AS Media: December 2014

Poster Ideas

Here is a selection of poster ideas that we came up with. The posters themselves are pictures of Evangeline laying down in the woods where we filmed our scenes in the woods.

- Settings and Props- Costume, Hair and Make Up
- Facial Expressions and Body Language
- Lighting and Colour
- Positioning of Characters

Due to the fact that most of or filming is outside. We plan to film in Galleywood in a woody area near the cemetery as it is an ideal setting. We also plan to film in Great Baddow High School library as it has the resources we needed for the specific shots.

Furthermore our costumes aren't going to be complicated as towards the beginning there is only one character, even thought there is more than one character in the opening they aren't in the shots for as long as Eva so we don't have to focus as much on their attire. We decided that the main character Eva should be wearing a beautiful long navy chiffon dress. However in other scenes Eva will be wearing more casual clothing.

Facial expressions will play an important role in our opening as Eva is shown to be quite a mysterious character, when in the rewind she is shown to be quite confused and scared then her mood seems to lighten up as the clip progresses showing her as a happy individual.

Music updated for Evangeline

One of the reoccurring comments that seemed to appear after our peer marking was that the music was too much like Daytime TV programme and not like a film opening. Initially we were going to use the song moonlight stanza by Beethoven but this was to heavy for our first draft we then changed it to the instrumental version of Mazzy Stars Fade into you, but this belonged more on TV.

For the first scene where it is set in the woods we will use this music, we used 'Soda' by the Cinematic Orchestra. It works well with the voice over we are going to use and has a mysterious feel to it which works well with the theme we are going to use.

For the second scene after the main title (of rewound scenes back to the beginning of the film) we used 'Breathe Me (instrumentral version)' By Sia.

Evangeline First Draft

Here is our first draft for Evangeline. I think it turned out to be ok, however I think that there is a lot of room for improvement. This is because I think the editing could be more professional and more flowing, also I think we need to adjust the music with some of the scenes we have used as it doesn't feel witchy enough to make the genre clear.

First Draft Feedback

Today we recieved feedback from our first draft after students had peer assesed them and wrote down what they thought about it. Overall, there was a wide range of different opinions.
We have established in our group that we need to improve the:

music
titles
camera movement
length
acting
sound

One of the regularly occurring comments that we received for our film opening was that the audience 'didn't get it' or 'it didn't make a lot of sense'. This therefore made us have a rethink of how we can make the opening more clear and easier to understand. We would need to shoot a few more scenes and re write parts of the script and go over parts of the storyboard. The plot had to be changed to make things a little more understandable.

Blog Reflection

Technology - have you learned new online programmes for sbowing off work? Have you tried new premiere effects?

After adding more and more blogs I have tried to vary the programmes I have used in order to become more familiar with a variety of programmes, so in future tasks I have more options to use when deciding what programme would be best for the specific task. I have used programmes like SlideShare when researching for my film opening when blogging about things like. I also used as a programme called Prezi in order to create a powerpoints for my research towards Evangeline. I liked Prezi as it was different compared to Microsoft Powerpoint in the way you can present your powerpoint. Throughout our filming tasks I would say I have spent most of the time on Adobe Premiere editing our footage and using different effects to make it feel how we wanted it to. I have become more and more confident in using premiere after using it for several tasks now.

Mark out of 20 so far?

I think I would rate my blog at around 13 or 14 out of 20. In order to improve my blog I should add a variety of photos to make my blogs more visual and maybe more understandable.

Where could you be a little more thorough or little less complacent?

If I'm being being critical I do think there is room for improvement throughout my blogs. I think I could add more information on my representations blog because after looking at it I realised that it is lacking information. I don't think I've been complacent during the time that I have been blogging as I have tried to fit as much as I can into each post without cramming it.

Is it fun to look through?

I think that my blog includes lots of useful information however I think to improve the look of my blog and make it more visual and fun I could add things like photos. I could also alter the texts by either changing the colour of the font I have used to make it a bit more interesting and aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, I could change the design or background to make it stand out that bit more.

Is the learning journey evident?

From the start of my blogs to then end I think that there is a distinct improvement in the fact that I have started to include pictures, headings, labels etc. The more recent posts include more detail and show more of an understanding about media.

Three targets to improve blog - research or planning (have you thoroughly covered all key media concepts - forms and conventions, audience, institution, representation.

Synopsis Planning

Scene 1- A range of shots as Eva is walking. She is located outside Galleywood Cemetry, walking along the path, and headed towards the graves.

Scene 2- Establishing characters in the library and what they are doing.

Scene 3- Eva walks up to her Mothers grave and then the main title is shown.

Scene 4- The film cuts back to the library and Faye starts off by reading a passage about witchcraft. The library group become inquisitive about Eva's whereabouts so they call her.

Scene 5- Eva is seen walking up to the library and over to join her friends. They all gather their bags and exit the shot, the camera then zooms in on a computer screen with the page up of 'Local Legends of Witchcraft' (it zooms into Evangeline's photo)

Script

Alexis: Soo you guys? (pauses) [picks books up from desk in front and moves them to main desk leaving what she had on the screen up] what actually is witchcraft?

Marco: [places head in hands pushing hair back out of face] (mumbles under breath) This is going to take forever.

Peter: [gesturing in Alexis' direction whilst moving basket ball of the chair next to him onto the floor] Alexis come here. I found a definition. [pushes back laptop screen, points and begins to read it out]. {shot cuts to Eva walking into graveyard and crouching down by grave and speech becomes a voice over.} Witchcraft the practice of the mythical arts for example magic, this can either be black or white depending on the intended use. Which craft can also be linked back to the 1500's a time of spells, potions and the invocation of spirits. (fades out)

Title Evangeline is shown on screen. Shot then cuts back to the library.

Faye; [scrolling down website, pushes up glasses and moves hair behind ear] This website is actually pretty interesting. [looking up at website and writing down notes]

Jack; [looks over Faye's shoulder at her computer screen] Hmm yeah I think I looked at that one [continues with what he was writing] *coughs* [scrunches up piece of paper and throws it at peter in a basketball playing fashion]I wonder where Eva is. I know She said she had to go somewhere first but ugh I swear shes been hours, [Tilts head back] I just want to go get food.

Peter; No idea, I'll call her. [reaches down into sports bag and pulls out phone, calls Eva]

This scene shows Eva walking after she has visited her mothers grave. she receives a phone call from Peter and picks it up.

Eva; Hello (pause whilst peter answers) yeah ill be there in a minutes (pauses) okay bye. [put phone down and speeds up her walking]

still on scene of Eva voice over is being played.

Faye; Listen to this quote from the bible. "Leviticus 20:27 man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” Its talking about witchcraft.

Eva is shown walking into the library up the stairs and towards the group.

Eva; hiya [walks over to Alexis] sorry im late took longer than I thought.

Alexis: Ah hi Eva, come on lets go. [stands up and starts to pack away her belongings.]

Eva: [looking at James] you guys ready. [everyone gets up apart from Marco and begins to put their things away, and then leaves. Marco then puts his things away and walks out following the group. Camera pans across to Fayes computer that she had left on and zooms into the screen leaving an image of Evangeline up and the audience to realise that she looks like Eva.]