is males aged 15-30 I think that this will increase the humorous factors because they will either know someone similar to Jim or have been like Jim themselves and so can easily relate. Men are defiantly more dominant in this film which would again help to appeal to a majority male audience as in one scene the solicitor is shown reading a men’s magazine whilst mainly focusing on females breasts. This character is similar to David Brent in the television comedy series, The Office, played by Ricky Gervais. Much like our character, David Brent isnt very interested in his job and he casually rebels.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Optimum Releasing were founded in 1999 and are based in London. They release over 200 films a year and have become one of the biggest distributors of independant film and world cinema in the UK since Tartan Films closed in 2008. Our film is very British and low profile featuring no famous actors or impressive special effects so I believe that a distribution company such as Optimum Releasing would be better suited for a film of this budget. 

Also, when I have previously researched Optimum Releasing as a distribution company they generally focus of low budged comedy films like ours such as This is England and Four Lions.

Our film would be distributed throughout Britain and if successful lead to DVD production and rentals however I don’t think there is much chance of merchandising as there are no new and outrageous themes featured in our film with would usually lead to merchandise production unless it was something basic, such as t-shirts.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Thank you Uncle Norman is aimed at a predominantly male audience between the ages of 15 and 30 but because our film is a comedy it may appeal to an older audience if they enjoy the type of humour. According to BBFC regulations (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/15-2), our film would hold a 15 classification due to its immature nature, we ensured that we kept our film at a 15 and not an 18 certificate because we didn’t want to lose 15-17 year olds as they are an important group of our target audience.

Due to our cast been male dominant which we would continue throughout the film having women playing only small parts and even then being perceived as sex symbols. Our film is similar to Step Brothers, American Pie, Pineapple Express and Superbad all of which centre around the relationship and personalities of men playing leading roles. We interviewed both male and female participants in our audience research, all of which would be a part of our target audience and these films that are similar to ours were all listed as peoples favourite films. 

 

How did you attract/address your audience?

The characters featured in our film are most likely to attract our intended audience due to them being so relatable and part of the same social group as our main characters are both male and aged 19 and 17. As both these characters have such different personalities it is easy to relate to their lifestyles by either being a college student or being unemployed and  being familiar with the personality traits that accompany each of these. The camera is usually at eyelevel with each of the brothers because the whole film is about their lives so this will help the audience to feel connected to them, making it more enjoyable for them. Comedy films are generally filmed using basic shots because it’s the characters or situations that make the theme of the film and so they are shown as realistically as possible. 

What have you learnt about technology from the process of constructing the product?

I had no prior knowledge of how to use any filming equipment and we chose to use the Sony HDV 1000 so this was challenging at first until I had learnt how to operate it properly. 

We learnt how to film and then playback the footage and in time after studying other films we understood what camera angles and shots worked well with different scenes. We also learnt how to correctly set up the tripod, what type of lighting worked well and how to white balance the camera so that we could achieve a more natural colouring and look to our shots.

We only encounted minor problems such as shots that followed on but had different brightness levels due to strong sunlight, but we rectified this by simply re-filming after adjusting the lighting available. We used Final Cut Express to edit our film which although it was complicated it was easier to use after some practice and we were able to use it for any effects that we wished to incorporate into our film.

We used several effects to enhance the quality and look of our film including the Dip to Colour Dissolve effect which we used as a colour fading transition between our titles and the start of our film. 

 We also used the High Pass filter which we configured slightly and applied it to the voices of our characters when we wanted it to sound like their voice was being heard through the phone, I think that this worked very well.

We finally had to adjust the audio volume on some shots to keep consistency and we increased the speed of our titles because our film was well over two minutes and we also wanted it to fit in with the beats of the music that was playing over the top to help the film flow.

 We also used programmes such as blogger to present our work, Mozilla Firefox for research and YouTube to upload our video making it easier to access

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

In the preliminary task we had to use techniques such as match on action and the 180 degree rule, these were difficult to remember and apply at first but after having done them I was much more confident and found them alot easier to do when we begun filming. In order for us to create the best film we possibly could in the time we were given we ensured that we had properly planned out what we wanted to achieve, we firstly decided on what the genre would be and then we compiled our ideas and thought up a plot for our film. We tried to include a realistic comedy feel throughout our film wherever we could, including the setting, mise en scene, music, the personalities, actions and body language of the characters and the script. This then lead us on to what certificate our film would be and what target audience this would attract. We then created a detailed shooting script and storyboard and then began to select filming locations that would be suitable and would fit in to the final look we wanted to create constantly bearing the films target audience in mind as all decisions were to point towards pleasing our audience. As our film is a light hearted comedy we weren’t filming anything over the top so to add interest to our film whilst keeping it as realistic as possible we tried to include more interesting shots by using match on action and different camera angles wherever possible. We ensured specific props were included to add to the individual characters, for example, we see Craig putting on his glasses as people who wear glasses are represented as being intelligent.

