I am afraid i can only link instead of embed, but here is my evaluation!
Unfortunately i missed out a few parts of questions as the audio wouldn't link up with the final video so here is a transcript:
In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I had quite a few influences when it came to a shooting style of my film. I took inspiration from Darren Aronofsky and his up close and personal approach to filming which makes the audience feel instantly connected to the story. In ‘Black Swan’ (2011), ‘Requiem For A Dream’ (2000) and ‘Pi’ (1998) Aronofsky barely uses a static camera, it’s always the case of seeing it from the characters points of view. Another one of my influences was Catherine Hardwicke and the film ‘Thirteen’ (2003) and ‘Lords Of Dogtown’ (2005) and how in these films its about reading between the lines and focusing on characters facial expressions. Finally the great Spike Jonze’s ‘I’m Here’ helped me concentrate on the importance of narrative and ideology.
I wanted to use CCTV-like shots in the scene with Olly. This is because the theory of my film is based on a social realism view of grief, this means showing the feeling of grief in a very sincere, frank way which you don’t see in the majority of Hollywood films. I wanted to depict a broken man and the people that see this on a day-to-day basis would be likely to be CCTV films and their operators. I have learned from personal experience that many people when grieving don’t tend to exhibit their feelings freely to their peers, colleagues and loved ones. Therefore I wanted to show what people were doing when grieving when they are alone.
I used the piece of music ‘Spanish Sahara’ by Foals because it felt really powerful and so relevant to my subject. I liked the lyrics when I first heard it and the song itself sparked some of the ideas for particular shots - for example the end scene when the ‘other woman’ is in bed. I liked the idea of the ghost – Emma reaching out to grab something unachievable and how she was desperately seeking some peace throughout the film so she can move out of the limbo she has found herself in. I chose the song because it’s just as haunting and beautiful as Emma. I wanted something that would stay with the audience long after they’d finished watching. I had also seen it on some television dramas and i felt moved by it when it was accompanying a montage in Misfits (2009) and wanted to create a similar ambiance in my film.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
From audience research I have had some really positive messages concerning editing and effects. People have said that the subject, music and tense shots combined make it very powerful, moreover the argument between Emma and Olly in the car is effective for showing how close the couple have been and its something the majority of my target audience can relate to. However as constructive criticism, some have said that the story can be a bit unclear; some were unsure when Emma was alive and when Emma was dead. Moreover the jump cuts I used provided tension and from audience research they have made people slightly anxious as to what said character is trying to achieve or the message that is conveyed.
How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
I think using Final Cut Pro really gave me a breakthrough with my film and made me able to execute certain things in editing that I wouldn’t of been able to do if I was to use iMovie HD. For example the use of transitions like Additive Dissolve between the crash and extreme close up of Emma's face. Also the effects I used like Prism, Stop-Motion Blur and Blink. Also the rendering system that made my audio and video more symbiotic and crisp.
I also used social networking and blogging sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Tumblr to put my film out to receive almost instant feedback. This was really helpful when it came to writing my review because i had had feedback to base how i would review it (even though in the end i took the complete opposite direction!)
When it came to creating my poster and film review i used Fireworks - a software i had been quite familiar with in the past. I like the professional effect if gave to my poster and film review web page, and how good my poster looks on my film review pages also!
I had used a few different medias on my blog as well like excerpts from full films i found on youtube and slide share for my narrative powerpoint.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
After I had completed my film I wanted to continue the production of my ancillary texts within the same context which i'd created my film in. I looked at everything as if it was going on the actual film world. I first did my review, i wanted to look at it from a critical perspective - hence the one star reception! I did this because indie short films like mine are not released commercially, and are mostly open to interpretation with their narrative, ideology and shot types etc. So i felt if a film like mine was given to an 'EMPIRE' film critic to review it would be 'ripped to shreds' if you will. The next thing i did was my poster, i wanted it to be somewhat explanatory to my narrative as in audience research i had some feedback about having an unclear storyline. I went with the tagline 'one lover. one friend.' because i still wanted it to be open to interpretation whom was the other woman and whom was the girlfriend in my film, but i wanted to secure the idea that it is a story about a lover scorned and the black lash of all that. I thought the concept of the other woman hugging emma from the back of her was effective as it looks as if she is about to take over her - replace her, which is exactly what i wanted to communicate emma feeling in my film.
