Location shots

When filming the shots for our blog, we decided to film at the city of manchester stadium. At first we encountered a few problems when we were shooting, as a security guard came out which was a potential problem. But thankfully, we were allowed to carry on filming outside of the building.
Our locations were good as the main film location is very well known, people regionally will especially notice this and it should be well known nationally.
This gives our film a great advantage as its a british film and relates to british issues/culture. The audience would be very familiar with the location and could relate to the film better than if it was in an unknown place.
The locations we choice also added nicely to the contrast of the two characters, we used a bottom car park near the tennis centre at sportcity.
The locations being as close as they were allowed for efficient filming and helped our plot out as we showed that the two characters were in the same area, so crossing paths is likely.

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

Genre
The genre of our film is a sport drama. The film is based on two main characters who knew each other as aspiring young footballers but grew apart as their life paths slowly differed. Josh (one of the main characters) is brought up in a rough area who only dreams of becoming the player Callum is and so feels he is an underachiever, whereas Callum (the other main character) goes on to become a promising youth player at Manchester City with the lifestyle every seventeen year old wishes for. Such differences in lifestyle between the two characters could lead to Josh's resentment of Callum. A film fairly similar to ours based on the genre is Trading Places. This film is very similar, especially the opening scenes as it is also about two people who live opposite lifestyles.

Location
The location of our film is at the City of Manchester Stadium. This suits our film well as this is the home of Callum's football but the devil of Josh's dreams. If the location was at a rough football park, it would not flow with the theme of the film as this would be more suited to Josh's lifestyle. We wanted to emphasise on the possibilities of Callum's future. 'Goal!' is a film which also focuses on an aspiring footballers dream and sees him playing for Newcastle United after climbing through the ranks at the envy of friends and team mates. Therefore this film is very similar to ours in that sense as he grew up with friends that had the same dream as he did. The only difference being only one person from each film became successful.



The Opening Shots
The opening shots to our film clip our consisted of the use of old VCR footage of Josh and Callum playing their beloved sport, football, from when they were much younger. This is used to establish the genre of the film. A movie which is very similar in this aspect is Happy Gilmore. In this Sport/Comedy, the opening scenes are of Happy (the main character) playing hockey as a youngster. Although in this film his future eventually ventures into golf, the old video footage still represents the dream of taking a sport further.
Below is a viewers take on the opening scene of happy gilmore. If you listen to what he says his comments are that of what we would want our film to show. He comments on the good music, authentic vcr footage that shows the backstory of happy's life.
We tried to replicate this in our film, we have authentic vcr footage of callum and josh. We also made our own soundtrack through garage band.



Title of Film
The title of our film is Blue Moon and so part of our title is in blue. This is relevant because Manchester City's kit and stadium is blue and have strongly been related to the colour throughout there history therefore it is only right that we express this in our title. Another film which also uses this feature is the movie 'Red'. The film has no relation to ours other than this feature as 'Red' is about a man who takes revenge on the killers of his innocent dog. Even so, the red colour of the title is relevant as 'Red' was also the name of his murdered dog. Both film titles then relate to the plot of the story and so are relevantly applied.

How does our Media product represent certain social groups?

Our media product emphasises largely on character representations, but the one that is the focal point is wealth and poverty. This is seen in the expensive, designer clothes of the pro-footballer, and the ragged clothes of the evidently less wealthy character that we do not learn much about. This shows a divide in social classes, it shows a division between the classes of middle/upper and the lower working classes. This division is shown by the characters in our film as they are wearing clothes that distinguish a look of clear wealth and clear poverty. In mise en scene social groups are represnted by props used, the main or pivotal props are the footballs and the car. The two footballs are the same model, same colour, but of different conditions. The ball that josh is seen with has clearly been used often and is tattered, this can also represent his position in society. His position in society is clearly mis-shapen in some way. Whereas callum's character is obviously one of higher importance in the social heirachy. This is shown by the good conditon that his football is in.

