Media Evaluation

Media Evaluation

1) In what ways does your media project use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of media products?

The film i have created incorporates generic conventions by adapting certain techniques used in horror films and creating a comical version of the standard film such as Scream was transformed into a spoof called Scary Movie. I chose to do the exact same thing and create a spoof version of Paranormal Activity. By choosing to do a spoof film this enable me to venture into the horror side of a film and the comical side to bring two elements together and form a horror spoof. The film can still be related to professional media conventions as shots such as close up, extreme close up and even medium shots are used. Creating a spoof film defines exaggeration as being the best tool possible to make a film humorous, this can be easily identified by the Ghost which is used in my film, the ghost is just a white bed cover thrown over someone this easily generates a comical side to it originally being scary. All the comical parts of the film were easily highlighted by either using music or sounds. For example, the scene in which Jade picks up a blow up hammer the comedy element has already been spotted as the hammer is going to be used as a weapon as people know it’s a Childs blow up toy and the short comical sound that is played when the ghost has been hit with the hammer emphasises the comedy value.

2) How does your media project represent particular social groups?

I believe the two social groups identified in my film are just represented as average individuals, two of the cast being male and the other two female. Although the ghost isn’t really represented as being female or male we soon learn at the end of the clip the ghost is in face female. The two main characters Tom and Jade just represent two normal living beings who live their day to day life as any human would stereotyping them as a normal individual no different then any other person.

3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I believe that this film could be produced as a high budget film if adventured deeper, the film relates to such films as the many Scary Movie films that have been produced and Epic Movie. I believe this film would appeal to many different audiences and would be a good hit at the cinemas. People enjoy films that are sarcastic against others making the film a mockery version; this is what people enjoy to see. Although it could be great hit merchandise wouldn’t really be something to consider, a good film company would be Dimension Films who also produced the Scary Movie collection this would be ideal for my film as a younger aged audience may not understand the comedy elements of the film.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?

There wouldn’t really be a restriction for the target audience the film is for, the film is based on horror and comedy but no violence, explicit content or indecent exposure is used. However, it would be ideal to have watched the original scary version of the film to understand the spoof version. I think a good target audience would be over the ages of 15 to understand some elements of the film.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

I firstly created a questionnaire to hand out to the public to analyse what type of people would want to watch the film that i was creating, gender, age and sex was took into consideration. The final film was broadcasted on to the youtube channel on www.youtube.com to see how many hits it would get, showing how many people would actually like to watch the film. If the film was created properly and longer than two minutes, flyers, banners, magazines and television or radio broadcasts could be used to sell out the film to the public.

6) What have you learnt about technology from constructing the product?

I have learnt many things about technology when filming my media product, there are many things to consider some harder than others such things as creating the script, editing, filming the certain shots, music over certain parts of the film, sound effectiveness, corresponding scenes. This film was challenging in parts but would be even harder if it was actually created fully. There were some problems that we ran into due to the fact we didn’t have all the kinds of technology we needed such as the ghost could have been a lot better if we could have used special affects. The camera wasn’t as good as what we expected as it was a small digital camera that is not really something you would use for a film, having a small camera means the microphone won’t be able to pick up noise and sounds like speech between two characters as a professional camera would. If i was able to film again i would use a better camera and use far better editing software, to create a far better version of the film.


7) Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

In the progression to the full product i have learnt how to use editing software to produce the whole film, however a better software would have been good to create a more successful film, i used imovie but the software wasn't as good as expected. Editing is essential as many things can be changed after videoing the parts that are needed in your film, parts can be cut and others parts can be used in later or earlier scenes from when you filmed. I also learnt the different styles of shots that i could use in my film to make it more professional. Creating a film takes a lot of thinking and good ideas; you need the correct types of shots to make a film run smoothly and efficiently. You also need to understand what the audience would like to see you have to think like them to know what they would actually like to see to make your film a big hit.

By Mark Allen

The finished product

this is our finished film published on youtube
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwVvupLK4WE

Shooting Script

Shooting script- ghosts ‘n’ stuff

SHOT 1-
In scene one it starts pitch black then zooms in to a long shot- see the full viewing of the house from the outside. Slowly it starts zooming in untill the house covers the screen.

