Video Camera
The Panasonic HD video camera was our most used piece of technology. The video camera was used for all of our clips during the production of our trailer. The compact camera allowed us to easily transport the camera to different locations and settings for our trailer. We were able to capture different camera angles and movements in both day and night settings. The camera was simple to function and different features allowed us to rewatch, delete and film parts of our trailer. We booked the camera out of school for 3-4 weeks to ensure we were able to gather a wide variety of shots and clips for our trailer. Using a tripod and with HD were able to produce still, quality shots. These features were especially useful for high and low camera angles as the camera remains in focus and steady while being able to convey the underlying emotions such as vulnerability and weakness through a character shot at a high angle. As a group we booked more than one camera out and took turns taking the camera home to film extra shots, and in school we would use media lessons and free periods to film other clips. For example we used departments around the school such as food technology to appear as if its in our main characters kitchen at home. This was done by using close ups and key props within the frame to convince the audience that the scene is realistic by adding relatable objects such as fairy liquid in the kitchen and soap by the sink etc. After filming most of the main action in our film we reviewed it decided that we didn't have enough low key lighting in our clips, as most of these were filmed during the day. So me and Sophie planned a few nights on a wednesday and thursday to go out to locations such as estate streets, woods, and gardens to capture our eerie atmosphere. The flash on the camera was incredible useful as we could still capture our dark shots with a high quality and an artificial flash on the main focal point.
In our trailer we used a
broad range of shots from wide shots of locations and settings such as the park
and establishing areas, to close up and extreme close ups of props and
characters. We used close ups of characters to convey emotion through facial
expression, for example in many shots of mother, Sarah, we have used close ups
to allow the audience to see the fear and pain on her face without having to
physically state she is unhappy in the trailer. We have also included multiple
two shots/over the shoulder shots of our main characters at the start of the
trailer to enable to viewers to identify their relationship and show dialogue
between the two of them. Over the shoulder shots are also used further
along in the trailer when the mother is interviewed by the detective. In this
scene we recreated a investigation room by using stage spot lights to add to
the high intensity atmosphere and key props such as the desk, paper, pens and
pictures to add to the verisimilitude. In this scene we were careful not to
break the 180 degree rule and create confusion within the audience. We
have only used a few hand held shots within our trailer as from the start we
have associated hand held shots with the perspective of the antagonist. The
first example of this is at the start of the trailer when a point of view shot
is used from within the bushes, the shot was created with hand held movement as
we wanted the audience to feel as though they were watching the main characters
from the antagonist's point of view. This occurs once again at the end of the
trailer when hand held shots are used to pan around the wounds on the arm of
the girl. Audiences will hopefully associate these hand held shots with the
protagonist and therefore suggest that it is him that has harmed her.
Camera
During the research,
planning and production our film we needed a digital camera for a range of
tasks. Again we were able to rent a camera from the photography department to
help us capture images such as ideal settings, locations, props, costumes,
characters etc. We used the camera to capture images, evidence and ideas to
upload to our blogs. These are shown in blog tasks such as settings, props,
merchandise, special fx make up and more. During filming we were also able to
take photos for products such as the ancillary texts. The group took turns
capturing different images that they thought most effective for a magazine
cover or poster. For my poster I collected a range of close up shots of our
antagonist Rosie (Bluebell) who goes missing. Rosie posed on the floor leaning
against a fence cuddling her teddy bear. The posture of the little girls suggests
she is afraid or even lost. I edited Bluebell and her teddy out from the busy
background and layered it onto another image I took of a local woods. After
merging the two images together I added a dark gradient and a black, white and
red colour scheme. This colour scheme connotes with my genre of crime thriller
and the events that occur within my trailer. For my poster I have featured
mother Sarah as the main focal point with daughter Rosie hidden in the
background. The composition of the image shows Sarah unaware of Rosie behind
her and it posed in a very conversed, anxious manner.
Voice Recorder
In our trailer we used a
voice recorder for different sound elements. We decided that we wanted a
voice over as our narrative
of the story, therefore we thought by using mother Sarah's voice it would
appear as the thoughts inside her head. The voice recorder was very important
in conveying our developed storyline, we asked Alissa (Sarah) to pre record the
countdown of the game of hide and seek. This was played over the clips in the
trailer and linked the clips and different stages of the trailer. As the voice
over counted further from 10 and closer to 1 the pace increasingly progressed
and the intensity climaxed. The voice recorder was also used for other elements
in the trailer such as voices inside Sarah's head. We asked other male members
of our class if we could record them speaking phrases such as "You
should've known better" this was to emphasise that the disappearance of
daughter Rosie was associated with the immaturity and incapability of young
mother Sarah. We also used a voice over to speak our film title 'Here I Come'
this was also recorded by Alissa as we wanted to link the storyline game (hide
and seek) with the voice over (5..4..3..) and the final title (Here I Come).
