What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the production of our opening sequence, we have all come to grips with using various forms of media in order to create a film production. We have also become more comfortable with using these forms of media and specific software, which I for instance, had never come across before with regards to IMovie for example. I now know how to process a short film using IMovie and how to use various forms of kit constructively such as a digital camera and a tripod. All in all, we have gained crucial and significant experience by using the different forms of media and technology involved with creating a production and are all now completely comfortable with using media kit. This undoubtedly will help us with any further production tasks in future, and will enhance our abilities at A2.

Here is a short list of some of the media products we used when producing Heads Will Roll:

Digital Camera (Panasonic HC-V500): This enabled us to record our shots.















Tripod: This enabled us to manouver our shots smoothly with more stability.













Apple Mac: This enabled us to use all the software needed to produce our Production.













Beats Headphones: When producing our soundtrack this enabled us to listen to it in clear resolution.















IMovie: This enabled us to edit and produce the shots we had recorded in a short film.














Paint: This enabled us to create our production logo and experiment with titles etc.














Photoshop: This enabled us to edit and produce our titles and various frames of shots.















Youtube: This enabled us to gain ideas and research other influential forms of media.

Garageband: This enabled us to produce our soundtrack efficiently.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

  

This is a screengrab of our main character in Heads Will Roll alongside Patrick Bateman, the main character in American Phsycho (2000). The key simmilarities between the two characters is the fact that they are both working men who have hidden psychopathic identities. As you can see, in Heads Will Roll I am suited up with a work bag going into a library and in American Phsycho, Patrick Bateman is also suited up. The only difference between the two characters here, is the fact that you can see Patrick Bateman's face and that you can' t see mine. This defeats the point of direct mystery and confusion we are conveying in our film in comparison with American Phsycho.

Here is a screengrab of my character in Heads Will Roll alongside Hannibal Lecter from the film Hannibal (2001) which was themed as a psychiatric thriller, as is ours. Hannibal Lecter was a murdering cannibal who killed many for the thrill of it. His character can be linked closely with my character in Heads Will Roll as I am also a psychiatric murderer who kills for his own thrills. What is a particularly interesting comparison between the two characters here is the simmilarity of mystery. As you can see from this screengrab, Hannibal Lecter is diguised with his famous mask which allows for the audience to not only just be intrigued and confused as to what his motive is but also to evoke a sense of fear too. This completely opitomizes what we wanted to achieve through our main character in Heads Will Roll, with the only difference between these two characters again being the fact that my face is completely diguised.

How did you attract/address your audience?

This is our opening sequence title and the font we have used is applied in order to evoke a more disturbing and confused reaction from our audience. This in turn allows for our audience to become more intrigued by our production and therefore more connected.

When playing upon this idea of evoking a sense of confusion in order to create intrigue and a passive connection between our audience and our production, this shot opitomizes this aim. By intentionally not allowing for my face to be seen throughout the opening sequence, a underlying mystery to what is going on is left. This is what we aimed to achieve through doing this as it corroborates with the themes within our production. I feel that this theme of mystery and confusion, further emphasized by the fact my face is kept hidden, is our main and unique selling point.

This is a comparative frame of a a scene in American Psycho (2000) and a scene in Heads Will Roll. The interesting comparison between me and Christian Bale is not the fact that we're both amazing actors, but that we are both pschiatric nutcases who are walking down a spooky alley/lane. It is interesting when understanding the concepts of our film to look at such a simmilar shot in a film such as American Psycho. American Psycho was a film that was targetted at those 18 and over, however, our film was targetted at those of all ages. This raises the fact that Heads Will Roll might be more suitable for those of a more mature age range as it shares so many qualities as American Psycho.

Here's a link to Heads Will Roll for you to make your own judgement:

As you can probably gather our music has been produced with regards to the genre type we are trying to evoke from our opening sequence which is horror/thriller. The music here is also suited to help us target the type of audience we want. This is an audience that are willing to be pulled in by a mysterious and confusing horror/thriller. Our theme music helps us to enhance these themes which are then made more realistic and connective between our audience and the production. This undoubtedly will make Heads Will Roll more entertaining.

What would be the taget audience for your media product?

