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

I feel that I have learnt a lot since our preliminary task. I am more confident when using the computer software and the camera equipment. During our preliminary task I learnt the basics of using the video camera, but now I feel a lot more confident as I know what the features of the camera are. I also feel more confident when it comes to deciding what the best shots are and how far or close we should be from the subject we are filming. When filming our preliminary task, our main priority was to stick to he 180 degree rule and include both match on action and shot reverse shot shots. When filming our opening sequence we managed to stick to the 180 degree rule and included both shot reverse and match on action shots. This, in our opening sequence was a lot more professional than it had been in our preliminary task as we knew what our aim was and how we went about getting the perfect shot.

I also now am a lot more confident when it comes to editing and using the computer software. At first, I found it hard to remember how to add effects and other functions but now I know where everything is and if not, I know I can rely on one of my team members to show me. When we first used Garageband we didn't know how to change the tempo of the instruments, however, after a thorougher search, we found how to edit the instruments. This was the only problem we came across when using Garageband so we now feel extremely confident when using the application.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

YouTube was a very helpul website because we were able to watch film trailers and clips of films without having to buy the dvd. I also found it very useful that we were able to share videos from YouTube on our blogs.
I used Google and IMDb to help with my research into different genres and films. IMDb was very useful for finding out about what genres films belonged to and finding the synopsis and plot of some films.

After being introduced to this website, I have found it quite easy to navigate. Once I learnt how to publish, edit, delete and add pictures to my posts I grasped the concept of blogging quickly.

The music we composed for the last section of our film sequence was made in Garageband and we then had to import it to iTunes. The track was quite easy to make and we grasped the use of the technology quickly.

Whilst in the process of editing our film we used several different applications from the Apple Mac computers. Most of our film was cut and edited using iMovie HD. The software for this took a while to get used to, but once we knew where everything was and how to do things, we managed to edit our film with ease. The only problem we came across in the editing process was when we tried to add an effect to a clip, which we ended up not being able to do because the size of the clip was too big. But I feel as though my confidence has grown a lot since our preliminary task when it comes to using this application.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

The setting of our opening sequence is in a young girl, Katlyn's, bedroom. This shows the audience how normal the girl is and makes them think that this could happen to any of them. The photos on the girls wall show how ordinary her life is and how her life is revolved around her friends. This targets our audience of 16-25 year olds. Our target audience came from the feedback from our questionnaires which told us that people aged 16-25 are the most interested in horror films. Genre conventions shown in this still image are the white gown which shows Katlyn's innocence and purity and the way her hair is sprawled across her face shows that she is restless and possessed.

The feedback from our classmates was that our opening sequence was confusing, however, this was intended as most horror films start off by confusing their audience and then later on in the film, everything is explained. Other films that do this are 'The Shining', 'The Exorcist' and 'Night of the Living Dead'.

As the credits roll, Katlyn is shown walking to school in ordinary clothes. The upbeat tempo of the music we composed signifies that she has gone back to normal life and is no longer possessed. This music genre is popular with our audience and adds a happy feeling to our film after the tragic few opening scenes.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Horror films are very popular in the cinema and TV. There is even a whole channel dedicated to horror films, Sky Movies Horror, which shows films such as 'My Bloody Valentine', 'Jennifer's Body' and 'Paranormal Activity'. Main TV channels such as BBC One, ITV and Channel 4 occasionally show films, but they are normally shown late at night because horror films are not suitable for the young audience the channels have.

Independent cinemas such as Curzon in London show a wide range of different films, from 'The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest', 'Monsters' and 'Of Gods And Men'. We would aim to show our film in independent cinemas, however, mainstream cinemas would be our main priority because they produce more income and are more popular.

Vue and Odeon are the main cinemas we would aim to have our film shown in. Vue cinemas are not as well known as Odeon but they are still well respected and show the same films as Odeon. Odeon cinemas are the largest cinema chain in Europe and so we would aspire and dream to have '666' shown in their cinemas.

Our local Odeon cinema, in Guildford, is currently showing all the new films such as, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, The Tourist and Monsters. The genre of horror is very common in cinemas as it is an extremely popular genre because people like being scared and on the edge of their seat.

Horror film festivals are held all around the world, from New York to Aberystwyth. The New York City Horror Festival shows horror films that have been made by aspiring film directors. Awards are then presented such as best feature film, best special effects and best screenplay. Film4 Frightfest is an annual film festival held in London in August. Fans gather for five days of premieres, previews, personal appearances, signings and surprises.

Realistically, we would like our film to be shown in most Odeon and Vue cinemas, but to get there we would have to submit it to film festivals such as the New York Horror Festival and Film4's Frightfest in order for our film to be noticed. After '666' is released, we would look to have our film shown on Sky Movies Horror and occasionally on a mainstream TV channel such as BBC One or ITV.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Omar is a member of our target audience. Omar is 24 and is an enthusiastic cinema go-er. He shops at Topman, Jack Wills and Primark. He listens to hip hop and r'n' b music and enjoys going to concerts. Omar enjoys watching The Inbetweeners as he loves how funny and modern it is. Omar's favourite film is Paranormal Activity because he loves the way that the audience have to think about how things could be happening. This is what attracts him to our film, '666'. Our film would keep Omar on the edge of his seat as he loves suspense. He would also be interested in the music used in '666' because he is very enthusiastic when it comes to movie soundtracks.

