Audience Feedback for Third Rough Cut/Action Plan

Click on the link for the audience feedback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uEOoJSC9BQ

Feedback
Due to the cut not rendering correctly, there were some very obvious issues which were naturally addressed:

• Some people didn't quite understand the narrative, however, they needed to focus on the dialogue/voice overs because they are crucial to understanding the narrative.
• When the main character decides to leave the house, there are various sound related problems. For example, there are random noises that can be heard, instead of the music. Some other sounds can be heard from taps on the camera.
• Some people thought that the performances could've been better, especially the wife who lacked any emotion - didn't seem sad enough. Also, the main character could've been a lot more intense. Others found that the acting was suitable. 
• The title at the end wasn't positioned in a good place because the white text contrasted with the light background. Also, the title needed to appear on screen for a little longer.
• Music could be implemented to emphasise the emotion (this was removed due to failures in rendering).
• Another good point was that the dialogue was clear and there were good narrative devices i.e news reporter.
• Some felt that the children could've been shown to make the relationship between the father and children, clearer. 
• The voice overs of the news reporter could be altered, so there is a better allusion of a live broadcast appearing on a TV.
• There was a good sense of camera work and mise-en-scene.

Action Plan

• I will ensure that when I come to rendering the cut, I will check that it was rendered correctly.
•  I will alter the voice overs in the house, using Sony Vegas, so they become "muffled" and create a better sense of it being projected from a TV. 
• I will include the music, in the necessary point to emphasise the emotion, 
• The title at the end will be positioned somewhere more suitable, so it's clearer for the audience. I will also have the title on screen for longer. 
• Any taps on the camera, I will remove, so the sound is clearer.

Group Roles

Written and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja

Main Task

Click on the link to watch our main task: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqy3yTvMEmI

Group Roles

Edited and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja

Evaluation - Ismail Khwaja

Question 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products (film openings)?

Question 2.How does your media product represent particular social groups? (e.g. comparison stills from your film and the wider media)

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

Click on the link for my answer. It is a video, showcasing the institutions with a voice over , providing details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMsdfN0uqNw&feature=youtu.be

Below are the institutions involved in my influential film:

Film Distributor

A film distributor is an organisation or individual which holds the responsibility for the marketing of a film. It is therefore their duty to set a release date and devise a method as to how the film will be presented or made vacant for public viewing. An example of doing this could be to distribute directly to the public theatres or alternatively, the film may be only available for viewing at home via such mediums as DVD, Television broadcast or by download. If the distributor has ownership of a theatre or film distribution network, then they may distribute the film directly through those channels. However, distributors who are limited may only be able to handle specific products, for example DVDs, Blu-ray or even distribute within certain markets or countries. Film distributors also handle the advertisement of the film, as a part of the marketing, so they will have to create Television adverts, any radio events or any newspaper/magazine advertisements.

Film I researched:  A Bronx Tale (1993)

Distributed by: Savoy Pictures

This is an American distributor, which had the responsibility of ensuring a theatrical release of the film. It was founded in 1992 and led by the former Columbia Pictures Entertainment chairman Victor Kaufman.  The company has distributed a range of films, such as ‘Heaven’s Prisoners’ (1996) and ‘My Teacher’s Wife’ (1999) with some of its noteworthy films being ‘No Escape’, ‘Last of the Dogmen’, alongside ‘A Bronx Tale’. The company right from the very beginning had the intention of financing and distributing films in the region of $12–25 million range, as well as maintaining investment of up to $15 million for each film.

Produced by: Tribeca Productions

This is both a film and television production company, which was co-founded by actor Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal. The company was founded in 1988, in New York at the start of the return of interest in the film production community.  It is a deemed to be a comprehensive distribution platform. Therefore, they have a dedication of marketing independent films across various different platforms, such as home video, video on demand and for theatrical release.

Financed by: Not made clear, but probably was the production company (Tribeca Productions)

It is likely that Tribeca Productions were the primary financiers due to heavy influence of Robert De Niro who played a key role, as the main actor’s father. Robert De Niro was also the director and founder of the production company. So, he essentially helmed the production of this film. In the end, the film successfully grossed over $17 million with a budget of an estimated $22 million. 

Question 4. Who would be the audience for your media product? (e.g. focus group video and audience profile)

Audience Profile

This is Oliver Newington.  He is a male of 18 years and  who lives in the suburbs of London with his parents and younger brother. He has recently become an adult, so dresses with an older look with with jeans, smart shoes, accompanied with an overcoat. His hobbies usually involve him playing computer games with his friends or generally socialising with them. This entails going to the cinema frequently, but also buying the same films on DVD – his favourite type of film genre is a horror/thriller. Some of his favourite films are Sinister and Limitless. However, he also enjoys crime dramas/thrillers, such as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs. Occasionally, he will go out to play sports with his friends, primarily football at their local park. Along with this, he enjoys spending his pocket money out shopping at stores, such as Burton, Top Man and River Island.