This Man and Girl would both most probably watch our film as they seem to be interested in horror/thriller films and have both stated their intigue in watching them. The girl's faveourite programme is the Wizard's of Waverly Place, which inhabits confusion and mystery elements in it, as are in Heads Will Roll. Then the man's faveourite programme is Top Gear, where exciting and thrilling, edge of your seat traits can be found which are also held within our production piece.

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

A media institution such as the likes of 'Dark Castle Entertainment' may distribute our production. Heads Will Roll is a horror/thriller film which should appeal to those of all ages, with our target audience being instigated at males and females of all ages.

A production company such as Dark Castle Entertainment have invested in films such as 'Gothika' since 2003, almost a decade now. At the time of its release, Gothika was the most successful film from Dark Castle Entertainment with $141.6 million. This makes it easier to express the possible faith and intrigue into investing into Heads Will Roll. Our Production shares many horror themed elements as are in Gothika such as mystery, confusion and shock.

Our production company name is 'Night-Light Media' which we thought was complimentary towards the idea of darkness. This essentially, is a key theme in our production, so goes along with our company name fluently. The red dripping of blood-like font used helps us to stand out as a desired business.

As a production company we'd aim to produce films of all genres in the most efficient and best way possible. To do this we'd film using cameras on locations that all fall under our budget and capabilities. After filming everything, we'd then edit the whole piece so that the most perfect production is made. A production company is also left responsible for overseeing that the shots, edits, music and all other effects best fit the point and genre of the film.

The money for our film would be generated by form of ditribution. The distribution company Dark Castle Entertainment may invest in putting money into a film such as ours with regards to the fact that we're less mainstream and looking at a lower budget necessary in order to produce our film. This is a possibility that not only seems realistic, but efficient in the context of looking at making a general investment.

Our titles are a way of acknowledging the people who make our film what it is. We mentioned our cast firstly, starting off with me as I was starring as the main psychopathic character, We thought that it was a complimentary way of starting off the credits seeing as I was in every scene of the opening sequence. This also evokes to the audience the fact that I am the actor behind the leading role. We did not then continue the cast list in any specific order due to the fact that we thought it corresponded with the themes of confusion and mystery conveyed in our production. Music and editing are also mentioned in order to acknowledge the efforts of Tom who merged these elements together.

In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?

When looking at our final production, we looked at the ways in which it use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products; in our case a horror films opening sequence. From looking further into our production the films title is similar to other horror film titles in the past, the white title on a black background could be considered a horror film stereotype as well as the font being a long the lines of other film titles similar to past films and they way the title roles and flickers. When looking at setting and location you could consider some scenes fitting the conventions of a "normal" horror opening sequence; the lift scene and alley way, but others which feature such as on the bus and library don't fit such forms of what would be considered a horror setting or location.

When looking at mise en scene such as costume, we tried to avoid such forms as a hooded, masked and deformed murderer but looking at an individual who remains in a suit through out. The story opens with this tall shady character who isn't really revealed to the viewer as his face is hidden from view, it then goes on to him watching people and also what appears to be following people from the location of which they have irritated him which you could say suggests current forms of horror films of an unknown individual following unsuspecting victims.

The way in which are characters are introduced is always with the main protagonist in shot this shows the link between them before the film continues they are all equipped with annoying traits in which the murderer is not best pleased with. They are introduced as normal everyday people which makes the film scarier in some aspects as the victims could of been anyone at any time, the idea of that " they where in the wrong place at the wrong time". The effects use which fit in with conventions of a regular horror film opening sequence ins the way in which the contrast is darkened ad a darker filter is added just to make the scenes appear gloomier than they actually wold of appeared i the effect where not added, also they way the scenes fade in and out of black backdrops fit in with the regular forms of a horror film.

They way that our opening sequence suggests the genre of the film is from many of the usual conventions added to our opening sequence which make it appear the way it does to the viewers , yet by adding our own twist which don't fit in with the normal forms of a film opening sequence by using different locations and not making it apparent that all the characters would be involved in a horrific situation especially with the main protagonist who would not fit the normal forms and convention completely with a blood thirsty, insane and unstable murderer.

Heads or Tails

Heads or Tails



This is the finished soundtrack to our media production, this will be played through out the whole opening sequence and will be the only.