AS Media Studies

A Dame with a Clue - Final Cut

Evaluation - Question 7

Question Seven involves a range of explanations and evaluations based on mine and Elona's prelim task of "The Show Must Go On". We discussed some of the faults with our previous production and how we wouldn't make these mistakes in our final cut of the final piece.

Evaluation - Question 6

Question Six heavily evaluates our use of technology and software throughout our production process. We have spoken about what went well, difficulties we encountered and how our skills and knowledge has developed through our experience with technology.

Evaluation - Question 5

How did we attract each group?

Relating back to the codes and conventions of Film Noir

To attract our target audience, we had to focus carefully on the mise en scene. Firstly, the use of the colour red on the title will appeal to the younger audience because it symbolises the modern era – we did this to convey the idea that this film is set in the 1940s but is created in the modern day. As we are teenagers ourselves, we know that generally people our age are hesitant about watching black and white films because black and white films are uncommon nowadays – the ‘normal’ and ‘typical’ type of films that we are used to are colour films therefore we added colour in the title with the purpose of appealing to a younger audience.

Additionally, this will also attract the male target audience because red symbolises blood which can be associated with crime and this colour also represents the traditional femme fatale red lipstick.

In the exterior shots, the femme fatale acts suspicious – she looks around as if she is hiding from someone which links to the ‘being followed’ theme of Film Noir films. Additionally, most exterior shots are of her back and there aren’t any clear close ups of her face which gives the impression that she doesn’t want to be seen; we did this to create an enigma code – the audience is left wondering who the female is and why she looks so suspicious. The creation of mystery will attract the male target audience because it adds to the dark and crime concept that males prefer.

Another enigma code that we used in the opening is the ‘you’re next’ note – Lana Lombard hands it to the detective without any details therefore the audience will wonder who and where it came from and it adds to the mystery surrounding the female character - this note will either present her as a victim or a masked/lying perpetrator depending on the audience's judgement - thus luring them into wanting to see the rest of the film.

Enigma codes are useful in terms of attracting the target audience because these codes get the audience thinking – it creates many questions and as humans, we feel more at ease when our questions are answered therefore the target audience will want to keep watching the film for their questions to be answered. The reason why we chose an older target audience because older people are more experienced and intellectual so they will more likely notice enigma codes.

Mise en scene

Film critics will be focusing on how we are going to be able to portray the 1940s therefore we focused carefully on the mise en scene by using props such as a rotary dial telephone, old fashioned film cameras and typewriter to convey the time era the film is set in. We also used character costumes and the actors use old American accents to portray the time period. Jazz music is a vital part of film noir therefore we used a jazz piece for the majority of the opening.

In addition to this, we used typical Film Noir shots: long shot of Lombard walking towards gate, match on action – zoom on window and zoom out of lamp, entering the office, shot-reverse-shot – during conversation. We also used low key lighting throughout the opening.

Another film noir code is the use of a list to display the titles which can be seen in films such as Brute Force – we included this to be able to show the genre clearly.

Brute Force Opening

A Dame With A Clue Opening

This will attract film noir fans as we have included a variety of film noir conventions that the audience will look for and this will hopefully appeal to film critics as we are showing that we have understood clearly the codes and conventions of the genre.

Feedback from the audience:

We set up a survey using Survey Monkey with the purpose of getting audience feedback. We sent emails to people in sixth form as well as people we work, family members and friends. The email included a Youtube link to the opening sequence and the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LTQCTMK

How old are you?

The majority of the people who did the survey are teenagers and adults - these groups are our primary and secondary audience. This shows that these age groups were interested in filling out the survey therefore the opening sequence attracted our ideal target audience.

What is your gender?

As shown above, most of the people who filled in our survey are female which shows that our film goes against the stereotypical male film noir audience. 15% of the people who took part are still male so it still managed to attract that group.

Could you tell that the genre was Film Noir?

Everyone could tell that our film was Film Noir meaning that we have managed to use the codes and conventions of the genre effectively. We are relieved by this because we focused carefully and worked hard on the mise en scene by setting up the props and choosing the correct costumes and location.

What did you like about our film?

People said that they liked the unique choice of genre which made our film stand out in comparison to modern films. They also praised the mise en scene which again, we are pleased with because we really worked hard on this. We made sure to focus on small details such as the titles and the costumes to attract the audience.

