7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I feel that our style and approach has developed a lot from the preliminary exercise of the continuity editing. We learnt that keeping to continuity is much more difficult than it first seems to get right, and major flaws can be really easy to miss.

The preliminary task was slightly rushed, as we only came up with the idea about 10 minutes before we began to film, and therefore stressed to us the importance of careful and precise planning. We only shot certain sections of the scene maybe a maximum of one or two times, which presented itself as a problem when it came to the editing stage - shots did not always work out the way we had intended, or there was something or other that made them unusable giving us no choice but to get rid of some chunks of film that we had intended to use in our task. We learnt from this, so that hopefully the same problem would not arise when it came to our main task - we learned the importance of taking multiple shots of the same action, repeating it numerous times, so that if any of the shots were problematic, there would be another similar shot that we could use. This also gave us a choice of shots to use, as they did not always turn out exactly the same each time.

Additionally, rushing the process resulted in the finished preliminary task being appearing slightly choppy, and not as smooth as it probably could have been if we were to make it with more consideration or experience. When it came to the main exercise, we deliberated over the continuity much more, watching the sequence frame by frame using the arrow keys to slowly go through and ensure action was continuous as much as it possibly could have been.

Another problem we encountered when we were editing the continuity task is that the action began almost straight after we had pressed record, and we stopped recording straight after the action had finished. This gave us very limited options at the editing stage, often missing out some crucial segments of action where the camera had not started to record in time. This hindered the editing process of our preliminary exercise somewhat. However, when it came to the main task we knew to leave a gap between pressing record and the commencement of the action, as when it came to editing it together, we would then be able to chose the exact point from which we wanted the action to start, instead of the restrictions that were placed on us in the continuity task.

One requirement of the preliminary exercise was to include a match-on-action shot, which we used in the form of the characters holding hands. We felt like this particular shot worked fairly successfully, and so incorporated multiple shots of this kind into our final sequence in the form of the character getting up, opening a door and smoking to name a few. This helped to add to the overall smooth feel of the editing in our final piece, as well as making it more visually interesting.

In the continuity exercise, we learnt about the importance of the 180° rule, and how detrimental it could be to the overall effect if disrupted or broken. This was simple to achieve in our preliminary task, as the characters were sat with their backs against a wall, and so it would have been near impossible to traverse this line. We had more spacial freedom in the creation of our main sequence, and so we made sure to try and stick to this rule at all times. In theory, the rule sounds as though it should be fairly obvious, but the likelihood is that if we hadn't learnt about it in the early stages then we would probably have disregarded it when it came to the construction of our final film sequence.

Another thing we learnt from the first task was that the camera we were using were not the best when it came to picking up sound. In the continuity exercise, the camera was placed quite far away from the characters, and so little of the diegetic sound or dialogue was successfully picked up, to a comfortably audible level. Although our main sequence contained no dialogue, the inclusion of parallel diegetic sounds like the character going to the toilet or striking the match were important to us to use in our sequence. We learnt that positioning the camera slightly closer to the character instead of using zooms all the time would result in a more successful capture of these sounds.

Finally, in our continuity exercise, we focused more on getting as wide a range of angles as possible, so as to demonstrate our ability in film-making. For the main task, we had learnt which angles would work best, and concentrated more on the framing of the lone character, who was central to our piece.

6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

My practical knowledge of the technologies used in the creation of this coursework has improved great deal from how it stood at the beginning of the project.

Research

We utilised a range of technology when it came to the researching stage of our coursework. The main source of this was the internet, in the form of sites such as Google in order to try develop as good a background of the 80's as possible, in order to effectively represent this in our film.

Additionally, we used YouTube to research potential music tracks that we could integrate into our film in the form of non-diegetic music. This was a fairly successful medium to use, as it allowed us to refine our searches in order to find a song suitable for the period and the mood we wanted to convey. Additionally, we had intended to include clips of events from the 1980's, in a similar manner to 'This Is England' although unfortunately in the end we didn't have enough time. We also used YouTube to find suitable clips of this nature.

Obviously, we used Blogger to document and present the process of the the construction of our coursework. Having never used the website before, it gave me a chance to experiment with all different element of the site, including customising a layout and colour scheme, and uploading images and video clips. There were a few initial problems whilst I was still getting used to the site, but I quickly found my way around these.

I also utilised a scanner in the research process, in order to scan in images such as the storyboards and costumes to upload onto my blog as evidence. There was an initial blip in the fact that my own scanner at home hadn't been used in years and had seemed to stop working, but fortunately I was able to find an alternative, and eventually got the scans to put on my blog.

Filming

In the filming process, we used a Sony Handycam to record, which was a fairly straightforward piece of equipment. We quickly learned how to make use of the camera in order to achieve the particular effects we wanted in the film - for example, experimenting with the focus of the camera to create a gradual fade in at the beginning of the sequence.

