Evaluation Question 7

looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?

When I began this film – I didn’t have the full group with me so was left to my own devices initially.  So I had already been working on the idea when the rest of the group joined me. We all felt that the chase sequence was a good idea as it would be easy to demonstrate match on action because the sequence is the chase round different part of London so whenever we shot some of the chase footage it would be easy to edit into the opening sequence as the audience wil be familiar that this is a chase through London since Laurence begins the action of running at the beginning and continues through the opening until the end. We use the shot/reverse shot effectively at the very end where the cop confronts Laurence in the alley. As for the 180 degree rule – this was not so important during the chase as we move from location to location. We do cross the line briefly when Laurence emerges from the alley but because this is hand held action footage it doesn’t matter because there is only one person in shot.  Nowhere do we cross the line where it matters – such as the end shot/reverse shot. We used diegetic sound including sound from the camera itself with added urban soundscapes and dramtatic music to signify tension and mystery.

During the pre production I decided to use natural daylight as this is the best light source particularly when there is a small or non-existent budget. We also looked at Youtube chase sequences to give us some idea of what to do.  WE chose Locations around Chelsea where I live and which I know well - where I could be sure we would be undisturbed – as I stated before we dressed the cop in anonymous non descript clothes of a neutral grey colour  but dressed Laurence in the sort of clothes appropriate to a young man from his background. Other location characters were primed to walk along the pavement on call of ‘action’ to give a sense of verisimilitude although  because this was a public place during the day some of the ‘extras’ are in fact local people going ab out their daily business.  We also dicussed where we put in the shot/reverse shot, over the shoulder shot, moving shot and fixed shot.

A typical narrative sequence for a thriller following Todorov’s arc involves going from state of equilibrium to disequilibrium and back again. In our narrative sequence we wanted to show the disequilibrium from the start and went for a generic chase scene  that is not specific to its location. It just happens to be in this part of town. WE know something has happened and we know it must be solved. Therefore In our own narrative sequence we decided to leave the sequence open ended to suggest further twists and plot development in a generic way – which is to say the opening sequence reveals nothing specific – it just suggests the thriller genre.

We cast members of our own team from our school as we felt that this was appropriate. The character of Laurence could be one of our class mates and so it was no great leap of imagination to decided to ‘cast to type’! For the older policeman we asked a member of staff who looks the part to play this character. WE didn’t have the budget to cast professional actors and since these parts had no dialogue the only requirement was being able to run.

I made a very simple film. It was my decision right from the start.  We are not experienced writers or film makers and we felt that if we went for something too ‘clever’ we might end up  losing our way. Of course we wanted to give our story a twist but we felt that if we strayed too far from our own experience and abilities we could end up messing the project up. I think violent crime is a worry for young adults and teenagers and something we can imagine easily so in the end we kept it as simple as possible to make it believable. 

There are several digital effects sites where you can download royalty free and copyright free sound effects for a small fee. There are also apps such as garageband where you can create your own sound track that have preset chords which can be put together with other instruments to very easily create music. Also edit suits come with basic sound effects such as Adobe Pro CC. For the music I wanted something sad yet tense – and classical as this film is about a respected instituion – the police – and corruption within where a young man is used as a pawn in a corrupt ‘game’ of kidnap an so this is why I chose the track I did.

Editing, we edited this on a linear system Adobe ProCC, this is a very easy system to use with a linear timeline into which shots can be placed in any order with the audio track beneath it into where music or sound effects are placed to match the action. I found this aspect interesting and enjoyable – it is where all the hardwork comes together and you get to see your film take shape.

Working from a strict brief, generic blueprint, particular time frame. These things help make the film and gave me deadlines and boundaries in which to work.  You might think that these things might be limiting but in fact the reverse is true. A strict brief sets the creative limits for what you can and cannot do, the generic blueprint gives you the genre and road map to follow and the time frame means it must be completed within a set period. So really it’s a question of ticking these things off one by one as you work through the brief.

Once we had made our rough cut  we inserted  titles and credits. Our title was in red on a black background in the middle of our screen in big letters. Red signifies danger, violence and anger and the black background connotes the unknown. These are two themes in the film.  I used adobes title generator to make this.

Mixing diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Our opening sequence starts with diegetic sound – an urban soundscape during the day. We heightened what we had recorded in edit and we also added the soundtrack which is obviously non diegetic to heighten the drama of the scene. 

There wasn’t really a problem with the footage because we used daylight which we felt was the easiest way to ensure there were no lighting problems. Also it is a little obvious to have a kidnap scene at night. It is much more scary to be kidnapped during the day on a London street where everyone can see. As for the sound – that was easy to remedy in edit as I was able to play with the sound levels.

Evaluation Question 6

what have you learnt about technologies when constructing your product?

Blog, this helped me keep track of how the script was progressing from its original idea and allowed me to see how changes had been made and to refer to earlier thoughts. Also in the age of paperless communication it allowed everyone else to share in the progression and development of ideas.