However, he also spends time at home with his family, which he deems a priority because of the major significance of such people in his life. Whilst at home, Stephen predominantly likes to watch television. The main channels he watches are BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, E4, Sky One, Sky Movies and Sky Sports. Some of his most frequently viewed programmes include Broadchurch, Waterloo Road, The Apprentice, The Walking Dead and The Big Bang Theory. Therefore, Oliver prefers to watch programmes which indicate a clear sense of realism or are much more drama based, enabling a connection with the characters. This bares some reflection in his choice of films, as he avidly watches films at his local cinema. Although, he normally focuses primarily on the thriller genre. He also buys films that he sees in cinema on DVD. His favourites include: Inception, Gone Girl, The Green Mile and The Babadook. 

In terms of music, Oliver enjoys listening to songs which contain great energy, but also songs which may have more mellow tunes and those comprised of relatable lyrics. As a result, he listens to a large variety of music types, including Indie music, house music, American rock and folk rock.  Oliver doesn’t have a favourite type, but has a few favourite artists: Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, The Beatles and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

I certainly think our film would appeal to Oliver because there are clear associations established. Our film consists of a more grounded and suspenseful style, which suits the typical style of film that Oliver generally watches because our aim is to create a thriller/drama. Oliver does seem to be very close to his family, which is an important element to our film with the inclusion of the family. The murder centres on a member of the main character’s family, since it his brother who has been murdered. There are indications of the impact that befalls the family, but mainly upon the main character who is the Father of the family in question. Having a family and a strong focus upon the repercussions of a family death highlights the drama genre. As there is also a family, Oliver would establish a relationship here with those characters because of his own family environment and there is potential to connect with life events both in the past and future. The fact that a murder has occurred at the beginning, incorporates the thriller aspect due to this event applying an edge and tension to the story that unfolds. In addition, we have composed our own music that is quite mellow, but simultaneously consists of an intensity that indicates an edge within the story, due to there being a family tragedy. This darker theme implemented will portray the emotions of the characters. So it will not only be through their performance. The music is mostly very tense, which again refers to the thriller genre. Ultimately, I think Oliver would definitely watch this film due to it fitting the criteria he seeks within films.

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience? (e.g. annotated analysis of your video)

The screenshots below are evidence of my audience research. I asked several 18 year old males for answers to my questions:

Click on the link for an annotated description of how I attracted/addressed my audience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyqezqppELw

Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? (e.g. photos of technology taken during construction with evaluation of what has been learned)

Q7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl6g6_6o7-k

Click on the link above for an annotated description of how I progressed from my preliminary to my main task. I cover four main aspects: Camera Work, Editing, Sound and Mise-En-Scene. I have combined footage from my preliminary and main task, comparing them in my annotations. 

Second Rough Cut Feedback/Action Plan

After showing our film to a group of people, their initial reaction was that it was much improved from the first rough cut. This was primarily because of the significant shift in sound mixing. Before, the voice overs were very unclear and difficult to understand, but the re-recording of voice overs and addition of more, have established the opposite feelings - they are now slower, clearer and therefore easy to understand. This also enabled the audience to gain a better grasp of the narrative, and it ultimately made the various scenes make sense. The audience understood why certain characters appeared so upset.

Additionally, it was pointed out that there was still room for some tweaking. As the music begins to play, simultaneously, there is a fade in affect to a close up of the main character. The audience felt that this was unnecessary and didn't serve any purpose. It instead detracted the audience and caused a loss of connection with the main character, because it potentially signalled a change in time. Furthermore, there was some uncertainty about the title of the film, as some thought it could have a better name. The "The" and "Spiral" within the title become lost with the surroundings, as well. Also, when the title appears, as the camera slightly shakes, the title also moves uncontrollably.

Action Plan
In response, I shall remove the fading effect entirely and extend the clip prior to this, so it smoothly transfers into the close ups of the main character. With regards to the title, I shall ask my class to see if they have any opinions for a different one. I will also try to cut the moment that the camera shakes at the end, and attempt to add the title before that.

Group Roles
Written and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja

Planning - Sound/Music Implementation

·  00:00:06-00:00:15: Police siren sound effect will play quietly in the background – simultaneously, dialogue from the news reporter can be heard: “We are live at the scene of the crime. It is little known of who the assailant might be, as there is no evidence other than potential finger prints.” – This dialogue will also be sound bridged onto a black screen with the title “An IBF Film”. Both the dialogue and police siren will fade out.

·         00:00:16-00:00:22: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, “It is clear that the victim was stabbed multiple times in his abdomen. There is no doubt that this was a murder.”

·         00:00:23-00:00:28: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, “It has been confirmed that he is 6 foot 1, with black hair and brown eyes.”

·         00:00:29-00:00:35: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, “It was reported at 3:16pm local time, that the body had been discovered by a resident from the area.”

·         00:00:38-00:00:41: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, “The victim has been identified to be Stephen Mulberry.”

