Evaluation

Using the evaluation questions

Throughout planning and filming, we used multiple sources to help us gain the marks we needed. We also took note of the evaluation questions which we felt would aid us in planning.

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

• How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

• Who would be the audience for your media product?

• How did you attract/address your audience?

• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

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

We considered each question carefully and reflected regularly  ensuring we would gain high marks and make evaluating the project easier. These questions also steered part of our development as it opened us up to the idea of targeting a particular audience which further led us to decide on taking a more political approach to the idea of a terrorist. This spurred the idea of the threat video and moved us away from the idea of using much action in our opening.

We also decided that we would aim for a different take of the thriller genre due to the first question. This is mostly apparent in the music choice as we decided not to use a generic thriller soundtrack for the opening. However, we eventually decided that a more conventional soundtrack suited the opening much better. 

Oblivious (final cut)

This final cut includes all that our group have been working towards for the past few months, a 2 minute opening to a thriller including most of what was on the mark scheme. This cut of course includes the soundtrack we felt suited the piece more, as well as changes in shots and titles present in previous drafts. Overall, I feel that this piece has been greatly improved from the first draft due to criticism from the teacher and other peers as well as a greater understand in film making.

4th draft

This draft includes all the re-shot footage including the threat video in the beginning which wasn't present in the previous drafts. Personally I felt that the titles used were a bit too overwhelming, which most of the group agreed on. Therefore the final cut would include smaller and possibly less titles as well as new soundtrack which was decided during the editing process of this draft. Another change, again, would be the extension of some shots and removal of others in order to change up the pace of the final sequence. Overall though, most of the group as well as the teacher were happy with where the project was going, and we were anxious to complete the final cut.

3rd draft feedback

The main focus from now on was sound, as teachers and ourselves were equally unhappy with the music currently chosen and volume of the bomb ticking. From now on my group and I each searched for a more suitable soundtrack, whilst Benoit made final changes to the edit; cutting out some unnecessary footage and replacing it with longer shots.

The music we finally settled on was a more up-beat and generic thriller track which felt much more authentic and suited to the track. However, as we were still undecided whilst editing the fourth draft, it is only included in the final cut.

3rd draft

Again, much like the 1st and 2nd drafts, we had still not fully edited the font and colour correction. This was due to the expectancy of another editing session to improve on the flaws of this draft. In saying that, we felt that we had almost finished this project as all the footage was acquired and up to standard, and we believed we would not need to re-shoot. Main differences in this draft are with the editing throughout, and camera work in the final school sequence. The most noticeable improvement is that that sequence is far more fluid due to the use of still shots. Additionally, the hold on Joseph's stare towards the end creates tension, the angle of the camera also helps to build this as it is angled almost directly into his eyes from Ashley's point of view.

Filming 3rd draft

Unfortunately I wasn't present for the re-shoots for the second draft, so Jordan and Matthew decided to help out by acting as students in the classroom alongside Ashley. The re-shoots went according to plan as we were well prepared and had discussed what shots we would be taking before shooting. As we had already re-shot, we wanted to ensure we didn't have to yet again, so took multiple takes that would enable Benoit and myself to edit them together and change what worked. In this draft, we mostly focused on the camera work as Mr. Ford had made comments on the way the camera moved during shots- stating that tracking and panning shots were often unnecessary. Therefore, most shots are still; making the transitions more fluid. Not much else changed in these re-shoots, so yet again we did not draw up another storyboard.