What could be improved?

A few people stated that we need to improve on the voice-over so next time, we will use a better quality microphone instead of our phone to record the voiceover. Additionally, the editing could also be improved by making the pace more consistent and we could have also included more camera angles during the office scene which would have made it more appealing.

Did you like our film opening?

The majority of the people said yes meaning that we managed to attract the majority of our target audience. This may be due to the enigma codes that we used in the opening which made them interested about what direction the rest of the film will take.

Evaluation - Question 4

Question Four focuses on our audience members and how our production would appeal to them. We have heavily discussed how we will typically target our primary audience as well as challenging audience stereotypes. We have also designed our typical audience member to our Film Noir.

Evaluation - Question 3

Question 3 discusses distribution and where/how we plan to develop our production further. We evaluate why we chose the distributor and how our future with "A Dame With A Clue" will carry on.

Evaluation - Question 2

This short video clip answers the question on how representation is used and applied into our opening sequence. In conclusion, we represented gender by reinforcing Film Noir conventions through stereotypical characters, Mise En Scene and cinematography.

Evaluation - Question 1

Our final media product contained many codes and conventions to the genre. However, we have further discussed how we challenged these conventions to make our Film Noir unique.

Production Diary

The past couple of weeks, we have worked especially hard to direct and construct "A Dame with a Clue". We spent lots of time researching location and costume to match typical Film Noir as well as experiencing different technology for the first time. Below is our production diary, which demonstrates our steps to creating our final cut.

Final Film Posters

The final film posters have been created. Using elements of our Mise En Scene and costume, we produced high quality posters in order to promote our movie and develop our marketing campaign further. In contrast to the black and white effects used in the production, the posters are bold and striking, not monochrome as you would expect. Bright colours are used such as red to attract the attention of the target audience. The reason behind using highly saturated posters it to contrast with the darker atmosphere of the movie itself, therefore intriguing the audience, convincing them to watch the film.

To ensure our poster had a professional look, we checked we made no spelling or grammar errors on the names and titles. We used the software, Photoshop, to create our posters and used tools such as the lasso tool and affects to make sure our poster was high quality and advanced. We want our posters to be displayed in a variety of areas such as billboards, bus stops and across cinema.

Marketing - Photoshoot

As a part of our marketing campaign, we needed images to use for posters and our future website which we will construct alongside our opening sequence. Therefore, we took some photos with a variety of facial expressions and character position as well as some images of props to help us create our marketing features.

Marketing - Interviews

As the filming finished, we decided that interviews with cast and crew members would have been an important method to promote and advertise A Dame With A Clue. As explained in the research, it is a clever way to promote a film when asking members of the cast and crew questions, as it can draw audiences in. Below we have filmed two interviews:

Interview 1 with Myself as Lana Lombard

Interview 2 with Elona as Director

Marketing

Alongside our filming and editing process, we need to think about our film becoming a success with methods of marketing. Since our film is low budget, we need to convince and persuade many people so see our movie. Alongside posters and other ways to advertise, we decided to include a website to give our movie a professional appearance as well as a modern twist since we are making our marketing method unique to how Film Noir is usually promoted. A website will widen our target audience internationally and more people will be able to hear about our film.
The link to our website is:

http://adamewithaclue.wix.com/adwac

As well as having a website, there are other methods we have used within the website to promote our film. To encourage Film Noir fans, we have released short clips and previews of voiceovers and music to persuade users to watch the movie. It also builds up suspense and excitement to those who wish to see our film. The research below further develops our methods of marketing.

Student Feedback

We presented our feedback in the emaze below based on our first draft of the Film Noir opening sequence. We will use this feedback to develop our opening further as we have taken on criticism to make our production better.

Teacher Feedback

In response to our first draft, our teachers gave us feedback on what to improve on to perfect our opening sequence. We received good points as well as criticism to take onboard.

A Dame with a Clue First Draft

Our first draft is now complete for A Dame with a Clue opening sequence. In order to be given feedback based on the movie opening, the first draft has been uploaded for everybody to see and share opinions on.

