Question 4

Who Would Be Your Audience For Your Media Product?

After a screening of my film opening I asked 12 audience members to fill out a survey analysing, my film and their film preferences such as visits to the cinema, age, gender and favourite genre. Out of all the surveys the most favoured genre was comedy, second action and third thriller. My film is a combination of thriller and horror,  it explored the idea that ballerina works harder than other profession and dedicates her life to her art. This utter dedication to dance results in a psychological breakdown triggered by excessive alcohol and drugs that cause her to hallucinate as shown in the opening. The survey showed that the target market (teenagers 15-18) enjoyed the slightly confusing storyline and editing that left them wondering what happened next and how she developed as a character.

In response to 'What did you like about my film?'

'love the title Eleve, especially in the last scene. Opening section was great with juxtaposition of happy teenager with what lie below' 

'The jumpy, distorted and fragmented nature'

'outlined story well, built tension well'

I have chosen the teenage audience because After researching Black Swan they found females age 15 - 25 where their most influential audience, they loved the gritty almost gory nature of the film and the controversial topics covered such as lesbian relationships and women sleeping with men to get what they want.

I also chose this market because 90% of the characters in the film fit into this range and hopefully demonstrate a stereotype of teenager that would later in the film be renounced. Making the film a positive view on teenage experiences. The reason I chose a ballerina as a teenage protagonist is because she of all people has to get an equal balance of work and fun, so teenagers of the future might gain a moral aspect of the importance of relaxing whilst also maintaining work. 

To confirm my audience expectations I did an initial survey in october on Survey Monkey, which allowed me to grasp the opinion of Black Swan, its reception by the teenage market and who was going to watch my film. My results showed that teenage girls would most enjoy my film so I set about making a gritty urban drama that was stylised enough to match the glossy finish of a ballerina.
After making the film based on my planning project and research into the audience I took another survey at a screening that proved my results were accurate, all girls in the category 15-18 enjoyed the film greatly and commented with excitement for the rest of it.

Question 3

My film is set in ana urban environment and covers stereotypes of teenagers and ballet dancers. The focus being the ballet dancer. The film is heavily stylised to make everything seem out of reality and from the inside of the protagonists mind.

Companies such as Film 4, BBC Films or Film London might be interested in this low budget but highly relevant story line that gives viewers an insight into the world and mind of a ballerina.
An example of this is Shifty, a film that was filmed on a Film Council budget in just 18 days by a man who wrote and directed it (Eran Creevy). The film was released in the UK in 2008 by BBC Films and because of its success and high praise in online reviews was re-released for the US market.

Similarly to Shifty, my film was made on a low budget using a basic equipment set up. Shifty of all films proves that money doesn't necessarily make a great film. Therefore If my film was to be received well at a film festival for instance such as the Berlin Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, London, Sundance or Toronto, it could be picked up by a producer who might go on to re-release it in the US market or perhaps worldwide.

Initially my film might be shown in art house cinemas such as Picturehouse or JK Cinemas, however depending on its success it could progress similarly to how films such as Slumdog Millionaire, the Social Network or Submarine did. Each on a relatively low budget comparatively to a Hollywood level, and each making an excellent taking in the box office.

The film is universal in it's subject matter, the topic is not uncommon and judging by similar film Black Swan, it wouldn't be hard for the film to spark the interest of millions for a psychologically thrilling feature film like mine. Because of it's worldwide capability companies such as Fox Searchlight or their larger brother company 20th Century Fox could distribute my film, primarily possibly via their contacts with several British Film companies, including the prestigious BFI council. This partnership could be an excellent gateway for films like mine, as it was in distributing films like Never Let Me Go and Little Miss Sunshine.

Although my film might start out in small arthouse cinemas, with a possible american company backing, a larger budget could be allowed and the film could be produced on a new scale, allowing the extending of storyline, characters and action, making the film far more thrilling and exciting to watch.

Question 1

Question 2

Rough Cuts

My first cut of the film is 40 seconds too long and captures the style but i don't like the ending or music use. I'm going to try and find some better methods of editing and music.

I\'ve managed to complete a rough cut 1 which stands at 2:30 I don't particularly like the ending or and it has continuity issues but I plan to resolve all of these in the next few edits. 30 seconds also needs to be shaved off the end of the film. I've re-filmed a small section outside the dance studio for clarity and quality of shots which I wasn't so happy with area filming. I plan to have finished the film by the end of this week.
  