Another important part where we used a voice recorder was for the news report.
We wanted to fully convey the crime genre and therefore news reports is a
convention of these. However, we knew that it would be hard to recreate a realistic
news station so instead using the voice recorder we asked an English teacher to
speak the part as we knew they would be the most expressive and descriptive
reading the script. The voice recorder was easy to work with simple
on/off, record and stop buttons and then USB attachment allowed us to quickly
transfer voice clips from the recorder onto our laptops. Using the HD recorder
for certain sounds meant that we had loud, clear sound without background noise
or wind which was vital for creating a informed and sophisticated trailer.
Abobe Premiere Pro
Premiere pro was used for
our main editing of our trailer. From AS we had a basic understanding of
premiere pro elements and features and therefore we were incredible confident
and excited to begin
editing. From File > Import we were able to drop all of
our video and audio clips into the software and begin to start our sequence.
Each individual clip needed rewatching, clipping and editing before it could be
added to the sequence. We collected a wide range of roughly 200-300, 3-4 second
clips to use. Many of these clips didn't make the final cut however we wanted
to ensure we had a wide range of material if we did want to add extra. Once we
had our clips in the right order, length and speed we added transitions and
effects such as Luma Key to lower the contrast and create darker, dingier
shots.
We also used premiere pro
to add in after effects for elements such as title pages and the production
company logo. By uploading each separate part of the image of the production
company logo onto the timeline of the sequence in separate stages I was able to
create a flicker effect. As audio and video sequences are separate functions on
premiere pro we were able to layer different sound effects over each other and
blend and fade them. An example of this is toward the end of the trailer the
main background song fades out/dips down when the news reporter voice over is
added. Using the 'Speed/Duration' tool we were easily able to increase the pace
of the trailer as it progressed by shortening and speeding up each individual
clip. This conforms to typical trailer conventions such as structure e.g.
montage, fast paced, non chronological etc. We also added flash backs to our
trailer showing the little girl in the park after she goes missing. The flash
backs show in stages of 3 until cutting back to the main drama, adding to the
thrill and the mystery of her disappearance. We included sound effects
such as heartbeats and police sirens over intense clips to add to the
atmosphere of the scene. Another creative edit we came up with for the
news title page was to create a type writer effect. This was again created on
premiere pro using titles and sound effects for each individual letter as it
appears. We agreed that this also suggests our trailer genre and conforms to
stereotypes. At the end of our trailer we have used the 'dip to black' effect
in-between shots of the bruises/cut arm to appear as though they are police
evidence of the crime scene. Another important element premiere pro allowed us
to easily create was timing and rhythm between video and audio. Using the time
sequence and cutting tool we were able to match up both elements and play them
in time together, a good example of this is as the final little appears at the
end, the bell of the music dings for each 3 words "Here I Come".
Premiere pro had useful functions such as the way you could enlarge the
screen when playing the trailer, or shrink it back into the corner and enlarge
your editing space.
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop was most useful
in the research, production and marketing part of the process.
Both my ancillary texts,
film title, production company logo, and end credits were created on photoshop.
Photoshop has many tools for different requirements when editing or creating
images. For example when creating my film title I was easily able to achieve my
plain black background by filling the paint bucket tool with black and changing
the colour of my background layer. Photoshop has a long list of fonts to choose
from however, as we were attempting to create syngery through our products we
had already picked 'Chiller' and our brand font. Chiller appears as the font
for the film title, title pages and on both ancillary texts. However, the wide
range of fonts photoshop had to offer was very useful for my end credits after
researching similar fonts from other crime thriller credits. I inserted my
production company logo and age certification onto this simply by Select >
Select All > Edit > Copy All > Paste.
Both my ancillary texts,
film title, production company logo, and end credits were created on photoshop.
Photoshop has many tools for different requirements when editing or creating
images. For example when creating my film title I was easily able to achieve my
plain black background by filling the paint bucket tool with black and changing
the colour of my background layer. Photoshop has a long list of fonts to choose
from however, as we were attempting to create syngery through our products we
had already picked 'Chiller' and our brand font. Chiller appears as the font
for the film title, title pages and on both ancillary texts. However, the wide
range of fonts photoshop had to offer was very useful for my end credits after
researching similar fonts from other crime thriller credits. I inserted my
production company logo and age certification onto this simply by Select >
Select All > Edit > Copy All > Paste.
