First Technical Task

Strengths and Weaknesses:

In my opinion the video's primary weakness is the acting skills. I feel myself and the other actors didn't take it as seriously as it should be and also couldn't help but laugh. The audio of the cameras is also poor as its hard to hear what we are saying as it picks up a lot of background noise. Another weakness is our editing, we should have cropped out the second take when the actor begins to laugh. 

Strengths of my video are the different camera angles used such as medium shot, close up and over the shoulder shot. Its effective as it  enables you to view the surrounding and see emotions within the characters. Our editing skills are fairly successful as there is no long pause between takes or skips in it.

Others Feedback:

Feedback we received from others is that our video is successful and effective, however we should have used a variety of different camera movements and maybe changed the filter to black and white. This would help categories it into a genre. We were also advised to use a better soundtrack which linked to the genre and sound effects. 

Using Adobe:

Having never used adobe I expected it to be quite challenging, which it was. Getting the material onto the editing software was easy and putting it into place, but adding in a soundtrack and effects was where it got more difficult. I'm looking forward to using the editing software more and understanding how to use it correctly and make a successful opening scene.

Iron Man

Iron Man opens with an establishing shot of what looks like a desert with cars driving through it. It doesn't give much to the imagination as there is nothing to really think from it. It positions the audience to feel as if something is about to occur.

There is then a long shot of army cars driving through with people on look out with guns. There is also a soundtrack of up-beat music which is stereotypically the main type of music in an action film. The use of the music engages the audience as it makes it more interesting.

The following camera movement shows they are travelling to a certain destination.

There is a medium shot which shows one of the men aiming at something. This shows his body language as if he is about to shoot something, however it also shows the advanced use of technology which they have. There is always expensive technology in action films so its conforming the conventions.

The clothing of the men is army uniform, this suggests they are in war and are about to go into no mans land. It infers that there will be a  violent scene which would involve death and blood. This is effective as it gives more information to the audience about the film and the story.

 The close up shot of alcohol (whisky) shows that getting drunk is a way to deal with the situation they are in. It also gives the audience a perspective of how they must be feeling in war.

The close up shot of Robert Downey Jr, shows him to be wearing sunglasses and a suit. It doesn't match what the soldiers are wearing which makes me think its not a war. Also the soldier wanting a picture with him suggests he is  famous and not just a soldier like the rest of them. It positions the audience to feel something is about to happen.

There is then a medium shot of an explosion. The sound effects are loud and frightening. The shot comes at a surprise to make the viewers jump.

There is then loud shouts and sounds of guns being shot (sound effects). This suggests they have just entered a booby trap and are getting attacked. Its effective as it makes the audience feel suspense and want to carry on watching. There are close up shots of all the characters in this scene as it shows their emotions as they are scared but also confused.

The opening scene ends with a birds eye view of Robert Downey Jr taking of his shirt as he feels something isn't quite right. Its effective as it informs the audience of the changes that is about to happen to him and how the rest of the story will be told.

Romance Audience

Romance defiantly target the female audience. Men only go when they have to!!

Women love to watch romantic story's which are relatable but also what they wish for. Males  find it boring and 'soppy'.

The attractive handsome shirtless man is what makes the women want to go and see the film. If they knew who was staring in the film and knew who it was it would make them want to go see it even more.

Light hearted films, not violent would attract the female attention.

Romance films seem to be a lot less serious than action for example. Men usually like action due to the fact its extreme and serious. Women would rather watch a relaxing calming film such as romance.

Females aged 13-25. This is due to the ages being in relationships are not that serious.  The feel as if they can relate to the films as they are in 'love'.

Romance Conventions

Attractive male, pretty women, love story what else? 

Romantic films are usually set in an iconic area such as New York, London, Paris, LA and other famous places.

The audience can always relate to a Romance, whether you're waiting for that text, or are so in love your life is the story line. 

The targeted audience is females, males only go if they have been dragged along by their girlfriends because they have to. They wouldn't choose a Romance out of choice. 

Romance films would usually include adult themes such as sexual activity, this would tend to make the film rating at least a 12A.

Usually a voice over of at the beginning setting the story, which makes the audience want to see how its told. 

