AS Media Official Coursework Film

Q4. How did you integrate technologies?

4)  How did you integrate technologies?

In this project, I integrated several technologies including my Cannon video recorder, Adobe Premier, and a sound recorder. Overall, I felt that my use of technology was effective for a first project, although obviously I still have a lot of learn. In the future, I am looking forward to using a better camera (although they are super expensive) and more sophisticated editing software. Here are some of the pros and cons of the technologies I used in my film.

The Camera

I've had camera for about three years now. I'd played with it a bit, filming prank videos with my friends, but this was my first experience using it seriously. I'd say the best quality of this camera is the wide variety of filter selections (amber orange, desert) which were critical for achieving the washed-out 'noir' effect I was going for. Still, because this camera is quite old, I did have some problems with it. The biggest one was it's relatively low-resolution capability, which prevented me from getting the level of detail I would have hoped for. 

I also used a tripod, which was crucial for filming certain shots, such as the extreme close-up of the feet on the balcony, where I attached the camera to the tripod and tilted it over onto the side, which created a cool suspenseful effect.

Adobe Premier

I used Adobe Premier for editing, including sound, shot editing, and text. It was especially useful when other technologies fell short, for example when my camera had issues with some of the filters, which I had to readjust during post-production. I also faced a fatal crisis where I found out all my footage had been accidentally deleted. I realized Premier actively read files off the computer therefore by removing or relocating any files would result in the footage being offline. Fortunately, I was able to recover all the deleted files and re-edited them into the sequence. This process delayed me for about a week which however was not a major hindrance. Adobe is a great software for polishing a piece after having filmed it.

Sound Recorder

Filming with the camera, I noticed that there was a lot of audio distortion, which prevented me from being able to pick up on the specific sounds I wanted to highlight; such as the desk fan and the ticking of the clock. To compensate for this, I used a recorder to focus on these sounds, which I then added back in during post-production. I realized that although movie lovers often obsess over visuals, that the soundtrack (music and background) of a film is equally important. 

   

Q3. How did your production skills develop throughout this period?

3) How did your production skills develop throughout this period?

I worked on this film quite intensively for several months by myself. It was an extremely challenging and beneficial experience because although I have always enjoyed watching movies, I had never had the opportunity to make a formal production of my own. Right away, I learned that for me the most challenging parts of film-making were managing the color palette, finding appropriate sounds that were not locked by copyright laws, and teaching myself how to use Premier, which I had never used before.

Regarding the color palette, as I have mentioned my intention was to use a highly-stylized theme of muted blues and grays, inspired by Brick and Le Samourai. I filmed the scenes using a filter in my camera, however, there were some technical issues and some of the shots did not come out with the appropriate shading. However, in post-production I was able to go back and edit those shots to fit the overall piece. By doing this, I learned the value to post-production editing. 

For the soundtrack and general auditory atmosphere of Downtime, I chose a combination of musical and diagetic sounds. For the song that played alongside the opening credits, I was inspired by the Fallout game franchise, which plays classic mid-20th century songs to create a noir atmosphere. I initially chose It's All Over with the Crying, by the Inkspots. Unfortunately, it turned out that due to copyright issues I would not be able to use this piece after all. Therefore, I decided to rely instead on more heavily-edited diagetic elements; including a clock ticking, the whirring of a desk fan, a dripping tap, designed to create a sense of foreboding and dread. The 'reveal' of the dead body of the balcony is accompanied by a sudden silence to focus the viewers' attention and emphasize the visual impact of the shot. 

Adobe Premier is an incredibly useful piece of film editing software. It can be used to cut shots, layer sounds, add text, and color correct, to name just a few of its applications. As with any piece of software, it took some time and effort before I was able to use this software easily without having to struggle. For example, changing the opacity of the intro footage was a major challenge at first. Over time, however, I was able to reach the point where I could use to software intuitively and focus on the effect I was trying to achieve rather than getting caught up technical issues.       

Q2. How does your product engage with audiences and how it would be distributed as a real Media text?

2) How does your product engage with audiences and how it would be distributed as a real Media text?

One of the great appeals of the Thriller genre is its focus on building tension and creating well-crafted scenes designed to capture and keep the attention of the audience. Rather than simply giving away the plot at the beginning and relying on one-dimensional stock characters, good thrillers are nuanced and though-provoking. The audience watches because they want to unravel the mystery at the core of the plot. Downtime attempts to emulate this effect by raising more questions than it answers. In a way, I tried to keep all the elements of the piece as minimalist and streamlined as possible while also creating a ominous atmosphere (through my soundtrack, cinematography, editing, and soundtrack) that would keep viewers engaged. Most importantly, I think that meaning can be conveyed through effective implied questions rather than just relying on simple exposition, especially in the opening scene of a film. Therefore, I made sure to give away as little as possible. 

Due to my limited budget and lack of a film resume, if I were to market this film I would turn to the independent film industry, sending it to festivals like Sundance, Cannes, etc, hoping it would be screened for competition. Moreover, I would put trailers on youtube, and engage with various film bloggers to generate buzz online. Unlike in the past, when film distribution was limited to major studios, vhs tapes, and television, technological globalization allows filmmakers to use a wide range of distribution channels to find audiences. I would consider markets where my movies would likely have the most appeal, and apply these digital tools to get it distributed as widely as possible within those markets.