·         00:00:45-00:00:50: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, “Stephen Mulberry was well known in the community and a beloved family member.”

·         00:00:51-00:00:56: Laughter can be heard by children coming from their bedroom, which is the main character is leaving from – he speaks to them briefly with his dialogue, “Alright, do your homework.”

·         00:01:15-00:01:17: There is short dialogue between the main character and his wife - Peter: “What’s going on?”/ Peter’s wife: “Wait! Stay there.”

·         00:01:20-00:01:24: Voice over from the TV of the news reporter’s live broadcast continues, as Peter watches the TV, “Stephen Mulberry was the brother of Peter Mulberry. The family have yet to be informed of his death.”

·         00:01:28-00:01:34: Dialogue exchange between Peter and his wife – Wife: “Peter, I’m so sorry.”/Peter: “I can’t be here. I need to see him. This isn’t right.”/ Wife: “Wait…”

·         00:01:35-00:01:49: Voice over from the character can be heard in the background, “When you achieve your desires so early, envisaging a different reality, a different life is not possible. But when you have nothing more to achieve, maybe it’s inevitable…your downfall.”

·         00:01:34-00:02:42: Non-diegetic music plays in the  to reflect the character’s state of mind

Group Roles
Written and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja

Evidence of Copyright Free Music

Group Roles

Written and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja

Marketing

In order to promote the opening to our feature film, I decided to post the link for it on YouTube to friends on Facebook and WhatsApp with the URL Link. This marketing role was shared with Bibianna Fasogbon, who will post her evidence of marketing on a separate post.

Sent to a friend on Facebook

Sent to a group chat of 11 people on Facebook

Sent to a smaller group chat of 2 people on Facebook

Sent to a friend on Facebook

Sent to my friend on WhatsApp

Sent to a friend on WhatsApp

Sent to a friend on Facebook

Sent to my cousin on WhatsApp

Group Roles
Written and uploaded by Ismail Khwaja
Photos taken by Ismail Khwaja

Planning - Title Order

·         00:00:00-00:00:02: ‘IBF Studios’ – this is likely to be the distribution company in animation form – created in bold, white lettering, which drops down – followed by a fade out

·         00:00:03-00:00:05: ‘IBF’ logo fades in and then fades out – this is likely to be the production company

·         00:00:06-00:00:07: ‘IBF Productions Presents’ – in centre screen, in white and bold – fades in and out

·         00:00:13-00:00:14: ‘An IBF Film’ – in centre screen, in white and bold – quick cut

·         00:00:14-00:00:18: ‘Ismail Khwaja’ (Actor 1) – in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:00:22-00:00:26: ‘Stella Akinwumi’ (Actor 2) – in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:00:30-00:00:34: ‘Paris Tomlinson’ (Actor 3) – in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:00:38-00:00:42: ‘Fraser Harrington’ (Actor 4) – in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:00:50-00:00:54: ‘Casting by Jonathen Wells’ – in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:00:58:-00:01:02: ‘Music Composed by Bibianna Fasogbon’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:06-00:01:10: ‘Production Designer by Stephen Clark’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:14-00:01:18: ‘Edited by Mark Owens’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:22-00:01:26: ‘Also Produced by Lewis Brown’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:30-00:01:34: ‘Story by Jake Wilson’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:38-00:01:42: ‘Written by Ben Smith’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:46-00:01:52: ‘Directed by Fred Parker’– in white and bold – fade in and out

·         00:01:56-00:02:00: ‘The Downward Spiral’ (film title) – in white and bold – fade in and out

Marketing

In order to promote our opening feature film I decided to post the link on my Facebook page with the URL Link. I also sent a broadcast message to all of my contacts on Whats App. I also share this role with Ismail Khwaja who is going to post his marketing on a separate post.

Photo's Taken By Bibianna Fasogbon

Posts By Bibianna Fasogbon

Planning - Location Shots

These are the location which are seen in our feature film opening scenes:

This location is featured where the main character, Peter, is trying to see his brother's dead body. I chose this specifically because it is a neighborhood. So it gives more of a community feel, as mentioned in the news report. It also gives a more drastic affect as a murder could happen in a family based community/neighborhood.

This location is only shown for a little while and is shown when the character Peter is crossing the road.

This location is used when the character, Sarah (Peter's wife), is cooking and over hears the news report. I chose this location as it has a more family, homely feel. I wanted Sarah to start here to represent the connotations of a house wife cooking for her family.

This location is the living room where the character Peter discovers his brother's death. I chose this location as again it represents that a family lives here. Also, when the character, Sarah hears the new report i wanted it to be organic - the kitchen and the living room are connected so it makes it more believable and realistic.

This location is just the staircase where the character Peter is seen coming down the stairs after playing with his children. 

Photos Taken By Bibianna Fasogbon

Written By Bibianna Fasogbon 

Uploaded By Bibianna Fasogbon