SHOT 2-
The start of scene two there is a long shot of Tom in the main room of the house getting out his camera to takes photos. Looking eager to take his best photos, as he’s wanting to sell the house. Zoom in to an extreme close up of him putting the camera to his eye till it flashes as he’s taken the picture.

SHOT 3-
As he cant seem to see much there’s a point of view shot and a panning of his view. Where it is pitch black and you can only make out a few outlines of some objects.

SHOT 4-
Theres a flash of the camera to where Tom sees the ghost. There is a long shot of the ghost.

SHOT 5-
Its pitch black again, until tom takes another photo, where theres another flash of the camera and you can see another long shot of the ghost but closer to the camera than before.

SHOT 6-
There are many long shots taken as the ghost strikes its poses as its getting closer. After another picture is taken, there is a medium shot of the ghost as its got a lot closer. It then switches to a close up on Tom which shows his shocked and scared face as he looks upon the ghost.

SHOT 7-
Scene three, theres a two shot of tom and jade talking. As tom tells her about the ghost which he saw when he took the pictures. There is a zoom in of an extreme close up of jades face. This exaggerates the shocked and horrorified face of her.

SHOT 8 –
It then zooms out onto a medium shot where jade admits her past about the ghost to tom. This establishes to see some of her body language.

SHOT 9-
There is a close up of Jade ringing an exorcist. Theres then a two shot of tom and jade when Jade is on the phone to an exorcist. It also shows Tom comforting Jade with a concearned look on his face.

SHOT 10-
Theres a long shot of the exorcist and then the panning of him walking towards the door of tom and jades house.

SHOT 11-
As the exorcist knocks on the door there is an extreme close up. As there is a knock on the door theres a two shot and long shot of tom and jades face as they eagerly looked up.

SHOT 12-
Theres a panning and two shot of Tom and Jade both walking to the door to welcome the exorcist. Theres also a high angel of the Tom and Jade looking down at the exorcist whos looking up at them as he’s stood outside.

SHOT 13-
As Tom opens the door there is an over shoulder shot, and he greets the exorcist.

SHOT 14-
As the exorcist stops dead at the house without entering it there is a long medium shot of him. Where he tells them both the bad news that he cannot enter as the evil forces are too strong.

SHOT 15-
Scene for theres a long shot of Tom seeting up the camera. Theres determination on his face as he wants to video the ghost so badly.

SHOT 16-
A two shot of Tom and Jade in bed asleep, then a panning of the ghost entering the room.

SHOT 17-
A close up of the ghost grabbing Jade’s leg. Then a close up of Jade’s shocked and scared face as it was unexpected.

SHOT 18-
Zoom into a close up of Jade screaming, then a panning of the ghost dragging her down the hall.

SHOT 19-
A two shot of the ghost dragging Jade in the hall as she helplessly tries grabbing objects. Still a two shot of Jade hitting the ghost with a blow up hammer.

SHOT 20-
Scene five, a tilt movement of the ghost knocked out on the floor of Jade’s bedroom. Then it moves onto a tracking shot of Jade running downstairs in the pitch black. There is another tracking shot but of Tom running down the stairs in horror to find Jade as he just realises what’s going on.

SHOT 21-
A tracking of the ghost steadily walking downstairs into the darkness, then switching to a two shot and a full body shot of Tom and Jade holding eachother looking horrified. There’s then a black scream for a few seconds which is when you then hear the dying screams of Jade and Tom.

SHOT 22-
An establishing shot in the bedroom mainly focusing on the bedroom door. Theres then a long shot of the ghost just stood there at the door. Theres then a body shot of the ghost walking towards the camera with the ghost getting bigger with every step it takes. Until the ghost hits the camera with its face and falls to the floor.

Then the credits are played.

Name for production company

Risk Assessment

Film comparison titles

Priest Scene

The majority of the scenes are going to be set in the bedroom, as thats where most of the 'hauntings' take place, the camera is going to be placed in the corner of the bedroom, capturing the ghosts movements as sush.

When the priest comes to investigate the ghosts activities, he enters the doorway but can go no further because the ghost is blocking him out, preventing him from entering. It will be as if he has walked into a glass doorway, even though it will be perfectly normal for everybody else to pass through. The mid-shot, eye-level angle shot will be positioned just off centre of the doorway and at angle giving a disoriented and confused effect of the character as he is unable to enter. There will be no lighting effects min this scene is it is set in the doorway with natural light coming through the curtains/windows. The shots will be shot-reverse-shot during dialog between characters.

