During the pre-production and post-production of our film, we used various digital technologies to help piece together our film.
We set up a group blog using the blog-publishing service Blogger in order to track the creation of our film from pre-production to post-production. Blogger gives you the ability to publish documents online that people can view internationally. These documents can also include labels giving you the chance to 'tag' others in the post thus giving our group the opportunity to complete certain tasks together rather than individually to balance the workload and give us more time to prepare for filming. In these documents, we produced a script, shot list, character profiles, risk assessment and various shooting packs that we could easily access when out filming or at home when we were adding to our own work. We further made our blog more personal by using the initials of our first names as the blog title and made the blog background as one of our opening shots from the film to make it relevant to our film's plot.
Our blog layout suited the overall tone of the film.
Overall, I was incredibly happy with Blogger because it allowed us to save work, meaning that we could return back to complete a post and add detail as we researched further into the codes and conventions of our certain genre. It also gave us the opportunity to design our own layout that could indicate to our potential audience the film's plot and keep followers intrigued. However, at times Blogger could be faulty in the respect that certain documents were not able to be saved straight away and uploaded pictures might not always be visible. Although, this error could be rectified, it was frustrating when we had a deadline that needed to be completed.
Research
Before starting filming on our film, we had to do in-depth research into Drama films that had a similar plot, characters and storylines in order to gain a thorough understanding of what our potential audience would expect and also explore reviews on these films from viewers on what they thought made these particular films successful or unsuccessful. This helped us to decide on what we should include, such as flashbacks to establish the relationship between our two main characters and a plot twist that was carefully hinted at throughout the film so that we could heighten the audience's intrigue and surprise.
When researching film reviews, Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes
were used as they gave detailed information on similar films and gave
opinions from a range of proffessional critics and public audiences. In conclusion, this was incredibly useful as these sites can be accessed from a range of media devices so we always had the opportunity to refer back to reviews when writing a script and shot list.
Contact
Due to the fact that not all group members live in the same area, we had to regularly comute from our homes to our filming locations. We knew that we had to find a way that we could all keep in touch so that none of us got lost when travelling nevertheless we further had to consider the benefits that a group chat would have in terms of voicing our ideas and keeping each other up to date on what needed completing on the blog. We decided that Facebook Messenger would be the most appropriate form of communication outside of college, as we could all easily access the social media network on our phones and it allowed us to share pictures, videos and voice messages very easily.
A screenshot from our group chat.
Celtx
Finally, after extensive research into the codes and conventions of our film, we began work on writing a script. Celtx is a media pre-production software that was created with the purpose of generating and organising media projects along the lines of screenplays, stage plays, audio plays, documentaries, games, comics and podcasts. I researched into how other scripts had been put together using SimplyScripts, a site that works as a database full of downloadable film scripts, that people can use for their own entertainment or in my case, as an influence in writing their own scripts.
A screenshot from our script.
The software was incredibly easy for us to use this year as we had
already established how to use Celtx last year when working on our AS
film. The software is helpful as it gives you the chance to add features
such as the Location, Setting, Scene Number, Stage Directions and
Dialogue. This gave us the ability to have complete creative direction
over our film and we found that it helped us visualise our film and
analyse whether our plot made sense.
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor that allows the user to create and edit images interactively as well as limited abilities to render text, 3D graphics and video. Photoshop proved seriously useful in creating our film posters. However, I was very new to this software and so I had to play around with the software for an hour to understand it's wide range of features and become more confident. I watched the below tutorial to help me become more resourceful with using Photoshop.
I have focused the image of Charlotte that we merged onto the one of Georgie.
I especially liked the features that allowed us to mess with the brightness of our photos, in order to make the text stand out and draw attention to our lead characters. This enabled us to emphasise the Drama genre of our film as we maintained a-lot of simplicity in our film poster in order to make sure we could echo the isolation of our main character.
Here is an example of some of the tools we used during the creation of our poster.
We also merged two images in the poster to reinforce the relationship between our two main characters. We positioned Charlotte behind Georgie to show that there is some distance between them, foreshadowing that Charlotte is in Georgie's memories.
Premiere Pro:
Premiere Pro was a film editing software that we utilised constantly throughout our film making process. Although Premiere Pro was used mainly for the creative process of our final film, we also used it's features for planning and preparation.
We heightened the saturation of this clip to further highlight that this was a flashback sequence and not set in the same time frame as the rest of the film.
For instance, we had to practice creating an elliptical edit of a journey from one place to another. As a group, we then had to edit the journey down so that it was easier and more interesting to watch. This made the journey half as long as the original therefore we saved both edits and posted them on the blog to compare the two. We further used final cut to create radio trailers that we would release before the final cut of our film. Premiere Pro allows us to make our feel look more professional and of a high quality through it's many complex features.