Script

Dialogue is majorly important during an opening sequence, since it reveals many elements such as the narrative. The exterior shots includes dialogue between the two main characters. The Femme Fatale meets the detective, therefore dialogue is necessary and we have put together a script in which both main characters will follow. Since our production heavily revolves around binary opposites of male and females, the majority of Lana's lines are persistent yet softly spoken. However, the detectives speech remains rough and lots of slang is used to emphasis his casual personality.

Both pages of the script are shown above. All necessary script requirements are included such as stage directions, speech and use of props.

Shot List

Exterior
Dutch tilt/pan shot of building - exterior building shot which is a traditional Film Noir convention
Close up shot of lamp post - zoom out then stop at medium shot of Lana's back to the camera - walks towards lamp post
Wide angle shot of Lana Lombard under lamp post - looking suspicious
Medium close up of Lana opening the office address note
Behind the shoulder shot of Lana opening the office address note
Wide angle shot - Lana walking towards the gate of the supposedly office building
Car interior window shot - inside of car point of view as if someone is watching Lana (standing under lamp post) from inside
Close up/level angle - Lana's footsteps - exterior - going to the office
Still shot - Lana walking in to frame - walking in an alleyway with back towards the camera

Interior
Tracking shot - Lombard walking in hallway to detective's office - voiceover
Blocking shot - blinds (Film Noir convention) - interior - office - introduction to Reynolds, drinking, working on desk
Close up/level angle/over the shoulder - match on action - Detective Reynolds name on the door - Lana knocking on the door outside of office
Medium angle - match on action - of Lana coming into the office
Shot reverse shot - conversation between Femme Fatale and Detective about the case
Close up/over the shoulder shot - Reynolds opening the note/clue that Lombard gives - Lombard leaves
Level angle shot of Reynolds on the phone asking someone what they know about Lombard
Level angle shot of femme fatale walking out of the room
Mise en scene close ups to portray 1940s era e.g. old fashioned telephone, typewriter, decanter, costume (putting down gloves), items on detective's desk

Shooting Scheduele

Today's focus was providing ourselves with a shooting schedule which we will be completing throughout the week. Having a schedule to hand allows us to make the most of our filming abilities. We will have a clear vision and representation of what we are trying to film and this will make sure everybody is in required frames and important conventions are included.

Exterior Shooting Schedule

Interior Shooting Schedule

Location and Risk Assessment - Interior

The second half of our filming will be the office scene which is located in a school office. To ensure we remained safe, we researched the location and stated some of the precautions in case any incidents took place.

This risk assessment includes the risks that we face and what should happen if we become involved with a risk. Our nearest A + E location is also included as well a first aider on sight. This was further approved by our media teacher.

Risk Assessment and Location - Exterior

Here below is our location information and risk assessment which ensures we are safe around any possible hazards. Our risk assessment was then signed by our teacher to show we had filled it out appropriately.

Using this allows us to control our filming and our location and the nearest hospital at this location in case of an emergency with anybody on set.

Filming Prep

We are now beginning the filming phase of our production. Our first filming location will take place in Brentwood. We will film all of our shots tonight outside, making them exterior. They will be shots of myself as the female character. Elona and Angel will be filming the shots from a variety of angles and having two people film gives us the advantage of filming a variety of shots at the same time. We are filming, however, on an estate where people live and we don't want to get in the way of resident's lifestyle or annoy them whilst filming. To avoid these issues, we have been provided with a permission to film letter which covers us to film due to educational purposes. If there are many misunderstandings, we can present them with this letter to avoid any problems.

Final Title Order

As part of final preparation of editing, we have decided the order in which are titles will appear on-screen. We took into consideration the way titles were displayed in other Film Noir motion pictures. We used elements of classic Film Noir titles such as using several names together on-screen and modern opening sequences of individual names appearing and combined the both together. This allowed us to display our titles in a modern yet conventional way to give the Film Noir a modern twist:

Production Company
Film Title
Actor Name
Actor Name
List of Actors Names
Casting
Co-Producer
Costume Design
Music
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Editors
Writers
Executive Producer
Producer
Director

The Maltese Falcon Timeline

As we are approaching the filming phase of our opening sequence, as a method of inspiration we decided to use another Film Noir to perfect and correct the order of shots within our opening. This research has given us methods and ideas for our shots and the order of shots. We chose "The Maltese Falcon" to analyse and annotate shots and this allowed us to make brief notes based on the angles, shot types and order.