'Boy meets Girl' scenario. 

Symbolises love with use of flowers, treats, hearts, children and weddings. 

Action Target Audience

Action films usually have a targeted audience of males aged 15-30, who have an interest in action and thrill. This is due to large explosions, fancy cars and exciting story lines.
Women wouldn't usually want to watch people getting shot by large guns, however men do as its a masculine activity.

The main characters in an action film are men, which would attract men to see the film as it emphasizes on their 'masculine' appearance. However, women may also go and see a action film as the main characters are usually quite attractive and handsome.

Some viewers enjoy the rush of action films so they go and see them. Stereo typically this links to the male audience.

The male population are the targeted audience also as it can be quite aggressive and violent which leads to blood and gruesome effects.

Action Films

Action films, what do you expect? Fast cars, evil villains,  hero, fights and massive explosions.
They feature characters falling off large buildings and jumping from roof to roof. You also see slow motions shots of cars in the air about to explode into a large building. That's the basic overview of an action adventure film.

The Massive expensive technology either stored at the HQ or their personal weaponry, always makes the audience gasp in the cinema room.

Theres that annoying weak women who always gets into trouble and shouts "Help!" as if a flying spider is about to come to her rescue, always happens.

Cat and mouse chase, the villain is captured the villain escapes, he then kills all the loved ones and the villain dies. Anyone disagree?

Sounds during actions are BANG, POW, explosions, upbeat and time straining. Usually the main character is running out of time, or attacking someone which would involve all of these sounds.

Destruction, huge destruction! Buildings crashing down, cars on fire and roads completely destroyed. Its effective as you realise how serious the events are in the story.

Scream Analysis:

Scream is a 1996 slasher film with a targeted audience of 18 and above.

It opens with a medium shot of the character on the phone, it seems to be the wrong number so she hangs up. However, the voice on the phone is deep and creepy positioning the audience to feel something isn't quite right.

When the phone calls again the medium shot shows the characters body language change and look bit more uneasy. This suggests she my feel bit frightened.

The long shot of the house panning downwards shows the house along with the swing swinging. This implies someone may have sat there and moved meaning the character isn't alone.

The medium shot of the character bending over the table picking up the knife links to the slasher story line. The body language doesn't give off any agitation, it shows her looking normal and not that anything is about to happen. Its effective as it makes the audience feel something may jump up at the screen.

The Diegetic sounds of the popcorn popping is getting faster and faster as the film plays. It suggest time is ticking and something scary is about to happen.

There is a following camera movement which follows the girl as she walks through her house, this is effective as it shows all aspects that the audience can see and you expect something shocking to happen.

The person on the phone says "i want to know who i'm looking at". There is a close up shot where you can see her emotions as she begins to get freaked out by him and want to get off the phone. It positions the audience to feel that its about to get scary and there is someone in the house. Theres also a drop in the soundtrack which gets a reaction from the viewers.

Casey is given the most prevalence in the opening as the producers want you to empathise with her character and feel scared for her.

What People Do Horror's attract?

Horror's are frightening, mind questioning and thrilling.

Horro's are usually age rated 15 or 18. This implies that the targeted audience for a horror film is young adults and older teenagers. Film views also depend on the gender, for example a female stereotypically wouldn't want to watch a gory horror with blood going everywhere, it would attract the male attention. However, most films are like this so i believe the audience mainly targeted for scary films are males.

Themes in horror's include Exorcism, Demons, Ghost, Murders, Mentally unstable characters, Gore and Slasher. This reflects the audience as it engages people who aren't easily spooked and captivate horror lovers. Females generally get scared more than men as they are characterised to be brave and strong. Although, films have a way of making all viewers jump out their skin!

When watching a horror you're interested in getting freaked out, this can attract both male and female attention. Everyone is different and enjoy different genres. But, being a girl myself I wouldn't choose to watch serial killers and blood on my screen.

What would you expect to see in a horror film?