The first time we see Jim he is waking up surrounded by alcohol bottles and a calendar full of women.

Jims body language also enhances his slob like character as he is seen here laying on the settee.

These are some examples of interesting shots and cuts that we used to help the film flow and keep the audience’s attention. Here we see a phone conversation between Jim and the solicitor. As it cuts between the two men their faces remain in a similar part of the shot

The locations that we chose to use are basic but after we had added some props they fit with the overall feel and theme of the film

Overall I feel that our film has been successful as the final product is what we envisaged and together we have been able to create it in the time that we were given to the best of our abilities.

Thank You Uncle Norman

The finished film.

Analysis of a Film Opening (Pineapple Express)

Pineapple Express is an American action comedy, it was distributed by Columbia Pictures and released in 2008. Seth Rogen is a big inspirational actor in recent comedy films of this style, in this film he plays Dale Denton, a lazy middle aged process server who witnesses a murder by a corrupt police officer and the city’s most dangerous drug lord and accidentally leaves a rare strain of marijuana behind at the scene, Pineapple Express. Unfortunately Dale was seen leaving the crime scene by the murderers and the marijuana he dropped was found by the drug lord who is able to trace it back to him. Dale goes to visit his dealer, Saul Silver (played by James Franco) who sold him the Pineapple Express, in order to avoid being pursued. I chose this film because it is quite a recent film and contains the same type of humour that we want to achieve in our film.

The film begins in black and white with non-diegetic music playing, this music is old fashioned and dramatic and is used to add tension to the opening scenes. The very start of this film is made to look like an old drama style film where the camera pans to follow an old car driving through a large abandoned area. A long shot is used to capture the vast abandoned area of mountains and trees behind them, as well as the car driving closer towards the camera. Text appears towards the bottom of the screen that reads ‘1973         The United States of America’. 

 

At this point the car stops and cuts to a medium shot showing one man in a military uniform and one in a black suit step out of the car, diegetic sounds are heard as the camera goes back to the long show from before and pans to follow the men as they close the car doors behind them and walk across to a trapdoor disguised as a large rock. The men are continuously looking around to ensure that they aren’t being watched, this adds to the tension and gives the audience an idea that the men are doing something illegal and/or secretive which will help to keep their attention. A long over-head shot shows the two men climb into the trapdoor and close it behind them, whilst they are doing so the camera zooms in slightly and tilts up as it pans down to get onto the same level as the men were.

 

 

The camera then cuts to a medium shot of the men climbing down a ladder which is guarded by a man in a military uniform holding a rifle up to his chest. A long shot shows the military man, with his usual serious expression take off his hat, this suggests that he is comfortable which indicates that he is in his natural surroundings.

The man in the black suit follows him in silence as they pass a man sat down at a desk wearing a long white coat, this is the first indication that the trapdoor leads to an underground lab.  To confirm this, the camera cuts and pans along a row of windows with different experiments taking place in each, a naked man in a wheelchair is pushed passed the windows by a man in a lab coat this adds to the sinister themes of the film so far. 

 

It then cuts back to a long shot of the two men, the camera pans downwards to follow the men as they walk down some stairs, no dialogue has been heard in the film so far which gives the idea that the men are visiting the lab for a specific reason. They then meet another man wearing a lab coat who walks towards them, they exchange dialogue straight away but only ask quick questions. The camera pans and follows the men as they are led into an observation area. Diegetic sound in the form of a loud cough disrupts the formal style of the film that has been built up so far, at this point the  tense music fades out. The man wearing a lab coat is shown looking shocked and worried, a medium close up shot has been used to show and emphasize his expression.

 

We are then shown the subject, Private Miller, he appears happy but is acting rather strange by singing and dancing in reply to the questions being asked by the scientists. We keep seeing medium long shots of Private Miller sat alone whilst he answers the questions without any interruptions from the scientists, this allows the viewer to get drawn in to how he is feeling, only for this to be broken off with the contrast of the scientists looking un-amused. Close up shots of Private Millers face help the viewer to understand how he is feeling and to correctly show his expressions and reactions to the questions.