Audience Research

It is vital to ensure that we have a target market for our movie and an idea of who we are creating the film for and how to make it pleasurable for our chosen audience. If we do not succeed in this part of the movie making criteria, we may not include important features that are needed to appeal to an audience and this will disinterest people in coming to watch our production. This will eventually make it unsuccessful on the big screen, and we wont be able to achieve our main ambition on reintroducing the Film Noir Genre.

Institutions Research

Today, we produced some research based on institution and how this portrays the type of films they are distributing. Budget is also an important factor to think about which has been incorporated into our research. Whoever distributes our film, it is important to consider the factors stated above as if we don't use a correct distributor, we won't be able to afford aspects of the film since it is low budget and we may even be attracting the wrong target audience.

We plan on releasing our film in January, since this is the time when academy award films will be released. This will then increase the popularity and quality of our movie.

Film Noir Final Storyboard

It is always vital to have a storyboard during the making of a opening sequence to resemble the genre as well as having a plan on shots. Today's planning phase involved drawing and crafting the types of shots and what will occur in them on paper. We then made a montage of all the images with a voice-over explaining what will happen in each shot.

Some of the most important shots included in our opening will include:

Reflection Shot
Blocking Shot
Close Up's
Dutch Angle Shots

The video below displays our storyboard.

Film Noir Titles Research

Titles are displayed uniquely in Film Noir compared to any other film. We analysed this further in our research below.

Film Noir Codes & Conventions

Today's lesson topic was discussing some of the codes and conventions of Film Noir. Using some inspiration from the BBC Documentary "The Rules of Film Noir", we produced some research on what to include in our opening sequence to display the genre clearly.

Film Noir Moodboards

The mood-boards created during the researching process display some of the most important aspects of Film Noir. These include costume, hair, make-up and setting.

Film Noir Music Research

Classically, Film Noir always features a certain type of music. The slow, jazz style music is a major convention to the genre. Our musical research is expanded further below.

Film Noir Props

Iconography and Mise En Scene is very important in Film Noir since there is lots of symbolism we need to include to make it look like the on screen appearance is set in olden times. Some of these shots require important props which have been analysed by us below.

Film Noir Representation

A key feature of the research phase is analysing the representation in Film Noir. Film Noir is filled with representation in male and female figures. The research carried out here involves the portrayal of men and women in Film Noir as well as some of the previous actors and actresses traditionally starring in this genre.

Individual/Group Film Pitch & Feedback

We are finally carrying out our initial ideas and we have managed to decide on the pitch we like the best for our final piece of coursework. This was also my individual pitch which as a whole, the group decided on. We are now spending the next couple of weeks planning, constructing and evaluating our opening sequence based around the following pitch. Most of my ideas from the individual pitched remained the same but there were some minor tweaks to the location and narrative. The title of our production is "A Dame with a Clue" and the title is relevant to the narrative since the female character goes to the detective over a framed murder.

A Dame with a Clue from georgiaallistonmedia

In order to progress well, we collected feedback from our fellow students and teachers based on the opening sequence pitch we presented.

Titles Research

Another common mistake made by media studies students previously is how the titles appear during an opening sequence. Depending on the genre, titles will appear differently. These differences can range from the order of names, font family and style or even text colour. I have analysed the opening titles of blockbuster horror movie "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and the titles are portrayed in a particular way that symbolizes the genre clearly. Such as having contrasting colours from background to text and blood red titles on some occasions. Carrying out this research will aid me with my construction and planning stages of the coursework since I will ensure that the titles are entered correctly.

Student Film Openings

In order to help us succeed in our coursework, we was looking through past AS movie openings to ensure we had some inspirations and ideas. Using the marking criteria, I have evaluated some previous AS movie openings based on their strengths and weaknesses. We can then further use this as guidance to ensure we use the strengths as inspiration and avoid the weaknesses. I have chosen three movie openings in particular to evaluate.

