Evaluation (Part 3)

6. What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

In making this film, we have used several technologies. The most obvious is the Internet - this was very important for research and we gained a lot of knowledge and assistance from Google.

Another way in which we did research was to watch DVD commentaries and the opening sequences of films. From director's commentaries and behind the scenes footage we learned a lot, and were able to incorporate this into the way we made our sequence.

We had to use a camcorder to film the sequence, and this took some time to work out - the technology was complicated, but we were able to gain an understanding of it in time to be able to use it effectively when shooting the sequence. We also used a camera to get pictures for the Location Report, and the storyboard.

Editing was much more complex. We used the Vegas program to cut and edit clips and both diegetic and non-diegetic sound, but also had to record voiceovers, using the Microsoft Windows Sound Recorder. It took a few weeks to complete, several hours at a time. We had difficulties with this, because we found that we were unable to use what was already done on a different computer, and we couldn't transfer it onto someone else's userspace, so we were limited in terms of times when we could work, but were able to complete it in time.

In terms of audience feedback, I had the final film uploaded onto an encrypted site and we sent the link to certain individuals who we trusted to give us serious feedback, and through this were able to gain a range of opinions which proved to be very helpful in the development of our film.

In all, the use of technology was essential in every stage of making our media product, and my skills in these terms were improved greatly over the production period.

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

I have learned a lot over the production periods of both the preliminary and final products. The most obvious skills might include the use of a camcorder and tripod, and the Vegas program, but I have developed other skills in the time.

The production stages of creating a film are pre-production, production and post-production. Pre-production is what happens before filming - storyboarding, writing, etc. Production is the filming process, and post-production is the editing process.

I found that pre-production was the easiest stage for me. As a writer, this stage comes somewhat naturally to me, and I learnt only a few skills that I did not already have - the effective use of a storyboard, to name the most significant. The pre-production process developed a lot between the preliminary and final piece, however - we spent much more time planning the final piece than the preliminary, partly because of its significance and partly before its length, and possibly too much time was spent on this, so I have effectively learned the importance of time management.

Production, too, was a fairly simple stage. The most important skills learnt involved camera angles, which we were not so successful with in the preliminary task, and the use of a tripod, which we found to be important when we saw the effects of filming without it in the preliminary. I was also involved in directing, and had to be careful to ensure that the actor was in a position that worked for the camera.

Post-production was the most challenging stage. I found the Vegas program difficult to use, and the process of editing was complicated and stressful. However, I did learn a lot about it, and we were able to use it to a much greater effect than in the preliminary task. We also added music, which we found to enhance the film and make it more interesting for the audience, especially in the silent parts, which seemed to drag before the use of music. Even with music they went on a bit, so we added voiceovers - extracts from Sophie's diary, and were able to shape them around the film so that they drew some attention away from the action, or lack thereof, and onto the diary. This was most effective in one of the last scenes, when Sophie is sat in the living room, watching TV, and takes painkillers in an attempt to kill herself. This scene went on for a while, and we cut it down, but it still seemed to be lacking something. With the voiceover, we were able to draw attention away from the images, where it took a while for anything to happen, and onto Sophie's thoughts. I learned a lot from this, and would consider myself much more able to include conventions like this in future.

In all, the learning process was a difficult, but rewarding one, and I would now fee much more competent in making a film than I did at the preliminary stage.

Evaluation (Part 2)

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your film and why?

The film we have made is a low-budget, independent British film. It would probably be made in association with the BBC or Channel 4 – we added “In Association with Film4” in the credits of our film to demonstrate the way this occurs. On their website, Film4 state that “The company develops and co-finances film productions and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established.” Working with Film4, we would share the profits in return for their assistance in making and distributing the film.
There have been many similar cases in the past. Probably the most famous is recent hit Slumdog Millionaire, and there are several others coming up and recently released – including The Scouting Book for Boys, Looking for Eric, The Lovely Bones, and many more. Other famous films distributed in this way include About a Boy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Without the assistance of Film4, none of these would have been so well-received, and we think that they could do the same for our own film.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The primary audience of our film would probably be teenage girls and young women – people of a similar age and gender to our main character, Sophie. They would generally be within the same Western culture, although subculture might be less of a significant factor, since Sophie is somewhat a misfit within society. As many people feel like this at times, a wider audience would be attracted as more people would feel identified with her. The most important factor, of course, is genre – this is a melodramatic film, which generally attracts women.
We looked at the BBFC’s classification guidelines and decided that our film would probably be rated 15. Discrimination is not encouraged, drug misuse is shown, but discouraged, and the self-harm is not too detailed or glamorised. Language is not a major issue, and neither is nudity. There would be sexual references later in the film, as Sophie is abused by her father, but it is shown in a negative light and consequently, as the detail would not be explicit, it should be acceptable. Violence is, of course, a major issue, especially considering Sophie’s self-harm and her father’s abuse, but is not dwelt on too long to be acceptable by the standards of the BBFC. These considerations in mind, we are targeting our film at a young adult, over-fifteen, female audience.

