Evaluation - What have you learned from Audience Feedback?

Evaluation - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Final Product - Way Back Then

Ancillary Task - Choice of Magazine

For our task of creating the magazine review, we decided to look into which magazine our review would be placed within. We narrowed our choices down to Empire and Total Film and eventually decided to place it within Total Film. We decided on this magazine because it was more focused on films than Empire, and so would be more likely to feature a review on a short film.

Once we had decided on the magazine, we decided to review a two page spread that is featured in Total Film. This particular two page spread features a review of the film True Grit. The review features one single large screenshot with the text surrounding the picture. The use of the image is important in drawing in and attracting the reader to read on. The review takes on a very neutral point of view, coming to a conclusion that the reader.

The editor of the articles uses particular quotes from the text that help to summarise and generalise the viewpoint that the reviewer has of the film. The use of different subtitles for the text helps to maximise the effectiveness of the review, and makes it much more engaging for the reader. The Predicted Interest Curve was a feature that interested us, as it showed that Total Film uses originality and different ways of making a review more interesting. We also liked the Verdict at the end of the article, as it may well be that the reader only glances at that to get a quick summary of the consensus around the film without reading the whole article.

Overall, we feel that Total Film is a perfect choice for our film to be placed within. The depth of analysis and the variety of ways that Total Film reviews its films means that we will use Total Film as our magazine. The intended audience for our film (17-25 years) are also the primary audience for Total Film and so our film would gain the maximum exposure.

Ancillary Task - Layout of Film Review

After doing some research and looking at existing film reviews from 'Total Film' magazine and examples of last year's students' ancillary tasks we were able to see what worked well and which ideas we could incorporate to our own film review.

We decided that this layout could be effective. It is a two page spread therefore allowing for a greater focus and analysis of the film.

Ancillary Task - Final Poster

This is our final film poster for our film 'Way Back Then'. As we had discovered in reviewing the poster for 'music and lyrics', with a Romantic genre it is important that the film poster features a picture of the central protagnists within the film. We wanted to get the colour of our poster right, as it would help the audience to summarise and understand the genre and feel of our film. Predominately, the poster's primary colours are green and white. Green is featured as it has the connotations of romance but is not as strong as red or pink, and is soft and reflects therefore the tone of our film. With our poster above, it uses a screenshot from our film that features a romantic setting, suiting the genre and nature of the film. The couple are featured centre of the poster with their backs showing creating a sense of mystery and romance. The title of the film is displayed clearly along with the tagline 'from the producers of desolo', which was the title of the thriller we made the year before. This is a commom feature in marketing films, especially mentioning directors as audience viewers are more inclined to go see a film if they liked a previous film that has been directed or produced by the same person or company. There are four examples of reviews from various papers and film related magazines,important in transmitting to the audience the general consensus about the quality of the film, as well as showing that specialised reviews such at Total Film rated it highly. The important billing information is at the bottom of the poster, featuring information on the actors, producers and directors involved in making the film. We decided when making the billing to follow the order somewhat of the film poster for Casino Royale, with the actors names appearing first, and the directors last.

Ancillary Task - Poster Analysis

In order to gain a greater understanding when creating our own film poster, we thought it would be worthwhile to look at current film posters in order to gain an understanding of what is required and what makes an effective film poster. As our film is a Romantic Tragedy genre, we decided to analyse a poster that is of a similar genre.



This is the film poster for the Romantic Comedy Music and Lyrics. The posters main image is that of the two central characters, played by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. The image shows them in a somewhat intimate situation laughing, reflecting the comic nature of the film. The poster also features images relating to music in the background, and the two are sitting at a piano, reflecting a main theme within the film which is music. In terms of typography, the title of the film as well as the actors names is written in lower case, perhaps reflecting the soft comic nature of the film. The lower case also matches well with the light colours and theme of the poster. At the base of the film is the release date written in bold upper case, important obviously as it tells the audience clearly when the film will be released. As with all film posters, at the bottom of the poster is the billing block, font condensed and featuring information regarding those involved in producing and directing the film.