Inner Evil

Judging by the iconography of blood, stalking and music, we can clearly see that the convention is a thriller. There has been appropriate material used throughout the sequence. The Mise En Scene was heavily supported by the iconography. There are lots of conventions of a thriller which I really enjoy about this opening. For instance, the face covered with blood in the beginning was really effective with the makeup. It didn't seem amateur or unprofessional like using fake blood. The target audience I would presume is to older teens and adults since thriller's don't tend to be aimed at younger viewers. Titles are also presented interestingly by having them fade onto the screen. It is very similar to the opening sequence of "Gone Girl", a thriller movie. The institutions are displayed at the correct times which is a good, but there are some flaws in this part of the criteria. The use of the word 'starring' is incorrect since this is only used in television production. As well as this, the title is displayed at the end of the sequence which appears to be more like a trailer rather than a movie opening. Apart from these minor flaws, the titles appeared very clear and interesting. Sound was mostly non-diegetic, so it would have been better to use some non diegetic noise rather than purely relying on one melody. However, the song was very effective as it was not chart topping or known. It was atonal which allowed it to build suspense and intensity for viewers which I found interesting. The editing was excellent, the faded filter really set the scene of the production as it wasn't bright and colorful. This aspect also supported the Mise En Scene. Some scenes however, the camera wasn't very controlled and it had the tendency to shake about when doing tracking shots. The tracking shot was the only interesting angle used in the sequence. In my opinion, a wider variety of shots would have made it better. Finally, I particularly liked the transition used between the girl having her throat slit with the key and her standing on her porch. It gave the impression that she was having a vision as the transition flashed brightly when changing scenes which I found intriguing.

Mark Out of 60: 51

Blitz

This is another thriller from the G321 AS opening sequence category that I thoroughly enjoyed. The sound in this clip is particularly effective and interestingly used as there is a combination of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. You can distinctly hear the prime minister speaking on a war basis in the background and it has been edited in this specific way to support other sound effects in the background such as the air raid signals and bombing. The panning of the camera around the bunker is also very high quality, the camera doesn't shake at all and high quality equipment was clearly used here to see in the darkness and to fully focus on the torchlight. The layout of the room presented at the beginning of the opening sequence really supported the Mise En Scene, a small enclosed spaced with minimum lighting represents a nuclear bunker. There are also war posters and children's toys which show that people are perhaps trapped in the bunker. The camera remains consistently focused throughout each shot which makes it a much higher quality. To be totally honest, there isn't much I would improve on this project. Maybe including some more interesting shot styles like tracking, match on action etc. The titles are spot on to when they are suppose to appear on screen. I couldn't see a flaw in this aspect of the sequence.
Mark Out of 60: 59

The Edge

The opening itself is very fast pacing, which would lead me to believe that this is a huge action convention. The opening sequence as a whole appeared very professional with high quality filming, excellent incorporation of titles within the Mise En Scene such as when the men in suits are coming up the stairs and the use of smooth transitions which were edited in. The use of adults in the sequence makes it unique since the majority of examiners will watch teenagers in most of the opening scenes. This opening however uses two adults and a teenager escaping which gives a variety in acting. Finally, the location was very suitable for the filming since the framing was very appropriate for the scene, there were no disturbances of people or weather as the car park was virtually empty. I felt as if however, there could have been more diegetic sound used since the soundtrack dominated most of the sequence. Perhaps using Foley for the roller-skates across the car park and perhaps some speech would have been suitable for the shouting when he was escaping. This would have balanced the sound use and therefore accessing high marks.

Mark Out of 60: 58

Sound

Most of the negative feedback on the prelim tasks we watched was sound. We discovered how lots of the background noise was overpowering over elements in each sequence. Therefore, we was educated and spent a lesson where we learnt about the presentation of sound in professional movies to assist us on sounding techniques in our future coursework.

I have already discussed the term Foley in a previous blog post but it is basically rerecorded diegetic noise is used to emphasize a background noise. It is commonly used for footsteps, text message tones or doors opening.

Synchronous Sounds are types of sound matched to the object or item displayed. For instance, clapping or cheering would show a large group of people.

Asynchronous Sounds however is the opposite of synchronous. This when a particular noise cannot be heard but the object is not shown onscreen. For instance, a siren could be heard in a particular scene when a character finds a dead body. You can't actually see the ambulance or police car but the body is a symbol of danger.

Sound Bridge noise will link scenes together. An example of this would be a school bell ringing in class gradually changing and entering a part of a song for a musical sequence. The school bell will be on a closeup in the classroom then the scene will change to a typical musical scene. Perhaps a school dance or stage production.