Film Treatment

Programme:

Ghosts ‘n’ stuff


Duration:

120minutes approximately.

The focus is on supernatural haunting of a young couple.

Screened summer 5th July at the cinema screenings.


Audience:

Both genders

Ages- 15- 25years

Genre- spoof, supernatural haunting


Resume:

Tom Redfield and Jade Clarke the main two characters are two young lovers. At the age of 13, Jade was haunted by a supernatural being, of which she could not escape from. 10 years later she settled down with young love Tom Redfield. She thought that the supernatural haunting had left her for good; she was beginning to be proved wrong when strange things began to happen.

As Tom decides to catch the ghost on camera, things start to become even worse. After all these terrifying events taking place, Jade decides they should talk to an exorcist. The exorcist decides he cannot help them due to the forces of evil being too strong.


Suggested elements:

1. Ghosts ‘n’ stuff is going to be similar to Paranormal Activity. In terms of the type of story and the film style

2. Going to use special effects to create the supernatural realistic effects. For example, make the ghost look realistic and scary.

3. Going to use lighting, this way we can make a better effect of the film. For example, the lighting on the ghosts face could be made to make the ghost unfriendly and scary.

Film Script

GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF


GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF by Mark Allen, Katie Girdlestone and Emily Herbert


Start up screen: Title - GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF
Second screen: Produced by Spooftastic Productions.
Starring:
Maria as Jade Clarke
Luke as Tom Redfield
Tanya as the Ghost
Mark as the Exorcist


Scene one: Black screen fades onto a large viewing of a house.
Non-Diegetic music played.


Scene two: INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.
TOM REDFIELD is in the main room of the house. Taking photo’s of the room, as he is trying to sell the house to an agent. As he is taking these pictures, the lights suddenly go out as the room fills up with darkness pitch black. He cannot see a thing.


TOM REDFIELD, “ Damn the lights, I cant see a thing”.


A noise is heard from one end of the room, quickly he jolts around.


TOM REDFIELD, “ Who… Who’s there?”


As he hears another noise he starts taking pictures of the entire room, following the flash of each shot to make his way around. While he is capturing these shots he see’s a strange being, he kept on taking pictures every time this thing was getting closer to him. As more and more shots are taken the GHOST begins to strike poses at the camera as a cat walk model would do.


Scene three: INT. KITCHEN.DAY
JADE confesses to TOM that she was haunted by a strange ghost when she was little. That every where she goes the ghost follows her.


JADE CLARKE, “ Tom the thing you saw last night was a ghost from my childhood”.


She decides to call an EXORCIST to come to the house and get rid of the GHOST for good. Close up shot of the front door. There is a knock at the door. TOM greets the man.


TOM REDFIELD, “ Hello, nice to meet you”.


Before the EXORCIST enters the house, he suddenly stops dead at his feet. He stands still. Looking at the couple. He tells them that he cannot come in the house, that what ever presence is here will not allow him to enter and force of evil too strong for a holy man.


EXORCIST, “ I am sorry but I have to leave, there is a presence here that will not allow me in. Good bye…”


Scene four: INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT
TOM decides he wants to catch the ghost on camera so he sets up a video recorder at the corner of the room over viewing the bedroom door and the bed. Both JADE and TOM are asleep on the bed. You see the ghost enter the room. It stands next to JADES side of the bed looking down at her. The GHOST grabs JADES leg and pulls her off the bad,. JADE is screaming, the GHOST then starts dragging her down the hall. Track shot of jade being pulled down the hall from the bed.


As the GHOST is dragging JADE down the hall, there are many different objects JADE is trying to grab. She goes past a bat being unable to grab it. Then going past a knife unable to grab it. She sees a blow up hammer and grabs it. Suddenly hitting the GHOST with the weapon.


Scene five: INT. DOWNSTAIRS LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
As the GHOST lies there on the floor knocked out. JADE makes a run down stairs in the pitch black. TOM heard what was going on so he quickly jumps out of bed and runs downstairs with her. The GHOST gets up and steadily walks down stairs into the darkness.