Conventions in a Horror film:

Usually, in a horror film you would expect to see an annoying dumb teenager get her head ripped off, however horror films have many different story lines which are griping and captivating! Well, i like to think so anyway. 
I tend to look for the less obvious things like whats in the background or did you see that little boy standing there in the shadow? There are many ways of controlling the audience and leading them to a big frightening scene. 
They have the obvious conventions like the bad guy/bully getting what he deserves, the blonde teen falling over and the house party that turns into a nightmare.
The sounds represented in horror films are a creepy tune that grips you to the end of your chair and gives you that feeling that something is about to jump out at you. A main song which is played in horror films such as Insidious is 'Tip Toe' by Tiny Tim. This song i feel makes you feel something is standing staring at you making me feel like something is about to rip me apart.
We all know that film that has the main character stare in the mirror then a hideous scary face appears behind them? yup, that happens a lot. Also in horrors they wear clothing that would be easy to get hold of and drag them along the floor.
Always in a horror theres a freaky setting, whether its a dark street or a cabin in the woods. I feel the setting is a massive part, usually a haunted house which previously had people die is a good setting as it means supernatural characters. Although anything similar to The Grudge is not ok!
Locations for horrors are lakes, woods, asylums, attics, abandoned houses, deep water, blizzards and anywhere dark! These are used and are effective as its easy for something to happen like sharks and ghosts which may attack/kill the character. 
Camera angles used are usually close ups to show the emotions in the characters but also the creepy face of  supernatural curse. 
Medium shots are used to show a a large section of a scene to see if the audience can spot anything in the background like a little boy standing along by the coats and gives the viewers a wider perspective of the film and what may jump out. 
High and low angles are also used to show fear and fright.
Follow camera movements are used a lot as they usually follow the main subject to a scary scene. It makes the audience feel scared as you don't know where the character will take you. 

Our spoken presentation:

Our Divergent Presentation

You Again: Opening Scene

You again is a 2010 comedy romance with a story line of a girl trying to expose her brothers fiancé as she used to be the high school bully.

The film opens with a close up shot of the main character Marnie (Kristen Bell) recording her time capsule video. Marnie is presented with big round glasses, spots all over her face and braces. This is effective as its showing the audience the stereotypical type of person to get picked on and called names. The viewers also get a first glance of what Marne used to look like and how it will be remembered later in the film.

During her recording Marnie comes across as shy and quiet as she is unable to speak accurately and forgets her name. This could be due to her low self-esteem and the fact she gets picked on. While she is speaking in the background you hear people shouting "MOO" this is because her initials spell Moo. However this gives other high school students the position to use it to put her down. The students say it in a harsh malicious way which causes Marnie to feel upset and vulnerable. Its effective as it suggests to the audience that verbal bullying is the main type of bullying in this film. It also makes the viewers feel sorry for the character and have dislike to the other students.

About one minute ten seconds in, there is a following camera movement and a medium shot of all the other students carrying Marnie out of school. It shows her being unable to get down and feel unsafe. There is then a close up shot of Joanna the bully (Odette Annable) singing "We are the champions". This suggests that she feels superior that she got Marnie locked out and is looking down on her. This further makes the audience feel sorry for Marnie and feel hatred towards Joanna. It also makes me as a viewer want to carry on watching and see how Joanna acts and is presented later in the film.

There is a close up shot of Joanna using her body language to represent 'Loser". You are able to see the venom and evilness within her character as she puts Marnie down constantly. By Marnie just watching them, it shows she is to frightened to say anything and puts up with the non stop bullying. The use of Joannas outfit, a tight top and short skirt demonstrates that she believes she looks good and doesn't have anyone inferior to her. She thinks she's is and looks the part. This shows the audience the two completely different characters and personalities.

The opening finishes with a medium shot of Marnie sitting outside of school saying "I never had much luck" this as well as her body language of a slouched back and head in her hands demonstrates she's bored of all of the bullying and school itself. The shot shows her emotions and makes the audience feel sympathetic towards, we want to see what Joanna's got coming. I as a viewer feel the opening scene was effective in making me want to carry on watching, as i felt Joanna needed to get what was coming for her.

Walking On Sunshine: Opening Scene

                     Walking On Sunshine is A 2014 Romantic Comedy with a targeted audience of young adults.

