4.0 Evaluation

Throughout the duration of compeleting all aspects of the coursework, including the various activities like scripting, scheduling, blogging, filming and editing, i understand that there were strong, good points and parts however also areas of improvement. I will be using a variety of resources like my target audience questionnaire to help back up some of the areas i felt were weak personal as well as including their own opinions of weak and strong areas of the final production.
Firstly, here is a video of the final production:

I feel the medie product that i presented has many strengths and weaknesses, however i feel that between the two films i previously looked at, which were V for Vendetta and Kill Bill Vol. 2, i dont necessarily feel that the similarities are as strong as i first planned, however there are some. These are the fact that both examples i used, and my final production, they all contained either authority figure and, or focused around a crime. V for Vendetta was based around a masked man named V and his attempts on changing the corrupt government in power at the time. Kill Bill Vol. 2 was based on a women out to get revenge on the person who tried to kill her previously and finally my production which focuses around a boy named James and how he tries to cope after committing a crime. Another area is the lighting used in both my examples and my own, in which we used a mixture of natural lighting during the day (which can be seen at the beginning of the sequence, right through to 2:02, but more heavily during the large window scene at 00:20 - 00:28 and the close shot on James at 1:33 - 1:52) and also used large artificial, white filter lights which are in consistant use throughout the police interrogation scene (at 2:06 - 2:18), which similarly coincides with V for Vendetta's use of artificial lighting, especially in the opening scene of when we see Guy Fawkes in the beginining of the film running and being caught. The lighting here is very yellow and un natural. however adding to the fact that it was set back in time, and also in the scene when V and Evie meet, which is very dark however giving enough light for the actors to easily be seen. Referring to Kill Bill the opening of the film was set in black and white and seemed like natural lighting, creating a calm atmosphere throuhgout the actors dialogue and less dramatic. Although my group and i thought that the dramatic atmosphere created by the lights in the interrogation scene was appropriate, the response from our target audience illustrated they disagreed and felt it was too unrealistic, especially compared with the natural realistic atmosphere the recieved from the other scenes.

When considering representation of social groups, the overall product represented the average teenage boy, living in an urban area, from a working class family and aimed to represent what i considered average within an urban areas. From the results of the questionnaire although the majority were happy with how the group considered average, 6 out of 10 saying they could relate to James and remaining 4 saying they didnt like the representaion including crime or the fact that James may have comitted a criminal act. Overall, i do feel the group achieved what our original plans were when it comes to representation as the majority of our target audience could relate to James and understood where he was coming from.

I feel that personally, it is likely that an independent cinema would distribute my media product in comparison to a multiplex cinema, which is more incorporated with Hollywood and films with big budgets, and also an art house cinema as i dont think it is a particular art filled film. Although i feel my media is good and am proud it, i still feel it represent a low budget film, that is not likely to make a big impact due to it lack of famous actors and big production companies, and money overall, meaning advertisement would also be limited meaning people are less likely to even know the production exists. In the beginning the plan was to create a film that woul fit in an art house cinema, however now with the product competed, my overall view has changed as it doesnt fit in an arthouse. Similarly, the target audience for this product agree, 10 out of 10 people saying it would be a low budget film.

The target audience that my fims is aimed at is young, from the ages of 16 - 21, who are possibly working class themselves or come from a working class family, who are possible able to relate to James and the possible situation he is in whether it may be first hand,, or jsut knowing someone similar. When considering the gender of the audience, i dont feel it is particularly important however only that the like criminal, dramas, however feel like girls may be more intersted due to the drama aspect and may not be action filled enough for boys.Three ways in which my sequence addresses my audience is the fact that

1. James, the main character is from a working class family.
2. 2. James is young.
3. 3. Lives in an urban area.

I feel that these three things address my target audience because i feel they should be able to relate to all three. My target audience, overall responded well to this, although there were a few that didnt respond well on the stereotype that people from this area dont get into crime, however in this case they were the minority and overall seemed to have liked the production even they didnt feel they could relate to James personally. I also feel that this was still the correct target audience for the production in my opinion because i feel the people that are the most likely to understand the production and James, are people who can relate to him and that is people who know where comes from and whats like to live live in a similar environment, the fact the majority of the target audience did agree also suggests to me they are the correct audience.

Through the production aspect of things, the ways in which i addressed and attracted the target audience was to portray the character in a light the could understand, which what is considered average in the fact that James is not rich, nor poor but working class, he is not old, nor young but a teenager and growing up in an area i planned on questioning the target audience, meaning they know whats it like living in a urban city area like London. Additionally the music could help address the audience, through the fact that it is urban and in my opinion compliments the surrounding in which the production is shot e.g in an average school, in class. Audience feedback supports all the ways they were addressed throughout the production, with at least 1 person noting that either the age, social class, environment and, or music made them feel addressed to by the production. Making reference to the areas that the audience didnt seem to like heavily focused on the police interrogation scene (at 2:06 - 2:18) in which the didnt feel it worked well with the other scenes which focus on James' every day life. Therefore if i was to make any improvements i would keep the police interrogation scene however, change the lighting and include more mise en scene in order to make it look more realistic overall, as well as helping to contrast and match the other scenes in the production.

From the technologies i have used throughout the entire production of my final media product, i feel i have learned a variety of new things, not just about filming, but also about the preparational activies needed to be completed before the actual filming and editing process begins. Looking into more detail into aspects i was not aware of before completing this coursework. One of these was call sheets and schedules to ensure the organisation is kept throughout the filming process, and any problems can easily be resolved e.g. if one member if the group is absent, another member can step up and take charge, knowing exactly what to do so little time is not lost or wasted etc. Also i feel slightly more confident with editing aspect of things due to the fact that the editing was huge part in the final product, especially through areas like sound and adding music and having to deal with realistic problems like copyright etc. Blogging was also a learning experience as i had never previously blogged before this. It taught me how to add a variety of pictures and videos to illustrate point i was making and to show my technological skills. Overall, i feel i have become more confident in dealing with most aspects of media technologies i used.

Looking and considering the preliminary task i completed earlier on in the course, i feel i have learned how important it is to piece all sections and parts of the production together and making it smooth overall. I also felt the premliminary task help me to feel that although there are rules the defy certain camera angles, there is still no limit to the number of angles you can use in order to portray a number of point of views. Also that realism is important even if the production includes a high number of special effects.