Scene six: INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Full body shot of JADE and TOM holding onto each other in the dark. The screen goes blank, black background, for three seconds. Dying screams come from JADE and TOM while still on the black screen.


Scene seven: INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT
The camera goes back to the one placed in the bedroom looking towards the bedroom door. The GHOST appears standing at the door looking towards the camera. It starts to stumble towards the camera, getting closer and closer, until the GHOST hit’s the camera with its face and falls over.


END OF TITLE SEQUENCE


Last screen: Credit roll:
Directed & Produced by,
Mark Allen
Emily Herbert
Katie Girdlestone

First Three Minute Review Of Scary Movie 4

Scary Movie 4 (first three minutes of the movie)


Camera Shots:

Starting of the film there is a under water close up shot on Shaq the basketball player. As he takes his head out of the water the camera jumps from being in front of him to behind him as a full body shot of him behind.

There is a blurry pan shot of a dark room, which he is in.

Tilt shot follows the character as he stands up, hitting his head on a led pipe then on the ceiling.

Another close up shot on the mans foot showing that he has been shackled. Lights switch on and the camera jumps to a full body shot of another character Dr. Phil.

As each character takes turn in their speech the camera jumps to who ever is speaking first.

There is an over shoulder shot of the entire room behind the Dr.

Camera then switches to a close up shot on a television.

There is a shot were the camera zooms out on a shot of the clock on the wall.

There is a low angle shot on the saw and the basketball net above the characters, also a high angle shot looking down on Shaq.

There is a shot that also zooms in onto the time on the clock on the wall.

Many uses of cross cutting to switch shots with the pace of the film.


Mise-en-scene:

The whole set is based on the Saw film location in a basement of such. Two character in the room, surrounded by pipes and rubble. The lighting is all artificial coming from the ceiling of the room. The two men are shackled up to each side of the room.


Props and Costumes:

Some of the props used are: the boulders used as basketballs.

The saw’s used for the two characters to escape.

Shaq is wearing a basketball outfit, this shows we know straight away that he is involved in basketball.

Dr. Phil is wearing casual clothes, just a shirt and tie.

Character Biographys

Biography

A ‘supernatural’ force has followed Jade Clarke since the age of 13. Since moving into a house with her husband Tom Redfield the ‘supernatural’ activities have been increasingly stronger, up to the point of possession.


Jade Clarke: since the age of 13, a ‘supernatural’ force has followed Jade. She has just moved into a house with her newlywed husband Tom Redfield. The supernatural force has followed her into their family home and keen to destroy their life together

Tom Redfield: The husband of Jade Clarke (haunted) has no idea about his new wife’s dark and gloomy past. Things go missing and objects are not in their original places. Tom gets suspicious and questions Jade. Jade explains about her ‘supernatural’ following. Tom is supportive and understanding but is still unbelieving until it comes after him too.

Ghost: Has a grudge against Jade and has followed her since Jade was 13. Stranded in the inbetween, she find herself entertainment by haunting Jade and her husband Tom until she gets carried away and becomes unstoppable.

Priest: Jade and Tom called him to help them with the ‘supernatural force’. When he arrives this angers the ghost even more and is unable to deal with such a power above his own. Leaving Jade and Tom helpless to fight the ghost renting their lives

Film Questionare

GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF

Questionnaire!


1. Are you of an age between, 15 to 25?

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2. How many times do you attend the cinema? (circle one)


Once a month Once a week Daily Other


3. What type of genre of a film do you like to watch? (circle the one’s that appeal most)


Horror Comedy Thriller Action Adventure Romance


Sci-fi Historical Chick flick


4. Do you attend the cinema? (circle one)


In a group On your own With family Other


5. The film my group has chosen to make is a horror/comedy would this appeal to you?

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6. What makes films you go to watch appeal to you?

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7. What would you expect to see in a horror/comedy film?

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8. Before watching my group’s film have you ever watched a horror/comedy film before hand? What film/films were they?

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Prop Ideas

Camera with flash for scene 2 where Tom begins to take pictures when the lights go out.

A bible for scene 3 when the priest enters, he is clutching a bible.

As is scene 4 is set in the bedroom the bed is considered as a prop as both Tom and Jade are going to be using the bed. Tom wants to catch the to catch the ghost n video so a video camera is going to be used as a prop also.
Scene four continues a baseball bat, a knife and a blow up hammer are lying on the floor.