In the opening 2 minutes of our film there is the use of blood which leads to connotations of murder and violence. For this reason, and the fact that our film has a terrifying element to it, I would give our film the certificate of 15.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The character of Katlyn is presented as an innocent young girl who is dramatically possessed by the devil at night. She wears a long white robe to portray her vulnerability and purity, this is a stark contrast to the black worn by the devil. A girl wearing a white robe also features in the film 'The Ring'. Also similar to our film, the girl has her long dark hair covering her face, this adds to the effect that she is possessed. The character of Samara in the film 'The Ring' is quite similar to our character Katlyn. They both look the same and have similar issues. However, Samara, unlike Katlyn is not possessed, she is already dead. Samara's role in the film is to haunt and torture people, which in a way is similar to our film because Katlyn tortures people, but not as a choice, she is forced to do it by the devil.

Another character from a film which is like our main character Katlyn, is the character of Leah in 'The Children'. This character is a young girl who turns on her parents and starts to torture them, along with her brother and cousins. The girl, although is not visibly similar to Katlyn, is similar in a way that they are both possessed by an evil spirit and this leads them to do evil things, such a harming other people and in some cases killing them. Leah looks like an ordinary young girl, however, throughout the film we discover she is in fact the one controlling the actions of the other children, so she in a way could be compared to our characters of Katlyn and the devil.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Frame 1: The title of the film- We chose the name '666' for our film because the number 6 is closely associated with the devil. This is a connotation of the film genre of horror. The film 'The Omen' has a similar title to our film because it is short and simple and also the word 'omen' represents something sinister that will happen in the future, it also signifies the devil. We would have prefered the size of our font to be bigger, in order to shock the viewer, but due to the technology we had to settle on a smaller size. We would have also prefered the font to have a dripping effect to depict the blood falling down. Another connotation of the horror genre is the colour red and we chose this colour to reflect blood. The black background helps the redness of the font to stand out.

Frame 2: Setting/location- Our film is set in the modern day. We used a mixture of interior and exterior shots. Most of our film is set outside to show how everyday and public our storyline could be. In order to show that the character of Katlyn was sleeping, we filmed her in a bedroom. The bedroom we used showed how ordinary the girl is, showing pictures of outings with her friends on the wall. This makes the audience think that this could happen to anyone. The exterior shots we used, such as the woods and the open field, show that the character of the devil is following Katlyn.

Frame 3: Costumes and props- We decided to dress the girl in a long white night gown as it is a good contrast to the black of the devil. The colour white also shows her innocence and purity. This is similar to the clothes worn by the girl in 'The Ring', she wears a simple white gown and has her hair over her face. This effect looks quite terrifying. We did not use many props in our opening sequence. The only prop we did use was fake blood. We used this in order to show what the girl does when she is possesed. Blood is a denotation btu the connotations are that she may have just killed someone or has just harmed herself.

Frame 4: Camerawork and editing- In our opening sequence we used a wide range of shots such as over the shoulder, high angle and extreme close ups. We also managed to stick to the 180 degree rule. The editing of our film is quite fast paced which is a common feature of horror films.

Frame 5: Title font and style- The way in which the credits of our film were presented were influenced by the film 'The House of the Devil'. A rock style song plays and as the names of those in the film appear, the frame stops. This emphasises the names and shows their importance. We used the colour white in order to show that the film has gone back to normality.

Frame 6: Story and how the opening sets it up- '666' is a film about how a young innocent girl begins to suffer from horrific and terrifying nightmares which are controlled by the devil. These dreams, which often see her murdering people, then actually come true. The devil is secretly controlling her every move. The opening sequence shows Katlyn washing blood off her hands and viewers find out that the blood she washes off is in fact the blood of someone she has killed. However, as our opening shows, these shocking events only happen at night and the end of our opening shows how in the day, Katlyn lives a normal life.

Frame 7: Genre and how the opening suggests it- The genre of our film is mainly horror, however it could also be linked to the thriller genre so it is in fact a hybrid. The horror conventions shown in our opening include the fast pace editing, the fake blood and the connotations of murder. The thriller aspect is portrayed by the character of the devil and the theme of possession.

Frame 8: How characters are introduced- The character of Katlyn is the first to be introduced. We first show her having a restless nights sleep and it then quickly changes to a shot of the girl possessed in the bathroom. This immediately shows the two different side of Katlyn, the ordinary normal girl and the possessed evil girl. The character of the devil is introduced in the fast pace exterior scenes, this evokes the idea that he is chasing Katlyn.


Frame 9: Special effects- In order to show that the girl was having a dream we used an effect called bloom. This highlights the point that she is having a dream because there are different effects between the dream and real life shots. We also used an effect in the chasing sequence to confuse the reader into thinking whether this is real or still part of the dream.