Costume and Props

We feel that the costumes our characters wear will play a significant part in reflecting their personality and moods, and so have given a lot of thought to the costumes. With regard to our title male character, Renaud will have differing costumes, but each reflecting his age, personality and style. In one scene Renaud is at the grave of his partner laying flowers. Here we plan to have Renaud wearing a long black overcoat, reflecting his grief and depressed mental state at the time. This will also be reflected in the weather at the time, which again has connotations of depression and grief.

In another scene Renaud is seen to be wearing another lighter coat, scarf, typical winter attire when he is seen with his partner on a isolated lonely beach. Overall we wanted to Renaud dress not stereotypically for people of his age (20+), but to dress with a slight alteration, wearing many shirts, cardigans, plain chinos, fashionable coats to make his character visually appealing and to give him a certain distinction with what he wears.

It is this distinction that we also wanted from our female character. Charli’s character wears light coloured tops, leggings and flat stylish shoes to reflect her bright, colourful personality, and to also make her character seem distinguished. This style or pattern of dress is only altered when Charli is seen in bed ill, where she is seen to be weak and weary, and is planned to be dressed in plain and simple clothes.


In terms of props we plan to use a limited amount of props, as the focus is on the characters and their story. A prop that we consider to be important is a bunch of flowers with a note included that Renaud will lay at the grave. The flowers are significant as it shows the pain felt by the male character at this point and his struggle with the grieving process. Other props include photos of the couple that show their ‘happy’ moments together and a book used in the coffee shop scene.

Diary of Shooting - 25th November 2010

St Mary's Church

We started by shooting the scenes at the graveyard first. Our chosen location was St Marys Church in Shenfield which was chosen because of its locality to the school, as well as the fact it is surrounded by trees which makes it feel enclosed and isolated. We started by shooting all the extreme close ups of Renauds eyes, opening and closing several times, keeping in mind what we needed in relation to the storyboard. We also filmed over the shoulder shots of Renaud flicking through photos of him and Charli. The next shot was the slow pan that would reveal Renaud's location, we did this several times in order to make sure we had the perfect pan when it came to editing. We also included a shot that wasnt storyboarded, which was a low angle shot of the grave, with the spire in the background and Renaud walking off. We did this to add variety to the film and to make the scene more effective.

Street/Brentwood Station



We then drove to a street that would allow us to film a shot of Renaud walking. Having done that shot we moved onto the final location which was Brentwood station. We asked permission at the desk to film a short sequence on the platform which they agreed to. We set up the tripod in the approriate position and practicsed the shot several times in order for us to fully understand what was required. This shot was important as it is the final twist that leaves open the idea of Renaud committing suicide by jumping in front of a train. When the train was approaching we started filming and Renaud moved out of shot as we had practised. With this done we had completed filming all the neccessary footage that would be required.

Diary of Shooting - 19th November 2010

18th November - Shoeburyness

We arrived at the beach and took a look around the location. The weather that day was very foggy butwe decided this was OK as it made the couple feel more isolated and alone. We set up the tripod and consulted the storyboard and decided to shoot the long shot of the two walking along the beach. Once we were there we decided to place the tripod within the water slightly which also created a slight angle to the shot making it more interesting. As we were setting up filming some of the group were skipping stones and we decided to shoot a sequence of Charli and Renaud skipping stones which would add to their blossoming relationship. We then moved onto the shot of the two sitting down on a rock and admiring the view which we shot from both a low angle and high angle and would look at which shot would be most effective. Finally it was Jades idea to shoot a sequence hand held of Charli running and laughing with Renaud. Jade suggessted it was possible to edit the footage in a way that it would look like a amatuer video.

Diary of Shooting - 16th November 2010

16th November - South Weald

We arrived and made our way to the pre-determined location and decided to shoot the kiss scene first. After some initial discussion, we shot wide shot of Charli and Renaud in front of the lake, in order to capture the location effectively and then moved onto the kiss. We started by practicising shots of the kiss by directing Renaud and Charli into what we wanted from this particular shot. We managed to film both a close up and wide shot of the two kissing and then moved onto the other shots. We wanted to capture the surroundings of South Weald by placing the two on a hill, which would allow for a wide shot and would exemplify the location. We shot both a wide shot of the two walking towards the bench on the hill and then a over the shoulder shot the two on the bench, with the scenery as the backdrop. We decided that when we came to edit the footage we would decided on the order of each shot.