Ambient Sound tends to be used to confirm the location of a scene and is very supportive for the Mise En Scene. For instance, if a scene took place by a river, the sound would focus on the gushing tides, babbling brooks and perhaps feint chatters of nature to set the riverside scene.

Voice-over usually involve a narrator explaining or sharing a story to reveal information about a particular circumstance. You are most likely to find most voice-overs in documentaries or children's films. This sound method heavily reveals the movie plot.

Types of Music Used in Film:

Symphonic Music is performed by a large orchestra
Melodies are distinctive tunes
Atonal Sound has no established key and are commonly used in horror films to add suspense and intensity
Rhythmic Sound are sounds in percussion used to form a beat
Dissonant Music doesn't contain conventional harmonies

Peer and Teacher Evaluation

After the completion of the opening sequence, all of the media classes and teachers spent the commencing lessons watching each others preliminary tasks in order to retrieve feedback and criticism on the scene we created. Teachers also had influence and involvement in feedback that was given to us as a group.

Peer Evaluation

Generally, the feedback received over the genre convention was good. Most people stated that we was displaying a musical clearly and that it was easily understandable. This was due to some of the iconography we used such as the lip syncing, natural teacher-student conflict and the stage production at the end of the opening sequence.
We included all of the shots in our production so we received positive feedback in regards to the shots included. Many of the viewers complimented our tracking and high angle shots as they took a unique approach to some of the regular shots used in this content.
There were mixed opinions on our camera, editing and Mise En Scene work. Some of the viewers explained in the feedback forms that the content displayed on the camera was good. Some people liked the setting such as the running in the corridors, the props used for the end shot like the plants and the black headband and the spotlight used on the characters to highlight their importance. So overall, our Mise En Scene was quite successful. Camera work was mainly complimented on. However, we did receive some negative feedback on some scenes when the camera lens was unfocused and how it was shaking in some of the shots. Although this was due to the tripod not catering very well for the camera, not many of the viewers realized this. Editing was one of the main criticisms in our production. Many of the audience stated that we should have spent more time on slowing the pace down on the songs and including more effects and transitions. Some of the positive reviews we received though was based on the Foley we used for footsteps and the door opening in the match on action shot.
Most of our criticism was received on the script and the story line. Several viewers stated that they couldn't quite understand the concept or the plot of our production. There was also negative feedback on the fact that the characters didn't say anything. There was so set script that we included on our production since the opening sequence just involved lip syncing, During the planning phase, we agreed that we shouldn't use dialogue in order to portray the genre convention clearer. However, it was proven that this was successful therefore it is something to improve in our future coursework.
Overall, most of the comments received on our production was positive. Most viewers stated that it wasn't too bad. There were mixed reviews on the humor of the content. Some people found it funny and enjoyable whereas others despised it and couldn't grasp the concept of the sequence. We scored on average 35/50, which is the equivalent to a B grade at A level. We agreed as a group that this was a good score for our preliminary task, however, some parts of the process prevented us from accessing higher marks which we will improve on in the future.

Teacher Evaluation

As a whole, the teachers gave us mostly positive feedback. One of the strengths we received that was positive was the tracking and high angle shots used in the production. They liked the way that the students were hiding behind the wall from the teacher who couldn't see them . They further explained how the high angle shot clearly depicted this. They also complimented the Foley used throughout the sequence and they enjoyed how it was cleverly inserted for the establishment shot. Finally, they found that as well as it being a musical, there was lots of humor associated with the genre. For instance, the guitar scene with Luke and D. Amato's confused look when the pupils vanish from detention. Overall, teachers concluded that it was a funny yet interesting approach taken on an opening sequence.
However, not all of the feedback was positive. Some criticism was given on the camera quality and that it should have been less fidgety and more focused for improvements on our opening. We was also told that we mostly relied on non diegetic sound on the soundtrack and that we should have used more natural background noises. However, it was quite difficult to incorporate diegetic sound in our production as the wind was too noisy to use and we needed songs in our project to convey that it was a musical. Finally, we was told that we should have included a final miming sequence in the end to improve the script and story line of our opening. However, due to the amount of time given, we was unable to include this in our project. This is a further improvement for our future foundation coursework.

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