We then see Private Miller from the scientist’s point of view, this is done by showing a medium long shot of Private Miller with the scientists reflections in front giving the impression that we are also viewing him through a pane of glass.

 

The scientists are shown to be very unmoral and unfair as they are each looking down on Private Miller even though they are the ones who have given him the drug. This is emphasized when we see the man in military uniform from earlier drinking from an alcohol flask. He is in the centre of the shot making him the main focus. All of the characters up to now are wearing old fashioned clothing and have old fashioned hair styles to make the scenes more realistic and fitting with the time that they are supposed to have been filmed.

 

Private Miller then asks for a lighter, a man in a very protective suit is sent in with the lighter. A medium shot shows Private miller looking up to his face as we are only able to see the man’s torso, the camera pans up and around slightly so we are able to see the man’s face with Private Miller still looking up at him. I don’t think that this shows power but I think that it shows that Private Miller believes the suit to be excessive and he appears quite daunted yes impressed by him.

 

 

The camera then cuts to a long shot of the whole area and all the characters, this helps to set the scene once again and then back to the previous shots that we are familiar with. 

 

Private Miller is asked ‘When you think of your superiors, what emotions do you feel?’ his answer is harsh from the start as the camera quickly cuts to Private miller and begins to slowly zoom in as his answer unfolds, cutting regularly to the expressions of the scientists. We are still able to hear Private Miller as it cuts to the scientists but his voice is distorted to enhance the fact that he is still behind glass from their point of view. Familiar shots are used again here to help the scene flow.

 

The moment that Private Miller personally offends the main military character he picks up his hat and states he wants it ‘shutting down’, all the scientists act frantically turning off the machines and removing Private Miller, different shots are now used when showing each character this helps to give an uneasy feeling as though they are now uncomfortable. A single gunshot is heard off camera which silences Private Miller.

The final shots that we now see is the military captain on the phone, he begins talking formally but the camera pans and zooms in quickly to a close up shot of his face where he shouts down the phone the camera pauses on his final anger filled expression, this provides an end to this introduction of the film. He refers to what Private Miller was smoking as ‘Item 9’ which suggests that they don’t really know much about it and that it was only what we too have just witnessed that they have based their final decision on.

 

A wipe transaction removes this shot of the Captains face and replaces it with the present day, bright colours are now used throughout as the sun is shining and happy, lively music is playing. This music diegetic as it plays over the first parts of dialogue.

 

This wipe shot reveals such a massive contrast from the black and white serious scenes with the now happy and care-free feel of the new scene where we start to see the titles appear in a bright yellow playful font which gives the first impression that this film is going to be a comedy. The medium close up of the cars tyre shows fast movement which helps to quickly move on from the sinister themes from before whilst continuing the fast pace without quick cuts. 

 

The camera pans around the car and up onto the new characters face as the song begins to kick in and the radio presenter introduces our character as Dale Denton, they then proceed to having a phone conversation. It is made clear from the very beginning that he is smoking, a medium shot shows Dale sat alone in his car, however because he is the only relevant visual on the screen I believe that this shot sets the scene and gives an idea of his surroundings and personality. The actor, Seth Rogen, who plays the character of Dale was previously known for comedy films done in this style so we can already assume what he is going to be like. He has  curly hair which immediately gives him some comedy value and even though he is wearing a suit, because he is smoking and because of how he is talking on the phone this is just seen as being ironic.

 

 

His car is quite old and we can see that he has added to the interior himself due to the wire that stretches across the dashboard and connect to a small speaker. There are stuffed toys in the back of the car which adds to his childlike persona, this makes it increasingly difficult to take him seriously. The camera wobbles about as the car does which creates a feeling that he isn’t really concentrating on the road. This shaky camera movement continues onto the next shot we see of Dale Denton is a medium over the shoulder shot allowing the viewer to relate to his character. We can see his eyes through the rear view mirror so this shot still allows us to see some facial expression whilst allowing us to see more of what the character is like.

 

The next shot cuts to the radio, Dale is still slightly visible as we can see his arm and knee so that we still know we are in his car. The camera then cuts again to outside of the vehicle to help set the scene further when the camera cuts back to Dale we can still hear him as he continues to rant to the radio presenter but we can’t actually see him talking, instead he is just continuing to smoke. This shows the audience in a fun way what he thinks whilst also seeing how he acts when he is initially introduced into the film and as he pulls over and opens his car boot and the camera pans to reveal some humorous props, the audience is intrigued as to what he is about to do next.