Additionally, we made use of a tripod to hold shots steady and to minimise shaking and give an overall more professional appearance to the resulting shots. This also helped to promote the smooth feeling of realism that we were aiming for with our film, as it allowed the reader to concentrate more on the character without being distracted by a shaking shot, resulting in the shot being more visually pleasing. In the initial stages of filming, we tried experimenting with different ways to manipulate the tripod to achieve different effects. Although we didn't end up using any of the initial shots in our film, we experimented with using the lever on the tripod to pan the attached camera, both horizontally and vertically. We also experimented with angles, by adjusting the height of the legs on the tripod.

Whilst filming, we used a still camera to capture photographic evidence of the group whilst in the process of filming, as well as to scout for locations.This was necessary in order to give visual reference on our blogs, to clearly illustrate what we were writing about. The only problems encountered here were that sometimes the camera was forgotten and so we couldn't always provide efficient visual documentation for the 'behind the scenes' process of the filming.

Editing

Probably the most notable advance in my technological knowledge throughout this process has been throughout the editing stage of our coursework. Having very limited previous experience with Mac computer, this presented itself as a bit of a challenge, as everything was very different to what I had become accustomed to on a PC. However, we soon adjusted and began to use it to it's full potential.

One way in which this was achieved was through the use of the editing software iMovie. I had personally had no previous experience with programme before, and so my knowledge was very restricted. Fortunately though, one member of our group had prior knowledge of the programme and was therefore able to teach us how to use it effectively. We used this software to perform a whole range of functions whilst editing our film. Firstly, we uploaded the footage from the camera and then found how to cut it into the segments we required. We learnt how to add effects such as the Black and White effect and the Brightness and Contrast effect we added to our film in order to promote the period feel of our piece. We added a sound bridge when the character is using the toilet, as we felt that the action seemed to long on it's own. We cut it into 2 segments, and found out how to insert a still shot of previous footage we had recorded in order to make it more visually interesting. We then copied the sound from the first segment and adjusted the volume, so that it can be heard at a slightly quieter level in the next shot, promoting realism and continuity. Additionally, we learnt how to add titles overlapping our visuals, so that our names and the name of the film appeared towards the end.

We also used iTunes in order to get our chosen soundtrack onto our film. We first found and downloaded the song, imported it into iTunes and then applied this to the film using iMovie.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

We used a range of techniques to attract and address our desired audience in order to generate as much interest as possible in our film. Firstly, we used multiple conventions of media products of this type - for instance, typical stereotypes associated with this time period are represented in the narrative of the titles. This includes the elements of lower class, unemployment and smoking, all of which are frequently found throughout films similar to ours, like 'This Is England'. We decided to use these as we could see that the generic conventions had already proven popular for similar titles, and therefore would have a high probability of proving successful for our film as well.

Additionally, we tried to make the film as representative to the time period as possible, so that the elder section of our target audience would be able to relate to the film, as it would then hopefully be reminiscent of their real life experience of that time period. We made our character a relatively young man, so that the younger section of the target audience were not excluded, and could grow to relate to the character. He is the only character in our title sequence, and is central to all of the shots, and so by the end of the titles the audience has already become a little familiar with him, and are beginning to create a bond with that character.

We also addressed and catered for the requirements of our target audience via the results of a questionnaire, which we constructed and then put out to them hoping to regain their opinions on what they wanted our film to be. We then used this information and translated it into the final product, in order to make a film that the audience actually wanted to see.

We used non-diegetic music in the form of a song from Bob Marley, whose songs are exceptionally famous and renowned throughout the generations. This would hopefully inspire or encourage some fans of his music to watch the film. Additionally, it would hopefully create an air of nostalgia for the older audience, who may recall hearing it when it became famous for the first time, therefore helping to make the film more realistic. For the younger audience, it's contrapuntal sound in comparison to the visuals could be seen as motivating and exciting.

The importance of the mise-en-scene is stressed throughout the sequence, and we chose props, locations and costumes that strongly emphasise the 1980's vibe we were going for, in order to give the best representation of the time period as possible and make the film seem more true to life. Again, this will hopefully be evocative to the older audience members, attracting them into seeing the film. On the other hand, younger audience members may be drawn, as it is a time period completely different to what they are used to, as so they may be interested to see how life used to be, as it may be a completely new experience for them.

We edited the film to try and promote the aged feel with a black and white effect, which may be attracting to some audience members. It give the film a bit of an edge, making it unusual and that little bit different to many other films of its type. It also serves to make it the film overall more visually interesting, as black and white films are fairly uncommon in the modern day.

The Unique Selling Point of our film was, in short, to create something as different as we could from other people in our group. Hopefully, this makes our film stand out a bit more from its competitors, serving to offer the audience a wider range of choice.

4) Who would the audience be for your media product?

From our research, we concluded that it would be best to target our film at two separate age ranges, from teens of about 15 and over, to adults. This is because we hope to create a realist image which multiple groups of people can relate to - our main character is fairly young, and so that is encouraging to a younger age range, and the older age range would have had real life experience of the time period, and may therefore be interested in the film for nostalgic effect.