A screenshot showing the effects we used on our titles.
We used a range of video transitions in our film like fade in and fade out, cut to black and cross dissolve. We generally used these transitions to show a change in time nevertheless the cross dissolve was integral to showing my character disappearing at the climax of the film. The software was also equipped with a variety of audio effects that allowed us to increase the volume of our character's dialogue but lower the volume of the background noise, such as when Georgie and Charlotte walk to the counselling appointment and you can hear the sound of the cars as they pass by. The text features on Premiere Pro allowed us to add opening and end credits to our film with a stylistic font of our choice. We decided that we wanted our titles to be very simplistic but bold to refer to the sensitive tone of our film.
Here you can see how we edited the volume of the music and sound effects so they worked smoothly together.
Music sites (Incompetech) allowed us to download royalty free music that suited the sombre atmosphere of Aftermath at no extra cost. As well as using Premiere Pro for our film, we also used it for our radio trailer. We realised when making the radio trailer it was important mine and Sarah's voice wasn't the voice over as the audience might be able to recognise that it was one of the characters from the film. Even though Jasmine was playing the therapist, her dialogue was limited in the last scene, so we were able to use her voice successfully as the voice over by altering the pitch and tone.
Continous Edit:
Elliptical Edit:
Youtube:
To post all of our videos we used Melissa's Youtube account. Youtube was incredibly useful as it permitted us to share our work with a wider demographic, research into other short film maker's trailers and credits and tutorials that could help us with new technology such as photoshop. Before we uploaed any of our photos to Youtube, we had to export them from Premiere Pro and convert them into another file. This could sometimes be a very lengthy process as the longer the length of the file, the longer the time it would take to upload and so we would have to be prepared to arrive early or stay behind to complete this. By uploading all of our videos onto this channel, we could remain organised and have the opportunity to look back on our work and see how much we had improved and if there were any scenes that needed altering.
Our Youtube page.
Google Forms:
Google Forms in relfection was probably one of the most helpful sites that we worked with in regards to gaining feedback for both the rough and final cut of our film. It gave us the option to ask a variety of questions from open to closed about what our potentional audience felt was successful about our film and what they felt could be improved. As a group, we were able to look back on the feedback that we were given and check that our film was reaching the targets of being a Drama with a fifteen age rating that had the potential to be shown on Youtube or in the cinema and was easy to understand but most imporantly enjoyable. Once we made the changes fed back from our rough cut, we sent out another questionnaire for our final cut. This was to solidify that we had made the correct changes and there had not been any mistakes or improvements that we had forgot to make. In conclusion, I would 100% use this site again as it is a useful way to add to your final film. Zoom Recorder:
The Zoom Recorder used to record dialogue for the radio trailer below.
When in the process of creating the radio trailer for Aftermath, we were given the chance to work with a Zoom recorder. This was a very practical, quick and easy way to capture short pieces of sound that we could then overlay with music and dialogue from the film to create an effective and fascinating radio trailer. The Zoom recorder was very efficent because of it's small size, making it easy to transport when we were trying to find a quiet place to record in college. Once we captured Jasmine saying her lines, we uploaded the sound to the computer and proceeded to edit her voice into the film as well as make small changes to the pitch and tone of Jasmine's voice to create a more cinematic style. Overall, the Zoom recorder was one of the easiest pieces of technology to work with and I would definitely use it again when making films in the future. Camera/Tripod:
We used a Canon Legria HF G-25 to film Aftermath while connected to a tripod that could ensure that the camera wasn't going to be in danger of getting damaged as it was safe and secure on the tripod. A tripod can also aid with keeping the filming incredibly steady thus improving the overall quality of the film. We hadn't used this camera before and so we used filming the ellpitical journey as a way to get used to the camera's new features and experiment. The manual focus on the camera was useful as it would focus every individual shot and ensure that they all appeared of a very high definition. The tripod's retractable handles aided with incoporating high and low angle shots in our film to show when certain characters are in a position of power. We attempted to film more than just one shot of a certain scene as we wanted to make sure that we had plenty of film to work with in case we came across any complications with continuity or match on action. I really enjoyed working with this camera as it allowed us to express with complex shots such as focus pulls and gain a better understanding of working as a team and playing with each other's ideas.
The majority of people who answered our questionnaire were female in a 3:2 ratio.
There was a 4:1 split with the different age gaps, with the majority being with within the 15-17 age bracket. This implies that the final cut was watched by people within our intended demographic.
Upon asking our audience if they enjoyed the film, the majority gave a score of eight, while two gave a score of nine. This conveys that the film was enjoyable and easy to follow, this is what we were intending to do within our storyline, for keeping it intriguing, making people want to continue watching.
Everyone who took part in our questionnaire said that they understood the plot of our film. This means that our plot was easy to follow, and also that we conveyed the themes and messages in a way that was easy to follow.