5. How did you attract or address your target audience?

To make it most appropriate for our target audience, we considered the conventions of a melodrama. As women have always been the target for this genre, we thought that by using these conventions, we could make it more appealing to the female audience. We used music to enhance the audience’s understanding of the narrative, creating an effect of continuity and consequently suggesting that the events of the sequence are an everyday occurrence, and to establish Sophie’s emotions. We created a situation in which social pressures prevent her from acting on her situation, by placing her within the demanding world of living up to parental, educational and social expectations – this appeals to our audience especially, as it is still felt in some circles that women are not treated equally, and are still expected generally to be involved in the “softer” jobs, such as cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children.
Using these conventions, we were able to create an effective opening sequence which would enable us to attract the audience we would be targeting.
Another way in which we addressed the target audience was by gaining audience feedback and making changes to suit this. We were told that it would be better to remove the first minute, which showed the credits on a background of several shots of Sophie writing in her diary, followed by a scene in which she almost self-harms, but is interrupted. After consideration of these responses, we agreed that the shots of writing did go on for too long, and that the first scene was not an appropriate opening, so we cut it out, thus preventing the drag of the film and getting straight into the story. The audience agreed that this was much better than the original.

Evaluation (Part 1)

1. How does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?

The use of an opening sequence in the creation of a film is generally to introduce the main themes and characters, setting, genre and narrative. In our opening sequence, we create a melodramatic tone, demonstrating the negativity surrounding Sophie, our main character, in her everyday life. We allow the audience to see Sophie's solid depression, her interaction with her parents, and her need for solitude and control, neither of which she seems able to get.

The main characters are established immediately - Sophie, a teenage girl suffering from depression; her mother, a quiet woman who doesn't really understand what's going on, and her father, a man used to being in charge, and frustrated by his lack of understanding and control concerning Sophie.

The setting is established with little doubt - costumes, accents, attitudes and general mise-en-scene clearly show the film to be set in modern-day England.

Conventions of the melodramatic genre are threaded throughout the opening sequence. Sophie feels pressurised to behave in a certain way, to be happy with what she has, to achieve certain things, to enjoy her life. However, she feels incapable of this and cannot act on her situation. Consequently, the catharsis is a masochistic inner conflict, rather than a confrontation between several characters. The characters are fairly two-dimensional and can be categorised into "Good and Evil, Innocence and Villainy" (Elsaesser). Therefore, to make the characters more relatable, they must be juxtaposed to create clashes between the characters and contexts. The melodramatic genre is often on the side of the victim - those in power (usually male) to be considered evil, and the oppressed (female) to be good.

The narrative is introduced in the opening sequence to be a small-scale story - personal rather than public. The characters are ordinary people, and are placed in a situation which might also be considered as fairly normal. The audience immediately know that the story is about the consequences of leaving depression untreated, and are drawn in by a compassion for Sophie, and a curiosity to find out how she deals with her depression.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Refer to Character Representation Analysis.

The main character in this film is similar to the target audience, thus allowing for them to identify with her. Sophie is a British girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, living a normal, everyday life. She goes to school, lives with her parents, and has the same struggles as everyone else. However, she is also suffering from depression, and is consequently, albeit inadvertently, victimised by her parents, her peers, and herself. The catharsis of a melodrama such as this is, rather than a physical confrontation between multiple characters, an inner conflict of the protagonist. Sophie's inner conflict is her depression, and her personal catharsis demonstrates the social group of teenage girls as victims, with a lack of control over their own lives, and struggling to deal with the overwhelming turmoil of emotion alone.

Parents of teenage girls are also represented in a specific way in the film. Sophie's parents are the main example of this, and show how dangerous a lack of understanding can be. They don't understand exactly what she is going through, and cannot emotionally support her. They make mistakes that lead to Sophie feeling alienated and alone, and don't make quite enough of an effort to comprehend what she is going through. They demonstrate the significance of parents in the lives of their children, and are a clear representation of how important it is to get things right. Also, we would later in the film show Sophie’s father as an abuser. He puts his own sexual needs first, with no consideration for the feelings of the other characters.

...

It's finished...

We've finally finished the opening sequence. Our first version was too long, so we're having to cut it down, but it should be done very soon. I'm a member of a large online writers' community, and have asked four friends from that community, who I know to be excellent and detailed reviewers, and who are moderators on the forums - thus proving trustworthy in the eyes of the actors, who had concerns - to give audience feedback. I have uploaded the film here, onto an encrypted page, so that the only people who can view it are those we send the link to.

Credits

Because of the difficulties in filming, we decided that instead of putting the credits into the start of the diary, we would edit them in afterwards. The credits we are using are:

Starring Lucy Formby
Directed by Kayleigh Protheroe and Ruth Halliday
Produced by Samantha Protheroe and Lucy Formby
Music by Lucy Formby and Chris Formby

Research

As the focus of our opening sequence is depression and abuse, we looked at several charities to help us develop and understand the characters and storyline:

The Mood Foundation is a charity set up by a former sufferer of depression, to try and find the best treatment for individual sufferers, and to help them pay for it. Mood has many facts and statistics about depression on its homepage, and we were able to use them to help us develop our film and main character.

Mind exists to help people deal with their mental health problems. It helped us develop our story and characters by providing information about charities.

Women's Aid is centered on domestic violence and the protection of women and children living with abusers.

Beat is focused on eating disorders - a major aspect of Sophie's depression.

The information we learned from all these charities was very helpful in developing our storyline and the character of Sophie.