Evaluation part 8 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Overall I think that the title sequence me and my group have made has been success. The way that we have used more than one type of media to create this title sequence was good and shows that we can use not just DSLR but more different type of equipment/programs. I feel that our title sequence is different to all the other zombie title sequence and feel like that no one has done what we have done before. We put a lot of effort into our title sequence and there were some setbacks where we had to keep making changes to make the quality of the sequence better but in the end it was worth it. The only stuff we had to re-shoot was the Facebook part on the computer because it was to blurry but we found hypercam which made the quality if the video better and you could read what was on Facebook. We also had to add an extra video on the end to show someone getting bit by a zombie so that you actually knew that the title sequence was about zombies because people was complaining that there wasn't enough representations of zombies. If we could improve the title sequence then we could have more time on the project and add more photos/ videos or connotations of zombies. I am happy with what we have got in the end through trial and error we made a decent title sequence if only we had a bit more time. I have learnt that working in a group can be difficult sometimes but you will always pull through and all put in the effort to finish the project just like we did it. It can also be hard at the begging to all decide on an idea but once you chose and idea you all share each other’s and create one together.

Evaluation part 7 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

We have used different sorts of media to create our title sequence. We started to use DSLR for taking photos of the protagonists messing around and just hanging out. We was going to use it for most of the title sequence but we decided it would be better to use a phone/ smart phone because that's what most teenagers have now days. We decided to shot some videos on that because it was more appropriate and plus teenagers wouldn't afford expensive cameras. As well as that the audience could refer the protagonists back to themselves. We was filming on a DSLR to capture the Facebook bits but we found it a bit of a problem because it was to shaky and too dark. We then found a better way to film the Facebook and that was to film on the macs with a program called hypercam which all we had to do was set up the recording and record it so it was nice and fluent. We tried it a few times to get it right because sometimes it when a bit blurry and fuzzy. As well as that it shows that the protagonists are in that social media world. Lastly to get the key pad sounds and effects we had to use a sound recorder to record use typing on the computer and put that on to the title sequence. Throughout this process I have learnt that you don't have to always shoot on a DSLR there are more easier options that you can use for different stuff e.g. using different software to film on so that the quality is crisp clear and not jittery.

Evaluation part 6 - how did u attract/address your audience?

I think that we have reached our target audience. Our target audience was aged 18-25. During our planning as a group we decided to add things in on our audience profiling that the audience would like. We added certain things for example games, films, clothing and social media such as Facebook. We used Facebook because this is one sort of media you use nearly everyday and anyone uses it. Facebook is mostly used by teenagers to speak to their mates and post up photos and of things that they have done e.g. parties and days out. From our audience feed back which personally I thought it was very good and decent, there was a few down sides to the title sequence as people said there wasn’t enough connotations of zombies or action scenes with zombies which we stayed away from so they didn’t know if it was a zombie film or not. Even tho we did put some connotations in the title sequence we obviously didn't put enough so people was getting confused a lot. We didn't want a lot of connotations other wise it gives the film away to much because we wanted it to be different from every other zombie film/ title sequence. The way we put the title last and because its called a Zombie movie it portrays the title sequence but also sets up and enigma because the audience don't know what the film is about throughout the sequence and makes them want to watch more to find out more about the movie. Right at the end of the title sequence the name of the film comes up so that's when the audience know for sure that its a zombie movie. The audience quite liked the way that we used Facebook to present the title sequence and that the whole sequence was Facebook based. The only confusing bit of feed back was the way that a lot of people quite liked the soundtrack but then others didn’t and thought it would be better if we had a less pop song and it was more to do with zombies or was a rock song. We wanted our title sequence to be original and not to show lots of zombies or action with zombies like zombie land or dawn of the dead.

Evaluation part 5 - how does your media product represent a particular social group?