A ratio of 4:1 thought our film fit a 15 certificate, while one thought it fit a 12 certificate. This means that we added the appropriate qualities for a 15 certificate, this conveys that our research into film certificates was successful.
4:1 ratio of the people who answered our questionnaire said that they thought the genre of our film was action and drama. This is good as they are the two main genres we were trying to portray within out film.
Upon asking where people would expect to see our film there was a 3:1:1 split within the answers. Three people suggested that our film would be good on YouTube, which is the site we chose to host our short film. The other two suggestions were at the cinema and on TV these could potentially be possible, if we had the budget to approach them, however we only had a very small budget meaning that YouTube was the best option as it if free.
Everyone who answered the questionnaire said that the music we chose suited the overall tone of our film. We were happy with this result as we took caution and caution when picking the music for our film, ensuring that it fit to our film. We also altered the music from our rough cut, with the response of the audience questionnaire we carried out previously. Some of the comments on the music were things such as 'The music used has a very melancholy tone which fits with the flashbacks' and 'I feel as though you spent time on the music and a good soundtrack and add a lot to a film', this conveys that the time we spent selecting the music was worth it.
We also asked if there were any improvements that we could make to our film for future reference, the feedback which we received were things such as 'the opening credits are lovely and the performances are very good', 'the narrative is clearly displayed and made for an enjoyable experience'. We did however receive some constructive criticism, for example, 'the sound levels could do with altering a little' and 'could have given actors mic each so easier to listen to'. We took these into consideration however the mics would have taken us out of our budget.
Here is the link to our final questionnaire for Aftermath after making changes to our film from the last reflection on audience responses. We asked questions that would tell us what our potential audience thought was successful about the production of our film and any suggestions they would make that could have improved the film even further. Most of all, we wanted to discover whether they thought our film had met it's targets of being a Drama that was suitable for a fifteen age rating. Link to the Questionnaire
The following is a list of things we needed/used during filming of our extended letter box scene.
Shot List
This scene was added after reading through our audience feedback, that said we needed an extra scene to further explain the letter coming through the letter box and Gerogie jumping, with her PTSD. We used a range of medium to long shots, with close ups and over the shoulder shots.
Storyboard
Between these two scenes within the house and walking to therapy we added in the scene where georgie went to pick up the post, and had a conversation with Charlotte about her anxiety, this scene further establishes the relationship between them, but also relefcts the severity of her illness.
Friday 18th November 2016 -
In the afternoon we went to
the main indoor location where our main character Georgie Ward lives
with her partner, Charlotte. We took some practise video shots in order
to test whether the angles we wanted to use were suitable for the film.
This is integral to helping us plan out the start of our film as it
means we will be able to get straight into filming our first scenes on
Friday. We spent roughly two hours planning what areas of the house to
use and where we would set up the camera for each scene. This
organisation will help us save time during filming as everything will be
planned, prepped and ready to go. Friday 25th November 2016 -
We started filming the kitchen
and bedroom scenes, as well as looking at camera angles. We got lots of
footage to work with which will be helpful when editing as it will give
us lots of options and things to work with. This week we have started
editing, and will start some of the outdoor shots next week, before
completing the indoor shots in the coming weeks.
Friday 2nd December 2016 -
We
made a start on filming the war sequence. We decided to shot in a local
park, and because we were using a plastic gun we went over to inform
the police of our actions so that they were aware of what we were doing.
We got lots of footage to use in lots of different camera shots, that
will be good to work with and edit. This next week we are planning on
editing this footage and then planning out a filming schedule for over
the Christmas holidays. Tuesday 13th December 2016 -
We reshot the house scenes,
for continuity purposes, due to a hair change by one of the main
characters. We managed to re-film everything within the space of an
afternoon. We also altered some of the shots. After christmas we are
planning to edit all the new footage, which gives us time to do any
re-shoots that may need to be done.
Wednesday 17th January 2017
We
made a start on filming the final shots of our film, in the counselling
room, due to weather restrictions. We used a spare classroom in our
college for this scene, making sure to set up the room carefully, in
order to capture the essence of the therpay session. We did lots of
close ups in order to make the scene appear more intimate and show
Georgie's vulnrability.
Wednesday 1st February 2017
We
filmed some of the outside walking scenes. To film this we used the
fountains located across from college, here we used the walk way located
between the Town Hall and the fountains, this allowed us to have more
footage to use and so we were also able to use it to link the bus scenes
to the reception scene. Also, we used Regent Street as a lot of busses
use this route to the main interchange at the bottom of the road. This
allowed us to film a bus pulling away and Georgie and Charlotte
appearing, as if they have just got of the bus. We will link this with a
shot of a bus pulling up to a bus stop near Georgies home. Monday 6th February 2017
We shot some of the final scenes
for our film, the reception scenes are needed to link the walking scenes
to the counselling session. To film this we used the reception and main
doors of college, this set up allowed us to film walking through the
main door, which acted as the main doors for the counselling building
and the reception area acted as the reception area of the building as
well, as it had a sofa, table and a few chairs to give a good effect.