Another prop, which has turned out to be the most important is the car as it really emphasises a persons disposable income. Ultimately, disposable income shows how high a person usually is on a social class heirachy. The car was shown to be pivotal as originally we used a car seen as not fit for a footballer or the social class callum's character portrayed so callum was portrayed as someone of similar social stereotype to josh. In order to change the sterotypical view shown by the car we needed to either get rid of the car (making it less pivotal) or change it to something suitable for a 17 year old middle/upper class pro- footballer. The clothing worn by the young working class teenage boy plays a great part in showing a view of this particular stereotype. We generalise the majority of working class teenagers to wear somewhat scruffy clothing and short not particularly well cut hair. This is shown in our film by josh's character wearing a tracksuit, scruffy trainers and having very short hair. Whereas we percieve the upper classes to wear smarter clothes and having a more styled type of haircut (not short). This is shown by callum's character wearing a smart coat, smart shoes and trousers.
The lighting in the film shows another key contrast between the characters lives.
There is a key elemet of high key lighting which emphasises callum's position in the higher social groups.
There is an element of low key lighting/ poor lighting which emphasises josh's lower ranking of social class and shows his poor background.
The poor weather which is shown during josh's scene emphasises josh's continual struggle through society and his struggle to reach callum's higher social position.
The main plot represents social classes, it tells a story of two friends who were once at the same social class and from the same social backgroung but then totally branched off into a higher class for callum and a lower class for josh.
It represents groups in society by subverting the stereoptypical view on male teenagers. The view on male teenagers is that of: laziness, aggressive, "yobbish" and not career minded. In blue moon we subvert this stereotype by showing callum as a highly successful footballer which shows strong work ethic and commitment.
We also see josh struggle to do what callum does. When josh appears om screen we automatically think "typical chavy teenager". Yet his voiceover shows his aspiration and desire to make something of himself. This makes him the opposite of the stereotype as he shows willingness and a strong work ethic.
But he is just bound at this point due to povery and lack of guidance.

What kind of Media institution would distribute our media product and why?

A media institution is an organisation which is involved in the distribution and often the creation of media areas such as advertising and entertainment with examples including organisations such as ESPN and Microsoft. The type of media institution that would distribute our clip would be film institutions such as Touchstone Pictures and Dreamworks. With the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group being the parent company to Touchstone Pictures, our film would have a strong financial backing and so would have large distribution to give it the best chance of success. Touchstone Pictures and Dreamworks are relevant organisations because Touchstone have previously been involved in a film very similar to ours called 'Goal!' and with Dreamworks having signed a distribution deal with Walt Disney Motion Pictures, the two companies fit well.
Goal!


As our film is aimed at a younger audience, these film organisations would continue that outlook as Dreamworks have distributed many films aimed at a younger, teenage audience, films such as Road Trip and Old School. Without the use of such successful organisations, our film clip used two film companies. Both firms are lower budget companies both of which still produce quality films.
Our first film company is 67' Productions. This is a production company based in the UK and are re-knowned for producing sport films. The '67' comes from the year the company was established and did so in this year as it was the year after England won the world cup thus stating their enthusiasm for sport and so have continued this by expressing it in their often 'sport themed' productions.

The second film organisation used is a distribution company. The company is called Enigma Studios and specialises in films aimed at younger audiences which goes well with our production.

Audience for media product

The target audience for our Media product would probably be aimed at a fairly wide audience. As it points out in an earlier question, Dreamworks and Touchstone would be likely distributors for our film, so the film is likely to appeal to the typical "nuclear family". It is impossible to predict what content in the film might upset any particular child so we decided that the classification for this film should be a ‘U’. The film is suitable for audiences aged four years and over, as the opening sequence is set in a neutral tone, without any violence, bad language, threat or horror. The genre of the film is a sport drama, so this would be likely to result in identifying with more of a male audience. Although the opening sequence does not establish that the film is all about football, it focuses on a relationship between two characters, so the film could engage both genders. A film which would of had the same questions to ask as we do is Bend it like Beckham. This movie was all about girls football, focusing on the relationship between two promising young footballers who live very different lifestyles. As women's football isn't as popular as men's football, the film could have flopped as men may have not enjoyed the film even though the target audience was aimed at families. Luckily the film was a success and as our film clip is in a very similar situation in relation to the target audience, we hope ours is enjoyed by everyone too.
Its quite a teen drama so teenagers are likely to relate to the story line as a lot of teenagers have probably grown up with friends that have changed in some way or just by no fault of their own have drifted apart.
The main age range for the product would be all ages, however i think 16-24 year olds would identify with the film the most. They would also have more opportunities to go and watch it. Due to the film not being a timeless classic or mainstream plot the audience could be quite limited and therefore may attract people of a higher education background. It should therefore also attract niche film lovers.
The Audience would also come from a working class background i think as it is football related and this is quite a working class hobby.
The film leaves it open to all classes as football is very universal in most social groups, cultures and age ranges.
The middle classes i feel would enjoy the film as it touches on both classes in the film, its not only working classes that can relate to football either.
I feel the person its aimed at is a young male with interests in sport and maybe from a lower class background.
However it is quite good in the sense that most people would be able to relate and we can target a large audience.