The bed is also used as a prop in scene 5 when Tom jumps out of bed and runs downstairs towards Jade screaming.

In scene 7, the video camera is used as it is capturing the ghost walking towards it and bashes herself into it.

Costumes

The actors involoved would be wearing 'normal' clothes: regular, casual clothes as it is set in everyday life. The 'ghost' however would be wearing either a white or black cloth covering them, their face to be covered by either hair or hood located on the back of the 'cape'/dress. The overall effect would be considered creepy but with an element of humor.

Title for my the movie

Camera flash scene idea

We are aiming to use the same style of using a camera in a dark room and taking pictures to light up the whole room, for one of our scary but funny scenes in our film. Here are links to how we can do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_tVgKsRLsg
Another link to the saw movie scene were the main character uses his camera to light the room up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Uzk60YEnM&feature=related

Film Research

Film Research For AS media film

Ghosts “n” Stuff


My group’s film is based on Paranormal Activity but we have chosen to make the film into our very own spoof. The idea has been taken from the last 4 Scary Movie films, we are aiming to make our film like the film comedy of the Scary movies. My group is going to try and create some of the same scenes from Paranormal Activity and then make these scenes hysterical the same way as David Zucker film director of Scary movie does by using actual films and then used them to his advantage to create the spoof versions of them all.


The film will be set as a Comedy/ Thriller just like Scary Movie

This film will have an audience rating of 15+


I have researched possible companies that distribute their own comedy spoofs that would support a film, such as my own groups Paranormal Activity based spoof called Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff. These distributers are: Dimension Films, Miramax Films, Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution, New Regency Pictures.


The chosen audience for the film we are aiming to produce is not really aimed at any specific audience apart from people over 15 years old. The film will be for male and female audiences.


Characters: 4 Main characters.

Husband and Wife

Exorcist

Ghost (Grudge)


Costume Designs:

Exorcist: Will be in either normal everyday clothes with a Bible or if able to obtain a priests costume.


Husband and wife: Will wear regular casual clothes, depending on scenes were the characters are in bed we would need bed dress sense.


Ghost (Grudge): This character will look the pretty much same as the grudge girl out of the film or even the Ring. Long hair over face and a mucky white Dress.

Film Plot

Spoof supernatural haunting. Women is haunted by a ghost from her past, with hysterical consequences. The couple try to sell the house but the ghost will not allow it.

Other links for paranormal activity

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal_activity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/nov/25/paranormal-activity-review

The idea of the film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeaZMl22fQ = Ending scene of paranormal actvity.


My own idea for the ending will be the women walking towards the camera, as she gets closer to the lens her face hits the camera and she falls over. The clip will finish after this scene.

Costume Design Ideas

The costume design for the ghost.

Last Scene idea

Last scene of the clip, costume of ghost based on the grudge, girl walks up to the camera in the grudge style blood down front of her clothes then walks into the frame and falls over. More funny shots to make the film more appealing!

Idea

Horror spoof
Start up black screen fades, revealing a dark house, slowly getting louder back ground music: spooky music...with a twist.
Horror scenes funny e.g photos being taken, first picture scary ghost all white, looking straight at camera, next photo with ghost thumbs up or posing/pout.
Character being stabbed, shot of knife being raised, then shot of masculine male screaming like a girl and and flying arms around.
Dragged out of bed, misses axe, gun, knife, grabs umbrella or equally idiotic/unusual object e.g.

Film Ideas

Horror/Spoof/Comedy (Paranormal Activity)
Characters: 2 maybe 3/4
Film based on being inside a house, supernatural activity is involved in the house being some sort of ghost the disturbs the house hold. Settings would be inside a house, with the starting scene being a women on the phone to an exorcist saying something is happening. Then the movie jump cuts to a different scene, where her husband is in the house at night, holding a camera taking pictures of the room to sell it off to estate agents, however, as he is taking the picture he captures a ghost every time the picture is taken again the ghost makes different kind of stances to make the scene funny. Pounting, thumbs up, smiling (e.g funny catwalk shoot with the ghost)
A following scene could contain the female character being dragged through the main bedroom through the door on the way through there would be different objects for her to grab as she misses to grab the ordinary items like umberellas and axes, she falls on a blow up hammer or sword something funny and not meant to be their.