Diary of Shooting - 10/11th November

10th November - Costa Coffee



We arrived at Costa Coffee and set up the tripod and camera. Jade and Charli had already gone ahead to gain permission to film the scenes there. We started by shooting shots of Renaud sitting down with his coffee, and noticing Charli over the top of his book. We shot both an over the shoulder shot and mid shot and said that we would decided which shot looked best when editing. We then filmed shots of Charli sitting down, looking round the cafe and noticing Renaud herself. We concluded by filming a mid shot of Renaud smiling and walking over to Charli's table.

11th November - Renauds House

We started by discussing what we wanted from the scenes that we were going to film, which included shots of Renaud taking a hot drink to Charli in bed, and the two having an argument. We started by filming in the bedroom, with close ups of Charli's face, and mid shots of Renaud walking in with the coffee and noticing Charli. We finalised the scene here with a close up of Renaud and Charli on the bed.

We then moved downstairs into the living room to film the argument that the two have. This included a shot reverse shot of the two saying two lines of dialogue each. We filmed from a low angle and a high angle to help include a variety of shots in the film.

How we plan to use Editing

As a group working on our previous coursework, and studying and analysing many films and TV dramas we know the importance of editing in order to make a film successful. Continuity editing is present throughout as it is the most common form of editing in film making today. As our film cuts between the present and past scenes, we used black fades to help distinguish when the change in time and setting is taking place. In several of our shots you also see the main male protagonist close his eyes and so the black fade also helps to reinforce him remembering past moments and to aid the transition.

For one particular scene involving an argument we used a shot reverse shot to help make the communication and dialogue between the two characters more effective and interesting. The quick cutting and fast paced dialogue helps to create a visually interesting scene for the audience and aids the pace of the film. We also use a match on action cut when the couple are seen in each other’s arms at South Weald, as well as directly after they have kissed, all of which make for a seamless final edit and a smooth cut for the audience.

Editing is important in maintaining the pace of the film. A famous example of how effective editing can be in dictating the pace of a film is the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan. Michael Kahn who won the Academy Award for Best Editing for his work on Saving Private Ryan, successfully integrates both long cuts as well as quick cuts to help re create the tension and atmosphere of the particular scene. A very effective part of this scene is when Kahn fades out all the diegetic sound as Tom Hanks looks hopelessly at the soldiers around him.

Shooting Schedule

Script

How we plan to use Cinematography

Cinematography is an important part of any film, short or not, and can make a film visually interesting and engaging or static and boring. Due to this we decided to look closely at how Cinematography can be used effectively in order to enhance our film. We knew that some our locations would be visually stimulating and interesting for the audience and wanted to capitalise on that by using a variety of long shots and wide shots to expose the scenery around our central characters. This is in particular reference to scenes at South Weald Park and Shoeburyness which are large, interesting and dynamic landscapes and needed to be properly exposed.

We also knew that in order for the emotion of our protagonists to be captured, in particular Renaud in the graveyard scene, we would have to use close ups of his face in order to understand his emotional state as there is no dialogue in this scene. Also this is shown with a close up of Renaud in the bedroom, and through his non verbal communication the audience can clearly understand the mental state of that character.


After working the previous year on making an opening to a thriller film, we also knew the effectiveness of low and high angle shots in determining the importance of a character. We also knew that it these high and low angle shots, as well as
tracking shots that make a film much more interesting and engaging because the audience is always stimulated by different angles and shots. We decided that when opportunity allowed, we would shoot with high and low angles, as well as other shots in order to maintain the audiences interest.

Casting Decisions

We felt that one of the most important aspects of the production was making the relationship and emotions believable on screen. Due to the difficulties in hiring high profile actors, we dedicated a lot of thought as to who should play the title characters, a couple which are in a deep relationship. We wanted to cast people who would play a believable older character (20+), proven dramatic credentials and were committed to the production. We also felt it was important to cast a couple that were different and engaging, who would grab the audience’s attention and who would establish a strong connection with the audience. The two actors we have cast complement each other well as a couple and we feel confident about their ability in portraying a believable relationship on screen. We felt that Charli and Renaud were similar as a couple to Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, stars of 500 days of summer. It is the relationship in that film that we wanted to re create with our actors.