How did we attract the attention of our audience?

In our opening sequence we tried to define the genre by employing a number of techniques. Firstly, we had to instantly show that the film was a drama, narrating the lives of two young boys, and the different paths they had taken in life. To accomplish this we decided to use real, authentic VCR footage of both boys playing football. We then coupled the footage with non-diegetic guitar picking, followed by an addition of spanish drums to show the adrenaline and excitement that the players are experiencing. This would hopefully attract the part of the audience that is male, as they can probably identify with the feeling of playing football as a young child. To define the genre even further, we also used a number of slow panning shots, combined with zooming in and out to give emphasis on a subject. This can be sen when one of the shots starts with a dramatic zoomed in picture of the manchester city logo, followed by a slow pan down to the pro footballer. This helps the audience piece together the information and sets the tone for the rest of the film. In our film, the characters are purposefuly set at the age of the target audience. This would allow people of a similar age to relate to the characters in the film. The selection of mise en scene was also crucial in attracting the target audience, as the setting had to be as convincing as possible to go with the plot of the film. So we decided that in order to grab the attention of our audience we had to film somewhere that resonated football. So, unsurprisingly, we filmed at Manchester city stadium.Hopefully, by doing this we will have succeeded in getting the attention of the male audience.



Advertising Techniques

To attract an audience we would need to catch their attention in some way or other to increase their knowledge of it. To attract attention we came up with an advertising poster which illustrates the idea of togetherness and the idea that its a film.

Features
The poster uses the same features of the film, features such as the title used. The 'Blue Moon' title uses the same colours and fonts to represent the film accurately. Although the style of the text is different, the title still has the same effect.

A second feature used on the poster is a motto. The motto which is located in the top right of the poster is taken from Manchester City's most famous song as is the title; Blue Moon. We thought this represented the plot of our film accurately.

A third feature used is the picture of Josh and Callum. This is an essential feature and main focus of the poster. Although the numbers aren't the same as they are on the video, the kits are, and so are the two boys as it is actually them therefore the picture is instantly associated with the film.

What have we learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the process of constructing our clip, we have learnt how detailed and complex pieces of technology contribute into producing very respectable work. By using a trial and error system, I feel that as a group, we are much more understanding and grateful of the fantastic technology in which surrounds us. Through constant use of software such as Final Cut Pro, we have got the most out of our ability and creativeness and applied it into our project which will hopefully show through in our blog and clip. We have also gained knowledge on how thorough much of the software is in relation to it's aspects which help constructing, editing and viewing.


Within such complex technology as is in a Mac, there are helpful shortcuts and tools which increase the ease of use, shortcuts such as the keys for 'undo' and tools such as the 'razor' in Final Cut Pro make constructing a video appear effortless. These features may seem minor and trivial at the time of use, but after long periods of using such software, you begin to realise just how frequent they're used without taking much notice of it. Without these invaluable features, programmes such as Final Cut Pro would become much harder when it doesn't need to be.



However, there are many downsides to technology too. At first glance, technology seems an eighth wonder of the world. It appears to work perfectly offering the ultimate in convenience, when in actual fact, it is merely a mirage. Once you're constantly using technology and slowly find yourself demanding more and more from it, it buckles under the pressure as we found out today whilst finishing our clip. We were just about to capture our narration when..boom, the screen froze. The mouse became unresponsive and the computer had to be switched off completely. Events like these happen frequently from over using the Mac/computer and having too much running on it at any given time. This then can result in resenting technology all together and make you turn a blind eye on all the positives technology has brought.

In conclusion, I believe technology is a positive thing. We have learnt how convenient it is and how much easier it makes life in general rahther than just when making a project.

Yes, we really have learned all of this in the space of 12 weeks.

Preliminary task to the main product - what have we learnt?

Our group had a fairly naive approach to the preliminary task. We were lacking in basic knowledge of shots and struggled with the task of making all of the shots flow together. During the editing process we also found that we had neglected the 180 degree rule at first, so we had to rely on our editing skills to mirror the shot to give the illusion that Ryan was walking in the right direction. Even so, we eventually grasped the 180 degree rule after shooting some unrecorded shots.