You tube, Vimeo etc.  These internet video sites are really useful for accessing clips of well known movies so you can watch them for ideas and analyse them. It is also a good palce to look at sound effects and sound tracks to trailers and sequences. Without You tube or it would be almost impossible to research film ideas for the young independent film maker.  Netflix and Itunes films are also useful places where you can watch whole films for a small rental fee further broadening your inspiration base. 

IMDB, is useful for obtaining facts about films such as the director, the production company, dates and also for looking at demographic breakdowns for gender as to who watched the film, what rating they gave it and how they perceived it. This is a very useful insight into how a films release can be deconstructed. It also informs anyone interested in making a film in this genre who there intended audience are and therefore one can choose to write the narrative more consciously with this in mind.




Digital cameras and camcorders are cheap and easily accessible and with the rise of the flashcard it is incredibly easy to capture footage and go straight to edit. Using a DSLR gives you an opportunity to experiment with framing and using the focus option to achieve depth of field shot if you so wish. These light weight cameras are ideal for difficult shots that require getting into unusual spaces to get the framing you want. Because it is light weight you can get quick OS shots, shot/reverse shots quickly without having to move a huge camera around. Also you can capture as many takes as you like and delete those you don’t like on playback.  We used a Nikon D3200 with tripod for fixed shots and handheld for some of the chase. We could not have done this hand held chase with a big camera.

We used adobe premiere pro digital editing software. This uses a linear timeline sequence making it easy to construct the story arc we wish by dropping the footage into the relevant bits of the timeline so it doesn’t matter when we shot the footage if it works for a specific part of the narrative all we have to do is add it to that part of the timeline.  This can be then further trimmed or adjusted for contrast, exposure, and. Beneath the video timeline is the audio timeline where the sound attached to the video clips automatically appears.. We used a Zoom 1H to record sound and then added this in and synced it up with the recorded sound from the camera. This is where the audio effects are added such as urban soundscapes and music. This can be placed anywhere in the audio timeline as the narrative requires. Once the rough edit is finished, any transitions, special effects credits and titles can be added. 

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address you audience?

The most important thing in a film narrative is the opening – if you do not engage the audience with the first few minutes of a film you might lose them so an opening that poses a question or invites  further investigation is essential.

Using no dialogue but just following a young man on a chase through the streets of London instantly asks a question (why is the young man being chased?) and invites further investigation (I want to know what happens to him).

Our opening sequence was partly inspired by, as previously mentioned, Quantum of Solace. This gripping chase sequence instantly throws you into the plot whether you like it or not.  Clearly we did not have the budget or expertise to recreate this or even the necessary permissions to film a car chase of any kind but we watned to set the chase up as the opening. This also references the foot chase scene in the Bourne Ultimatum where Julia Stiles is running from the assassin and Jason Bourne is chasing after the assassin as the cops are on his heels except in our film Ed is accidentally watching rather than following.

We also have the age of the protagonists on our side. Ed is a young man as is Laurence and so our audience will be able to relate to them as contemporaries and identify with the injustices they suffer at the hands of corrupt authority something many young people understand. The film is scene through the eyes of an unseen witness which comes into focus at the end when we see the two characters in wideshot.

Other themes may instantly raise themselves in the mind of the audience as they watch the chase – is this film about obsessive stalking? Is it about knife crime – is it about the injustice of the police against teenagers and young adults? Or is it about someone literally getting away with murder? As the film narrative unfolds however we are presented with the unpleasant reality of police corruption and collusion. This is a very real modern concern.  As recently as April 14^th The Independent ran an article about police corruption “Evidence of police corruption relating to Britain’s most notorious unsolved murder mysteriously “disappeared” from Scotland Yard during the initial investigation, according to a leaked file.” (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exclusive-more-evidence-of-police-corruption-relating-to-britains-most-notorious-unsolved-murder-mysteriously-missing-9239662.html) and this is what our film addresses.

The Feedback of the film has generally been positive although there has been the suggestion that we might have made more use of close ups at the end. In terms of weaknesses – I think we felt that we would have liked to have a proper budget and time to really explore this chase sequence in greater depth.

We believe that our opening sequence fulfils its obligation to ask questions and that as the scene fades we want to know more about what is going on and so in terms of leaving an open question the film has engaged the audience well. Several respondents to the questionnaire were interste to know what happens next and had various interpretations of what would happen. Consequently we feel this opening has fulfilled its objectives.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

According to the cinema exhibitors association UK (http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/facts-and-figures/uk-cinema-audience-analysis/uk-cinema-audience-by-age-and-gender/)  the 15 – 24 age group is still the largest demographic going to see films. A glance at IMDB ratings for thriller films such as Shutter Island suggests that it is the 18 – 29 group who are most likely to watch this film so we can conclude that thrillers are watched mainly by people in the early to mid 20s. 