Q1. How does your film use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups and issues?

1) How does your film use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups and issues?

My short film Downtime can be understood as an homage to the classics of the noir thriller subgenre. As you can see from reading my blog, these are among my favorite movies. Contemporary films like Sin City and Brick really appeal to me due to their highly-stylized production values: innovative color palettes, period decor, and rapid-fire nuanced dialogue. Moreover, I also appreciate how these modern reinterpretations of noir utilize cutting-edge techniques while remaining faithful to the seminal works of the genre, including The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and most importantly in this case, the classic French film Le Samourai (1967) starring Alain Delon. In making my film, I made a conscious effort to remain faithful to the conventions of the noir thriller genre.

One of the most characteristic qualities of noir thrillers are their unique color palettes. Brick, for example, was filmed in muted shades of blue and gray, which had the effect of creating a depressing claustrophobic atmosphere that was suited to the plot of the film itself, which hinged on the death of the protagonist's true love. I decided to emulate this approach by highlighting bluish tints in post-production. When I was filming I experienced some filter issues, which meant that some of the shots were not as polished as I would have liked. Overall, however, I feel that although a highly-stylized color palette can take away from the realism of a film, if done right it also draws the viewer into the world and facilitates the willing suspension of disbelief. 

Another characteristic of the film noir genre is a slow, steady pacing, especially concerning camerawork, which helps build a sense of suspense and mystery. One of my all-time favorite opening shots in movie is the introduction to Le Samourai:

The utter stillness of the camera, the dark colors, and the general environment of darkness and isolation immediately set the tone of the film and grab your attention. In my work, I aimed for a similar (shorter) effect with I opened with a long steady shot of the door, which I then walked through. 

Regarding social conventions, my film, Downtime, focuses on the issue of violent crime committed for ambiguous reasons rather than for profit or passion. The main character walks into his apartment and finds a dead body on the balcony. Curiously, he does not react to this discovery. Often, even at times when everything seems peaceful in the world around us, there are horrible events taking place in the shadows. In a world of growing violence and media saturation, many of us have become desensitized to these things (a film like American Psycho addresses this theme quite effectively). My main character's relationship with the dead body remains an open question, but his lack of emotional response is meant to create an atmosphere of nihilism and moral decay. 

        

Written Exam Criteria

Evaluation

(4 Questions, 40 Marks)

1) How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups and issues?
2) How does your product engage with audiences and how it would be distributed as a real Media text?

- How is meaning created

- Reflection creative use of presentation

3) How did your production skills develop throughout this period?
4)  How did you integrate technologies?

- Software, Hardware, Online etc. 

Working by Myself

Solo Rolling:

On Working by Myself

I originally started my project with two other people. We had originally planned to produce a large scale crime thriller opening with the involvement of multiple people for different crime factions to create a full fledged crime epic.

However, due to creative differences we ultimately decided to work independently instead because of my different (superior) vision for the final AS Coursework. I will recount my experiences working solo which brought it's own challenges and opportunity.

One of the best parts working alone is the ability to follow your own ideas without having to compromise with others. It is also challenging as you do not have access to support from a team and have to handle all of the responsibility yourself.

Fortunately, I was able to enlist the support of an amateur cameraman to film and consult. In a way, its similar to working on your first indie film vs a major studio production. Because this was my first actual proper film, I enjoyed getting to follow my own path. Although, as I begin to work on a longer and ambitious piece, I understand that collaboration will become more important.

Color Correction - A True Challenge

Color correction has been on of the most difficult challenges I have faced this year (let alone the entire project). This mess began when I realized some of the footage shot had no blue tint filter applied and grandma's apartment was not available for re-shooting.

I had to create a new blue tint to apply onto the unfiltered shots from scratch. I discovered the RG curves tool from a friend who showed me it's use and played around with it until I could accurately replicate the blue tint.

Unfortunately, this took a lot longer than I expected around 3 week for me to find the closest match. This was due to the uneven shadows/light reflections in each shot, causing the color gains to become unbalanced, therefore hindering progress. I was finally able to replicate the tint with all shots with the exception of the one shown above where i had to make compromises with its unique purplish shade from the light reflection.

Using Adobe Premiere

After vigorous planning and hours spent creating every shot, I was ready to put everything together.Unfortunately, I have never really edited on my own before so in order to produce a composition, I had to learn how to use Adobe Premiere (it was not fun).

I first learnt how to properly import files, sounds, footage, images etc.

Next I learnt how to rotate footage. Some of our original shots were done upside down due to complications with the camera and filming area.

We also had footage that were sloppy with constant camera shakes and occasionally forgetting to apply our signature light blue tint. To fix this I figured out how to Warp Stabilize and Color Correct.

To create an effective, rich and realistic classic film intro, I adjusted the opacity of my first shot to transition as a fade in effect.

Lastly, I created title and credit texts to make the film complete and as real as possible.