The Movie opens with a close up shot of two people sitting on the beach with the waves crashing onto their legs. It immediately suggests a relationship and a loved up couple. The gentle music in the background is a smooth tune which also represents a romantic love story. 

One minute into the scene there is a medium shot of the two characters sitting extremely close to each other. This makes the audience realise that they are together and initially think the film will be based around their relationship. The representation of little clothing also informs the audience that is contains sexual scenes and references. 

The use of the extreme close up of Raf demonstrates the emotion within his character and shows the love and affection in his eyes. Its effective as the audience gets to see the romantic side of the film as soon  as it starts. The actor Giulio Berruti is an handsome and attractive man which targets the female audience hugely.

One and a half minutes in there is a close up shot of the two characters kissing. This is effective as it makes the audience engaged and want to carry on watching. The viewers want to see how their relationship ends up so will watch till the end. The 80's music is also a massive success as many adults who believe the 80's were the best years enjoy listening to the music. 

The medium shot of Hannah Arterton and Leona Lewis shows the two of them enjoying their holiday, however with a beautiful background set in Italy. Its effective as the stunning scenes and setting are captivating and advertise the beauty of Italy and its cultures. 

The long shot off the characters jumping represents happiness and friendship. It shows there isn't a theme of drama and makes the audience excited for whats to come. 

There is a Birds eye/establishing shot of Puglia Italy which shows the audience the stunning and magical setting which the film is based in. I feel it attracts me to the film as a viewer as its a pretty place and I feel it was the perfect area to film Walking on sunshine. 

What do I like about this film? I LOVE IT!! Its one of my all time favourite films. I love the music, story line, setting and the characters (Raf). Its a film which makes you want to watch till the end and re watch 100 times! 10/10 from me. 

The Lion King: Opening scene

The Lion King is a Disney children's film with a target audience of twelve and below. 

The film opens with a long shot of a sun rise which immediately grabs the attention of children by the use of bright interesting colours. There is also the song 'Circle Of Life' played at the beginning to help keep hold of the young children's attention and maybe get them to sing along. 

After twelve seconds animals start to get introduced. The first animal is represented through a close up which helps the targeted audience see what type of animal it is and the emotions within it. There is a medium shot which shows the meerkat's standing in a row, this could be used to show cuteness and also affection.

Thirty seconds in there is an establishing shot showing the waterfall and birds flying. This suggests there is a wide variety of species presented in the film and many different areas where there habitats are. It may also be a learning source for young children as they may start to learn about the different species and adaptations. 

There is an extreme long shot showing a herd of elephants moving. You are also able to see the sun rising over the mountains which is effective in keeping the targeted audience engaged and appreciating the film.

Throughout the film the camera movements are following the main subject(animals), this could be because they are all making there way to something or leading up to the main part in the opening scene. However I know that they are all making their way to celebrate the birth of the future ruler of the Pride Land. 

Once the giraffes are shown there is a following zoom camera moment which gives the illusion of the camera moving away as its trying to fit the animals in with the scene. The use of the women's voice in the background is effective as its implies that they are calm soft animal's which wouldn't harm anything. This would also make the young children interested in whats to come and its likely they would be enjoying the use of the music as well as the vibrant colours.

The extreme close up of the ants suggests that everything is involved and no species are the odd ones out. This would be accepted by the young children as they wouldn't get upset by it. 

The low angle close up off the elephants feet gives you a insight in just how big they are. Its effective as it comes into the camera looking as if its coming out the screen. 

The establishing follow movement of the bird (Zazu) is effective as its taking the audience into the scene and to the main part. It gives the audience a perspective of whats to come and the feelings off excitement as they are about to be thrown into the main part of the scene. The audience are also able to see the rest of the animals and makes you realize that's where they were  making their way to. 

The close up shot of the Lion(Mufasa) introduces the audience to the 'King of the Pride Land'. This makes the audience feel excited and engaged to the film. The use of the animated colours also make the targeted audience feel captivated to watch the rest of the film.

The opening scene finishes with a close up of Simba, this is intended to show who the future king is and to show the audience the main character. Its effective as it may come across as cute and interesting to the targeted audience. There is a following movement of Simba as its showing him at many different perspectives.