Film companies know this through their own market research and therefore target films at this demographic. Knowing this made us choose a young adult as our hero as he would fit into the demographic of filmgoers so that they could more readily associate with the film. They will be able to put themselves in his position and see the narrative through his eyes.

It would be more true to say that the IDMB market research breakdown reflects our choice of film narrative then the other way round. We did not deliberately set out to make a film to fit into the IMDB demographic breakdown. That would be too limiting in my opinion.

We wanted to attract as wide an audience as possible and so we have not aimed the film at a specifice race or class or gender – we have set out to make a film that asks questions  about what is acceptable within our legal system and to make us vigilant against corruption in institutions. These issues affect everyone regardless of status as is seen in the recent operation Yewtree against celebrity paedophiles. Corruption affects everyone.

This is all confirmed in out own market research where we asked a sample population to fill in a questionnaire. The responses showed a small but statistically relevant percentage increase in the number of males who would be interested in our film due to the action, mystery and potential violence. Our research also revealed that more females are scared by this genre although that is also a reason they like to view it. So thrillers are appealing to both genders for slightly different reasons.

Evaluation Question 3

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

Legal Deception addresses contemporary issues dealing with corruption in the legal system.  It is a gritty and raw edge film which would work well as an Independent Film or a TV film for BBC or Channel 4. 

To get interest from production companies we would use several different approaches:

• We would post a high quality edit on Youtube and mass email everyone with a link to get them to view it and hopefully post positive reviews.
• We would  also create a website www.legaldeception.com with links to our script outline and quotes from respected industry leaders giving us positive feedback on the film.  This will be linked to the Youtube page to expand potential audience. 
• We would arrange special screenings of the film at screening rooms in Soho such as the screening room in the Soho Hotel and create an event with questions and Answers around the film for an invited audience of industry professionals.
• Using the Website (www.snatchedfilm.com) and Youtube we would approach commissioning editors at Channel 4 and the BBC. With this material we would also approach, UK based production houses such as SOHO based Tiger Aspect productions 

Also submitting this to as many Film festivals and competitions as possible. Including Virgin Media Shorts, London Short Film Festival, The BFI film fund and researching UK and European film festivals, and American festivals such as Rain-dance 

The best way to create a buzz for this film would be to do something outrageous that would get into the newspapers or local or even National TV that might make a producer somewhere sit up and take notice. 

For example we could hire a couple of professional actors to play out the opening sequence for real and film it on hidden cameras but instead of confronting him in a dark alley literally try and drag him off the streets of London and into a passing car with the guy shouting and screaming for help that he was being kidnapped and see if anyone tries to intervene or calls the police – and the  reveal it is all part of a film and film people’s reactions and put that on youtube as well.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

From the outset of the film we have deliberately left the identities of the pursuer and the pursued open to interpretation.  The only real clue is the young man being pursued is dressed in a middle class way. He might look ‘street’ to the untrained eye but the brown canvas trousers – red shoes – haircut and jacket all point to him being more than just a street kid even though he might be trying to appear cool. He is still conspicuous. The older guy following him is dressed neutrally so he could be anyone.

We are playing here, in this opening sequence, with stereotypes about gender, age and class.  When we realise the young man being pursued is middle class our first thought might be we assume he has been up to no good although not necessarily in a violent way. As we see him being further chased we might start to ask ourselves if he is in fact in trouble.  In fact this sequence depicts Laurence about to be kidnapped. This is unexpected. The audience’s perception are altered. If we had cast Laurence as a young black man this would have subverted the stereotype even further.

In TV soaps and detective film or TV series such as Lewis or Frost -  when we see a young man being pursued by an older man it is invariably true that the younger man has committed the crime and the older man is the cop or victim chasing him. In our film it is a detective who is indeed pursuing Laurence but it is he who is doing the kidnapping hence our title Legal Deception.

In the case of our film I think it would be fair to say that we have created neither a positive nor negative representation of class as the film’s theme deals with the deception and corruption of members of the police. In our instance the victim is middle class – but that is neither a praiseworthy or blameworthy fact – they merely have more access to money for a ransom than a working class family and that is why they were chosen. In Legal Deception we are looking at the philosophical questions of what causes corruption and how someone can stray so far from their vocation rather than setting out to portray class distinctions.

Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Omar q1 eval as by kerim5

Conventions of a Thriller genre

One of the main aims of the thriller is to create suspense and excitement for the audience.
The narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved.
The setting of a thriller is usually urban or suburban.
The hero drives the narrative forward, overcomes obstacles.
The significant event in a thriller narrative (enigma) will be solved by the end of the film.
There will always be a logical rather than supernatural explanation of the puzzle.
The thriller usually centres on abuse in society but always solves these wrongs.
It often reveals the workings of particular institutions such as the police, the army or the government.
Violent crime is the key to a thriller.
The hero is often an interloper, remote, enigmatic but moral.
The hero and villain are on opposing sides, however share some characteristics.

Final Production