Friday 17th February 2017
Today
was our final day filming, we shot the outside of Georgie's house and
once scene inside where the lid was put back on the orange juice and the
bottle placed back in the fridge. We used close ups for the orange
juice scene, with long and medium shots for the outside scenes.
Friday 3rd March 2017
We
decided to reshoot the therapy scene, to include more detail to Georgie
and Charlottes back story. Also we decided that we needed to include a
lot more close ups to show more emotion and to try get the viewer to
sympathise with Georgie. To film we uses a one to one room, that is
situated n college, they are a plain room with only coat hooks on the
walls. We decided this was a good place to film, as it gave a more
therapy like atmosphere.
Friday 10th March 2017
We
had to refilm the shot of us walking into the counselling room because
in our original shot, the camera was visible in the glass. We decided
that we needed to remove this error from the film otherwise it could
effect the overall quality.We had to shoot three times because of
background noise such as doors opening and people walking. Friday 17th March 2017
We
decided to film an extra part to the letterbox scene. We decided to
film this as we wanted to explain what happened, and give the audience
more detail. We shot this in the same house, however our only problem
was the lighting, so we made the decision to refilm the letter coming
through the letterbox, so that we had continuity with the lighting.
This script will be used to fill in the space between the posted letter and the start of the journey to the therapy session. We felt this would be necessary as it provides the audience with more infromation and adds more substance to our film.
Internet can be uses to promote films and TV programs world wide. The main reason that they use the internet is because it is a free form of advertising, this is beneficial to the producers, as it is a cheap way to advertise the film effectivaly, and use the money to advertise the film to people who may not have access to the internet.
Facebook
Facebook is one of two main ways that film producers and TV programs use the internet to advertise and promote films. By using Facebook, they are able to post teasers of the film, such as posters, clips, pictures and cast interviews. One of the main benefits to using Facebook, is that it is easily spread, for example, if one person likes the page or a post, it is then visable on all there friends feeds, this leads to more people liking the page. This page inpartucular has over 6 million likes, this shows the extent of people liking and sharing posts. Through the page, they can inform the fans of DVD/Box set release dates and promote other films, by the same company.
Twitter is the other main way that films and TV programs use the internet to advertise and promote films. Using Twitter is another free way of promoting films and TV programs. Through Twitter the production companys are able to interact with fans, they are able to host Q&A's with the cast, giving fans a chance to speak to there favourite character/cast member, and ask questions. The Once Upon A Time Twitter page has 1.5 million followers, and works in a similar way to Facebook, as when you like or retweet a tweet it appears on your timeline, meaning anyone who follows you may see it, spreading the word about the film or TV program.
Another way to promote films and TV programs is through Tumblr, this allows people to like and reblog pictures and videos from the film/TV program, or even post there own fan art. Tumblr alows poeple to post mulitmedia and other things in the form of a short blog style. It is a good way to share information about upcoming things and it also allows you to comment on the posts.
A website for the film/TV prgoram, these allow you to look through previous episodes, videos and learn more about your favourite characters. The only bad thing about websites is that the content may be restricetd to the counrty, for example, the website shown above is an American websiste, which means that in the UK you would be able to access it, however you may not be able to watch the episodes.
Every film has ending credits, wether its a feature film or a short film. These can be done in many different ways, however they all tend to follow the same billing order:
Director
Writers
Producer
Executive Producer
Lead Cast
Supporting Cast
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Editor
Associate Producers
Costume Designer
Music Composer
Casting Director
The order credits everyone within the production of the film, in order of a stand alone person to those who work in groups.
The Avengers ( Dir - Joss Whedon, 2012) - end credits, show all the characters main assessts, such as Captain Americas shield, Iorn Mans suit, Hawkeyes bow, Black Widows suite, Thors mjölnir, these make the end creidts specific to the film. As the actors names appear on screen they are also shows with their respective asessts.One thing that is typical to a Marvel film credit sequence is that they place two snippets from future films within the credits. They are typically located one after the end of the main credit sequence which lists the main actors and crew, and another at the very end of all the credit sequence.
In the Star Trek Into Darkness (Dir - J.J. Abrams, 2013) - End Credits, they follow the order, however there is annimation in the background, which bring the names in and also wipe the of the screen. The end credits, fit with the theme of the film, as it takes on a space theme, and the music also fits.
In contrast to this, the Lego Movie (Dir - Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, 2014) - end credits, are annimated lego blocks forming different backgrounds in relation to whos name is being displayed at the time.
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