Our media product represents particular social group, which is the typical teenage boy. We have used Facebook and Facebook profiles for the protagonists to show that they are typical teenage boys that our hooked into the world of social media. We have put pictures of the protagonists messing around and at parties with girls to show that they like to just have a laugh and go out with girls and drink like any other normal teenager would do. Some are the pictures of the protagonists are embarrassing but are what you call 'mug shots'. That is what most teenagers do is to catch their mates off guard and take embarrassing photos of them for a laugh. This makes the audience laugh at the protagonists a bit. On the profiles we have included what sort of music they would like, what sort of films they would watch and what sort of stuff they are genuinely are interested in. The things that they would like are different for each protagonist but do have things that they all enjoy so that they will have things that they are in common with. The clothing the protagonists wear is what everyday teenage boys would wear for example jeans, hoddie, nice shirt and trainers. They wear fashionable cloths; expensive and top make clothes to parties. Throughout then title sequence the editing is fast paced this could connote that the life styles of the three protagonists are quick and live a very fast life style e.g. partying all the time. The protagonists cloths are bright as well and not that dark. The sound track suits the social group because it is pop and most teenagers are into pop and music with a good beat to it.

Evaluation part 4 - In what ways does your media product use, develope or challange form of conventions of real media products?

We looked into dawn of the dead as a group and started to look at the conventions for it. We saw that it used a lot of low key lighting to create a mood throughout the film. There was a lot of connotations of weapons and blood to emphases what’s going to happen later on. The writing was written in blood and was all red which connotes danger/death and could connote blood shed later on. Through the sequence there were connotations of zombies so we knew that the film was a zombie film. We looked at some more zombie title sequence and some of them used natural lighting which i found gave it a better effect.

After looking at quite a few title sequences we got the hang of what to include in our title sequence. Our title sequence uses a lot of natural lighting due to the fact that its an urban area. Our title sequence is very modern due to the fact that we have used  social media to create our title sequence with. We have used Facebook which is a huge social media website. In some bits of the title sequence we have used hand held camera e.g. a phone because technologies now days have changed and more teenagers have all these smart phone and are easy to take photos and film on instead of buying something expensive like a DSLR. We did start to shot on a DSLR but we found a much easier way to film the Facebook bits and that was to use quick time pro which filmed the Facebook parts on the mac so all we had to do was load up Facebook and that instead of trying to hold a camera and try and film where its all shaky. The sound track that we have used fits in with the idea of social media and the protagonists but isn't what you would normally find on a zombie title sequence. Throughout the title sequence there is iconography of zombie games and films and zombies them selves. It shows what the protagonists like and what they are into and also gives a bit away about the film.

I think our title sequenced challenged the conventions of zombie films/horror because the way we have set our title sequence if different to what the others are like. Our title sequence doesn't give a lot away about zombies but shows who the main protagonists are and what their lifestyles are like. Whereas most zombie films in the title sequence they are straight into action with zombies killing so straight away you can tell that the film is to do with zombies. As well as that we have put the title at the end of the films instead of right at the begging like other films. The way the title is at the end and the way u have to pay attention to see the connotations of zombies makes the audience confused and creates the sense that they want to carry on watching the film to find out what is about and the title give it away right at the end.

Conventions

-Low key lighting 

-Faint images

-Foreshadowing of death/bloodshed

-Isolation

-Scenery - rural/urban

-Foreshadowing

-Psychopath/killer - glimpse of character

-Sets Equilibrium

-Knife (other weapon types) -Medical imagery - experiments

-Dark clothing 

-Handheld footage - intensifies the particular area for the audience

-General slow paced editing - longer duration of time for the audience to observe specific characteristics

-Orchestral music or heavy rock

- Dissonant sounds

-Words scraped - engraved into materials

-Connotations of weapons

-Connotations of blood   

-Hand held - shaky  -Close ups - close ups of weapons, characters -Tracking shot

-Point of view shot

-High and low angles 

-Birds eye view

-Worm eye

-Pan movement 

-Establishing shot

Evaluation part 3 - What kind of instituion might distribute your media product and why?

Media as evaluation part 3 from Hotrod97

Evaluation part 2 - Who would be your target audience for your product

We decided that our target audience would be 18- 25 year olds. We decided this age because these our the people that would watch zombie films more and have more money to waste on products. Its only because they are mostly students and they would be more into films and have enough time to watch them. We chose 18 to 25 because of our feed back from the questionnaires that we gave out. We also chose the age rating 18 because most horror films are aged 18 and above.

Feed back

For our feed back people said that the age of the protagonist should be from 15 to 30 this is from the lowest people said to the highest. The answers we got was 19+, 17-24, 20-30, 18-26 and 15+. We looked at these and decided that it would be suitable for the protagonists to be the same age as the audience. So our age rating is 18 to 25 so our protagonists our with in that age bracket.

We made moods boards based on what our audience would be interested in and what they would be like. We done a male and a female version.