In comparison with the main task, we feel that we have vastly improved the mise en scene and props included in our work by going into much more detail of character representation. This can be seen by the contrasting locations that the two characters are shown in our actual film clip, which represents their status in the film. The characters also differentiate in the clothes that they are wearing, as Callum is dressed in a footballers attire, whereas Josh is not.

Our group also learnt the importance of high and low key lighting in the production process, as all of our filming took place outdoors, which is much different to being in a well- lit building.

There was also difficulty in filming around the weather. Regular weather checks had to be made by continually observing accurate and up-to date forecasting. Even so, we still had to work fast on some of the days, as a sudden, unpredicted burst of rain could affect the whole days filming.

We also realized that we needed to step up the quality of our dialogue as it was a key part in our main task as opposed to our preliminary task film. The dialogue, along with the narration, would help to describe what was happening in the film, as opposed to our preliminary task film.

The storyline for our main task was much deeper and in-depth than our preliminary, so we worked hard at translating the written script into actual creative images, as we knew that doing this was key to picturing our shots before shooting began. This was much harder, as we had to try and represent the characters emotions and position in society through the four technical codes. So, in that respect, we have definitely learnt about character representations on screen.

Overall, we have improved vastly in all stated areas in comparison to the preliminary task which has led to a far better film with a much more consistent structure.

Re-shoot of final opening

Whilst watching the recently filmed final opening the group saw and percieved something to be a massive error. This error was involved with the mise-en-scene.
The error was that we made a particular part of mise-en-scene pivotal to our plot, we made a car quite pivotal indeed.
For callum's scene we used an idea of a car to fit in with his pro-footballer status, however we chose the total wrong car as it didnt look like it was a footballers car at all.
It also didnt look like a car a normal seventeen year old male would choose.
After finding this error critical on thursday we decided to re shoot and we are quite happy with what was shot.
Now is time for some last minute editing as soon as possible.

Looking For Eric Comparison

Looking for eric is another british drama that is similar to our film Blue moon. The plot consists of the desparation of Eric Bishop, who invents a figment of his imagination known as French footballer Eric Cantona. This shows a contrast between two characters, as one is desparate for answers, and the other holds the answers to all of his questions. This character contrast and overall football theme, ties in with the main plot running through Blue moon.

Fish Tank Comparison

The film, "Fish tank" was a good example of the way we wanted our film to be presented and have the same theme of street culture and suburban life. It is a british drama and is set in the worlking class suburbs of London.

Film Opening Comparison Clip

This clip we found called Salsa Lessons realates to ours with salasa music, freeze fames and cut rates which all adds to the build up on the realtionship of both boys.

Callum's Costume

Callum's charecter is a reserve team footballer for a major premiership club (manchester city).
His costume consists of: long grey coat, black trousers, grey and white striped shirt and brown
shoes.

Mise-en-scene: Props

The key props. for the film opening are the two footballs. The footballs add to the contrast between callum and josh.
One looks brand new and hardly used, the other looks rundown and completely worn out.
This shows josh's underlining efforts to play still.
The footballs are the exact same model.

Josh's Costume

Josh's character is a young failed footballer who is still holding on to past glory. His character costume consists of a scruffy tracksuit and holy trainers.

Music For Film Opening

We wanted a slow acoustic guitar picking sound for our non digetic music, we felt it flowed with the scenes and added a sense of youth to our production, ultimately allowing it to address the younger audience even more.
We also thought samba style music went very well with the football scene, so we think using bongos and marracas in our music would be good and allow it to flow.

Step Brothers Clip Idea

We had an idea at the end of our opening to introduce the films title, we thought of various ways of making it come into screen.
We finally decided that the title will drop down in between callum and josh to show contrast on screen. Also to show there is some significance between the two characters, as they have met before.

Weather For Filming.

Before we did our final filming on sunday the 18th of april, we had to check for any weather conditions that could prevent filming in some way.
We needed optimum conditions of clear skies, little wind and no rain.
The conditions that we found on the day were quite clear skies, no rain and little rain.
So it was almost optimum conditions. However we dont have the official forecast available.