After gaining feedback from other members of our group, we decided to market the film at an age rating of 15. We decided on this rating as if the film were developed, it is likely to include mild swearing and possible suggestions of violence. Additionally, when we showed it to others, they tended to notice the implementations of drug use, and suggested that it may not be suitable to market the film at a lower age range because of the unsuitability of this.

This is a typical member of our target audience. She is a student, currently studying Politics and Art in University, and her taste tends to have a strong sense of individuality. She often eschews high street shops, preferring to purchase more unique items from places like charity shops or vintage clothing lines, and spends a lot of time customising her clothing to create unique garments with her own touch to them. She enjoys all sorts of music, and listens to a whole spectrum of genres. There is a high probability that she would enjoy our film, as it is something a little bit different to other products on offer, and it's vintage, aged feel is an element that she finds alluring.

This is another typical target audience member. He too enjoys finding his own style, combining random items from his wardrobe together in order to create a more individual and expressing look. He is a very musical person, frequenting festivals such as Glastonbury and V, and he can often be seen with an acoustic guitar. His favourite genres span from alternative rock to reggae and ska - anything a little bit chilled and outside from the mainstream. He is currently in college studying English Literature, History and Photography.

This couple are typical targets for the older end of the target audience. They enjoy engaging in activities of a cultural benefit. They often frequent their local arthouse cinema for an evenings excursion, as they enjoy watching films of a more stylised and cultural nature as opposed to pandering to the American industry giants. This film is intriguing to them, as it is reminiscent of their life in the 80's, and will hopefully evoke pleasant recollections for them.

3) What kind of media institution might distrubute your media product and why?

The distribution and marketing of a film is a crucial element of the film industry, and yet unfortunately it is the British industry's biggest weakness. As it stands, the amount of money within the British film industry is already limited and spread thin, tending to focus more on the production and exhibition of films, and less so on the advertising. This is because widespread distribution can be extremely expensive, and the British industry simply cannot focus enough money into it to rival the distribution of films from industries such as Hollywood.

When we take into consideration the fact that we are making a very arthouse and perhaps niche film, the addition of an ailing industry could be consequently detrimental to the success of our product. Our film is far from a Hollywood blockbuster - much towards the other end of the spectrum, and it is not created with a vast target audience or mass appeal in mind. Although we are aim to target this film at 2 separate audiences, the probability is that the overall nature and indie feel will limit the intended recipients somewhat.

There are many different ways in which a film could be distributed in way which would reach its intended target audience as effectively as possible. For example, you could use posters, billboards, television and radio advertisements and magazines etc. Seasonal marketing is also brought into play, as in the summer, more people are likely to be outside and therefore more money is concentrated on outside marketing, whereas in the winter more televisual adverts are used. Additionally, as the Internet phenomenon expands, it is increasingly utilised in the distribution of films - particularly for films with a younger target audience. Viral marketing such as pop-ups, banners and online games are used to spread the word in both a time and cost effective manner. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter are used to reach as much of the target audience as is possible. Internet marketing is likely to be the primary source of distribution for our film, as it is much cheaper and in some ways more effective than more expensive marketing.

The distribution companies for our film would be likely to be UK based companies, specialising in more arthouse films. On company we could approach is Metrodome Distribution, as they specialise in more low budget, independent films. Previous films they have distributed include 'Shifty' and 'Fifty Dead Men Walking'. They have a reputation for releasing films which are known to "challenge our audiences and provoke the critics", meaning they could be a suitable option for a film like ours.

Another company we could approach would be Optimum Releasing, who were one of the distributors for 'This Is England', which is one of the main influences on our film. It also distributes many low budget British films, although it is perhaps best known for foreign language and anime releases.

Depending on the development of the storyline in our film, we could also use Icon Film Distributions UK, which specialises in "slightly off-centre indie pics", and has been the distributor for films, such as 'Nowhere Boy' and 'Starter For Ten'. It is a subsidiary of the American company Icon Productions, and so could potentially be beneficial to our film in the way that the American industry would have more money to offer to distribution.

If our film were developed into a real, full media product, it is likely that almost if not the entirety of the cast will be unknown, or emerging to the scene. The director and crew are also likely to be unknown or unestablished, or taking inspiration from 'This Is England', could be directer by the likes of Shane Meadows, or similar 'indie' directors. Our production budget would be likely to be very limited - possibly £1 million maximum, if that at all. As it is a very British film, is is likely that the majority if not all of the funding would come from UK sources - and the fact that funding is hard to come by, coupled with the low budget would probably result in using multiple funds from numerous production companies. One company that we may be able to approach would be the UKFC, as they specialise in funding the production of emerging and unestablished talent in the film industry. We could possibly make use of the Development Fund or the New Cinema Fund, which are aimed at films working outside of the mainstream.

We may also be able to approach the UKFC for the Prints and Advertising Fund, as the indie nature of our film and the low budget would probably result in a limited number of prints being made. 35mm prints are quite expensive, and so it would probably be more cost effective for us distribute our prints digitally, as a cheaper alternative - similar to low budget films such as 28 Days Later. Our film is likely to be shown in more arthouse and independent venues, such as the Bristol Watershed.