For this cut It's very close to the finished item, I did a private viewing of the film for several piers and got feedback from them :


I'm starting to think about evaluation, getting friends and others to view the film at this stage and tell me their views on it, asking for as many criticisms as possible so that I get an understanding of what the film is to an outsiders perspective. After a few interviews I've found that the storyline is clear but continuity and speed is an issue.





After two weeks of editing the film is almost complete. I've shown several audience members and got a general idea of feedback. The camerawork creates good suspense but then music doesn't necessarily work with the climax in drama more contrasts. And although this is the desired effect it's not the best effect. I plan on experimenting with a few different soundtracks and compiling a select few then allowing others to decide which is the best. As the film has no dialogue the soundtrack is of vast importance and the second track that fades in from ambient sound is the one users have a problem with.
The film creates the desired effect of mystery and split mentality but the editing makes it uncomfortable to watch and not as thrilling as it could be, the moments of foresight can be demonic and intense, however they are currently too immediate and sudden, therefore illogical in the continuity of the piece.

Week 3 Construction

Finally finished filming! Have uploaded all the footage to Final Cut and started editing, already problems with inconsistent lighting and grainy footage have appeared, most likely due to filming everything at night. Fortunately I will be able to re-film some of this, and having learnt from the first filming experience which had time constrictions and adverse weather conditions, should be able to run the shoot more smoothly.

Have decided to cut a few scenes from my original plan, the opening sequence of young Name at dance school has been cut, as has the scene of her at school because once these two main scenes were uploaded it became clear, if i had any chance at creating the effect i wanted I couldn't fit all the footage into two minutes. A shame but it had to be done, so the opening will now only be two scenes, the ballet sequence of the girls in the dance studio and then the teenagers drinking at the stairs.

To do this week:

• Re-film shot outside dance school 
• Finish rough cut and close edit of first scene in dance school 

Week 2 Construction

Started filming! Poppy (the new lead in the film) came to the dance school on Monday evening along with the three other girls to do a 45minute session of shots in the studio only.
The filming went well, good natural lighting in the studio allowed me to get good shots and a strong sense of how it would look in editing. The footage has turned out well although could do with a few more exercises. But generally am pleased with the result from this evenings filming.

To do this week:

• film scene with teenagers in alleyway
• Decide which scenes are logistically going to be able to fit into the two minute time period

Hancock Productions

I used stop-motion animation as planned and used an iconic diamond to symbolise a 'rough cut' nature to the company. The rip is deliberately made to look handmade, and you see a hand briefly editing the paper as the second piece draws over. The idea behind this was that a daemon has been let loose on a piece of art, allowed to do what he will. So naturally he scribbles, rips and shreds everything he can and finally leaves his imprint 'Productions'. Although a slightly odd look into the creation of this ident, it's what I envisaged it looking like an unseen character (the hand) had had carnage on the screen.

Productions

H a n c o c k

Progression from Preliminary Task

Looking Back at Your Preliminary Task, What do you Feel You Have Learnt in the Progression from it to the Full Product?

After spending 4months studying media, learning to use Final Cut ProX and other software whilst studying previous projects and other types of similar media. I have learnt to be more efficient in my work, whilst improving my standard. I've had to do a lot of planning for my film opening and it's taken a vast amount of time but as I have endeavoured further into the process my work pace has quickened and I've been able to complete tasks more easily and quickly, for example creating idents, preliminary tasks and storyboard animatics. 

I have learnt to use a variety of forms of media, such as SlideShare and Adobe Flash. These skills are displayed in my storyboard animatic and ident. These skills will be useful in the editing of my film, enabling me insert new music into the ident matching the film for continuity purposes. 
After creating the preliminary tasks of 'The Package' and 'Mysterious Interview' I've learnt about how shots look from camera to screen and the difference between the view through the camera and how that translates onto the screen. Quality of film is also important, on a small camera screen the picture can often appear far clearer and focused than it does on a 20" Mac Screen, so I will attempt to 'overlight' several of the scenes and use fillers to get high definition. However for some of the more intense, hallucinatory scenes I'd like to have grainy quality to distort the image. 

Week 1 Construction

After hoping to film over Christmas, my lead actor Anya is sadly in hospital at the moment for an unconfirmed amount of time so she will be unable to be in the film. I'm currently looking for a new lead, and have a few ideas about who would fit the part, however they have to look similar to the younger Name and also have to be typically 'ballerina' with dance skill.

I think a friend of mine, Poppy Almond will be able to play the part, she is very small and trained in all types of dance. I'm confident she'll be able to perform the role successfully, she also looks suitably alike my niece Amelie.