Film Clip: Shot List

1: VCR video evidence of (a young) Callum leading to a freeze frame
2: VCR video evidence of (a young) Josh leading to a freeze frame
3: An establishing shot of Callum (at present age) walking out of Manchester City Football Club
4: An establishing two shot of Josh (at present age) and friend Ryan walking towards City's ground
5: Panning shot of Callum walking out of Manchester City's Stadium and towards his car
6: Panning shot of Josh and Ryan walking with a wrecked football towards City's Stadium
7: Low angle shot of Callum walking towards the boot of his car
8: Callum's POV shot walking towards his car boot (this will cut to and from the previous clip)
9: Shot from behind Ryan and Josh still walkind towards City's Stadium
10: Over the shoulder shot of Ryan's shoulder facing Josh discussing josh's past and their route home
11: Long shot of Callum controlling the new football with skill
12: Long shot of Josh controlling the wrecked football with little skill after Ryan passes it to him
13: Close up of Callum's posh/upmarket shoe on the ball
14: Close up of Josh's dirty and cheap shoe on the ball
15: Long shot of Callum facing right with his foot on the ball
16: Long shot of Josh facing left with his foot on the ball (this allows the two of them to face each other on a split screen
17: Split screen of Josh and Callum with their foot on seperate balls

Finishing the filming

Once again, we gave up our spare time today to perfect some shots that we were previously unsatisfied with. Progress was made and we hope the shots that we caught work as we imagine when we start editing. All being well, we will have 2 weeks (4 lessons) to complete the editing and finish the storyboard before the deadline.

16th April Update

Today we gave up our spare time to assess our film and what needed adding to it. As a group we also discussed previous mistakes. To give us a clearer view on our next and final days shooting, we created a new shot list. This will be posted to the blog very soon.

13th April Update

No progress was made on filiming or editing throughout the easter holidays as both Ryan and Josh had gone on holiday and so as a group we couldn't make any decisions. The first tuesday back we went out to sport city to finish filming. We did complete the filming but found that when we came to edit the shots, they didn't quite work together and so some re-evaluation was needed to make the film work for the following tuesday.

*New Plot Final Decision!*

After a discussion with the teacher, our group decided to change the plot yet again. This time we decided to change the plot entirely as callum had found a home video of josh and him playing football as young children. This idea then branched out into following the paths of their lives as they had completely contrasted. Callum being the superstar who got a contract with manchester city, and josh being the failed footballer who is still holding on to past glory. This involved us travelling to manchester city stadium to do the majority of our filming.

Preliminary task video & evaluation

What did we learn about the cameras and editing software during the preliminary task?

In regards to the editing software, we quickly realised that it was important to overshoot some shots rather than undershoot. This came from the basic theory that the more varied shots you take, the more editing you can do. Also, overshooting makes it easier to edit the shots accurately. We also found that timing the characters movement with the cameras needed to be done a specific way. To get this right, we began recording, and around 3-4 seconds we gave the order for Ryan to begin acting out the scene. This made it much easier to cut in the editing process. We also had to take lighting into account as the camera was very temperamental in terms of quality of image. This showed in the scenes where Simone is in a shadowed area, and the image appears "fuzzy". The camera was always placed in relation to the rule of thirds to get the best angle composition.

In the filming and editing project, what worked well and what could have been improved?

Whilst filming, an area that worked well was the positioning of the camera. We specifically positioned the camera in areas that would ensure we didn't cross the 180 degree rule therefore making it easier for the audience to understand what was going on and how the character arrived at the locations. An area of filming that needed improving was the timing of shots of when to record and when to stop recording. This was because it was essential to capture a few seconds before the shot actually took place as it allowed for easier and more accurate editing. As a group, we had a tendency to record too late and as a result made our rough edit not flow as effectively as imagined. In relation to editing, an area that worked well here was the speed at which we edited. We quickly grasped the basics of the editing tools and so in doing this, we had time to discover more advanced features of the software thus helping us gather valuable techniques prior to the real task. One part of editing that could have been improved was the transition of the shots. The effects that were used were ineffective and aesthetically unpleasing as the effects were missplaced. Possibly more time editing may have improved our use of effects through trial and error.

How did we make sure we didnt break the 180 degree rule.

We made sure we didn't break the 180 degree rule by placing the cameras in areas that would always be on the same line so that we did not cross the line. We kept to the left of Ryan throughout the shots through the corridor to make it more easily understandable as to where he was going. Crossing the line would make it appear as Ryan started walking in the other direction therefore confusing the viewer. Some common sense and a constant reminder by each group member was needed to ensure we didn't break the 180 degree rule.