For my magazine cover I
used photoshop to first insert the image, then I was able to crop and select
out certain parts of my image. Using the quick selection tool I selected my
main focal point of the model (Mother Sarah) and cut her via layer onto a separate
layer so then I was able to edit the adjustments of the background and model
individually. To create contrast and allow my model to stand out I increased
the brightness & contrast on her layer, and decreased both on the
background layer. After positioning my main model in the foreground I then
added in the second model, daughter Rosie. By pressing 'cmd T' I was able to
adjust the size/composition of her on the page. By decreasing her in size she
was easily placed into the background and disguised behind text. Once my image
was in place I then added the masthead, cover lines and magazine
incentives. 
star ratings from well
known establishments such as 'The Guardian' and 'The Star'. Across the
centre of the page beneath the main image our film title was placed in its
recognisable 'Chiller' font. I was then able to copy and paste my film credits
and age certification with the release date and a brief of the storyline.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is
another software similar to Photoshop. However Illustrator was especially
important in producing my ancillary texts. Both magazine and poster was
uploaded to illustrator before photoshop to map out guidelines for placement of
information. For example my masthead on my magazine 'Thrill' was composed on
illustrator before the final edit was made on photoshop. The guidelines and
rulers are easily used on illustrator and therefore I was able to plan out
where I wanted to add elements such as the barcode, price tag, incentives, and
cover lines.
Bloggerof our ideas, information, dates and plan onto our blog. This was the first time using a new blog and blogger was very simple and easy to pick up. As blogger is Google run it was simple to sign up with existing google accounts and easily be informed on tasks, deadlines and other students blogs. During this process we had to carefully think of creative ways to show our information, this included using websites/softwares such as Prezi, Youtube, Word, Powerpoint to record research tasks such as Word Clouds, Movies made
from Powerpoint
presentations and video tasks. Another advantage of blogger is that it
can be ran on any laptop, computer, iPhone, or android phone. My teachers
also created blogger accounts where we can share work with them and they can
leave comments and feedback below certain posts. 
Prezi
Prezi is
a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide
making programs
such as PowerPoint. As I have already used powerpoint as a
display presentation previsouly on the blog Prezi offered Instead of
slides, one large canvas that allows you to pan and zoom to various parts
of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there. Therefore this was
perfect for tasks such as Target Audience Research as different factors such as
age ranges, social groups, and demographics could be explored within the various
sections Prezi offers. With a free sign up this was another key website in my
research for recording ideas and presenting plans.
Youtube
As blogger isn't always
compatible with large video documents, Youtube was a good alternative
Word
Although Blogger allows you
to upload images from your own devices, once uploaded the images are
complicated to place and
aren't always easily composed on the page. To avoid this, before uploading my
images onto Blogger I inserted them into word where I could easily 'Wrap'
images and move them around on the page. Therefore I created colleges of images
from certain tasks such as the Special Effects Make Up images. We also
used word to create the script, storyboard, and lists of clip ideas, props,
locations etc.
Powerpoint
conventions, trailer
conventions and unique selling point. In class Powerpoint was used to present
the multiple different tasks to do for that day/week. It is also easily
attached in emails and therefore work could be sent to us via email with
attached Powerpoint presentations.
FacebookFor all stages to our film trailer social media was very important in communication between the
group, and cast/crew. As the advance in technologies and computing have improved we were able to message each other and create group chats in Facebook messages. We have multiple group chats between members of just the group, members of the group and actors. As social media has such as massive young market these days it was also in our interests to create a Facebook page to advertise our trailer. On this we were able to upload our 'Here I Come' film title and 'Ready or Not' tag line as the profile picture and cover photo. The 'post' button on Facebook allowed us to communicate and interact with fans by uploading status such as the USP and release dates etc. Facebook allows you to 'like' 'comment' and 'share' posts therefore widening our target audience as people engage with the page.
Twitter
Twitter is another social media website similar to Facebook that is used by many members of the younger generation to communicate, share and engage with each other, celebrities, latest news and
Twitter is another social media website similar to Facebook that is used by many members of the younger generation to communicate, share and engage with each other, celebrities, latest news and
film pages. Therefore we
decided to also create a Twitter page for 'Here I Come' where we can reach
potential audience members who can't be reached on Facebook. On this website we
were able to 'Tweet' and create a bio for our film, briefly outlining what its
for and what it is about. By posting 'Tweets' our followers are able to view
our posts and like/share them also. Both Facebook and Twitter are easily
accessed on multiple devices such as phones, computers, laptops and
tablets. Iphone
As each member in our group
had an iPhone we were able to all message on free Apple iMessage. This made
communicating with the group especially easy as I was notified every time
someone set a message. iPhones also have google apps, such as blogger and youtube,
twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, and apps for other things such
as reminders and calendars to record important information such as filming
times etc. Epson Printer
The final piece of technology we used was an Epson Printer. During the marketing stages of our
trailer research we decided
to wanted to recreate stereotypical merchandise products. After researching
other merchandise products we concluded the most popular items were ones such
as T Shirts, Mugs/Cups, and hats. Therefore we got in touch with a local sticker
printer and had a meeting with him to draw up designs for a logo featuring our
film title 'Here I Come' in its chiller font on a black background. Once the
design has been drawn using adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator our final
product was then sent to print with sticker paper so we could cut the
individual stickers and add them to our items. 
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