Inspirations/Influences

Although we feel that our idea is unique, we have been influenced by many short films and feature length films that we have seen in the past in many aspects of planning our film. In particular, 500 Days of Summer has influenced many of the decisions and ideas we have made.

Relationship –

As the film is focused on the relationship between two people, we decided to look at other films that explore deep relationships. We wanted our couple to demonstrate unique qualities that would distinguish them from the traditional every day romantic couple seen on a number of films. We liked very much the chemistry and attraction of the couple in 500 Days of Summer. The film explores a relationship that is awkward and unique, and ultimately ends in failure, a convention that breaks somewhat the norm for romantic comedy films.
The character of Summer Finn played by Zooey Deschanel is seen as an ‘immature woman, who is a complex character and the consequence is heartbreak for the male character. Summer is perfection, but perfection has no depth. Summer is not a girl, she is a phase’. It is these attributes that we want to our female protagonist to demonstrate to show that she is a complex and interesting character, and someone the audience would find entertaining to watch. Similarly, our male protagonist should demonstrate similar attributes to the character of Tom in 500 days of summer played by Joseph Gordon Levitt. In that film, Tom is obsessed with summer, and additionally shows that he is a humorous, witty and a intelligent and unique guy. Together, the characters relationship will go through stages in the film, at first showing their initial attraction, followed by the relationship developing and becoming concrete, before finally ending with the female protagonist’s death. With the attributes and relationship that the characters will have, the film will have an emotional impact upon the audience.

Settings/Location –

Somewhat influenced by the relationship and demeanour of our characters, we wanted some of our locations to feel isolated and secluded.
Initially, the couple meet in a bustling coffee shop, and can be compared with in 500 days of Summer when the characters meet in a busy office. The next significant setting is an isolated beach, reflecting the characters relationship as one that shows the couple to be isolated, yet happy together. Similarly, this isolation is repeated when they are seen at South Weald Park. In 500 days of Summer, the couple have a ‘favourite spot’, frequented by the characters because of the appeal of the location.
We were inspired to use a similar idea, with South Weald being our couples ‘favourite spot’.

Laurence Ruthven

Target Audience Profile

The Target Audience for our film would predominately be female, aged between 16-30 years old. As the film explores relationships and is based on romance and tragedy it would most appeal to the female audience, however, males of a similar age would also make up the majority of the secondary audience. For our target audience we have used Sophie Smith as an example of the primary target audience.

Sophie is 17 years old, attends Sixth Form and has a wide interest education, socialising with friends, watching films and TV, Facebook and Twitter. Her favourite films include Forest Gump, 500 days of summer, Billy Elliott and Dirty Dancing. Jade is White, middle class and enjoys music by The Smiths. She represents the typical normal girl, from a middle class nuclear family.

Sophie regularly attends the cinema and has an avid intrest in films. Her favourite films revolve around a romantic plot, with two people conversing and ending up as a happy couple. Jade therefore would have an intrest in our short film. Additionally, Sophie studies Media at school, and so would be intrested in viewing a wide range of film types, including short films.

Codes and Conventions of Romantic Tragedy genre

There are several different conventions of the Romantic Tragedy genre. A moving and emotional soundtrack is an important aspect of this genre as the director helps to create mood and emotion simply through the soundtrack. The plot must also follow the general convention of a romantic film, but with the obvious tragedy at the end, e.g. the couple breaking up to fulfil the audience’s expectations. The narrative drive must be strong throughout, so that the audience may suspend belief and get caught up in the drama of the story, as well as the relationships on screen. This ‘suspense’ of the viewer is often referred to as verisimilitude, or the illusion of reality.

An audience viewing a Romantic Tragedy would expect disequilibrium that sees an initial meeting between the characters overcome and the couple enjoying their relationship, before an obstacle that threatens their relationship, possibly breaking that relationship. The audience expects to see the relationship severed at the end of the film, although it doesn’t necessarily mean that the characters are unhappy, as it is common for filmmakers to include happy endings even for Romantic Tragedies.

Examples of Romantic Tragedy films –

500 days of summer

Romeo and Juliet

The Break Up

Remember Me

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Notebook