Film evaluation

1. In what ways does your film opening use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


2. How does your film opening represent particular social groups?


3. What kind of media institution might distribute your film opening and why?


4. Who would be the audience for your film opening?


5. How did you attract/address your audience?


6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this film opening?


7. Looking back at your prelim task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the final film opening?


Last year's moderator said this:


"Planning and Research was of a proficient to excellent standard throughout and the candidates’ artefacts supported this. It is clear that candidates have been supported and encouraged to research the forms and conventions of genre as well as the industrial conventions associated with the opening of a feature film. Planning shows progression from an initial idea to final construction. The number of blog entries, and the use of ICT, was most impressive. Marking was generally in line with the agreed standard.
The constructions used forms and conventions appropriately, particularly through the use of idents and titles. The best work showed a good understanding for shot composition and used a range of shot types for effect. Most candidates had obviously very carefully considered mise-en-scene and the range of different styles were refreshing to watch.


However the evaluations were overmarked because the format chosen (video interviews embedded on blogs) was not fully exploited. Their brevity, particularly considering some were the work of up to four candidates, hindered them from discussing their responses in detail, and too often comments were superficial and not supported with appropriate examples. Candidates should remember that this component is worth as much as the Planning and Research, and this time should be reflected in their final evaluation.


This Centre has been a pleasure to moderate."

Our final film

Finally, Elisha, Megan, Alyce and I have completed our film opening. After months of blood, sweat and tears, we have come to an end. We have changed our ending completely as we felt our previous endings did not suit the film. We have now added a scene where a packaging of drugs falls out of our characters pocket. We liked this idea as the situation contrasts with the jolly music and the pleasant bike rides. I am extremely pleased with our film opening, and I have enjoyed working as part of a team and completing it. Over the past few months whilst filming, I have learnt many new things such as how to decide whether a shot works or not, how important the mise-en-scene is and how it may reflect the character, that sound is vital as it creates an atmosphere and many more things. In terms of editing. I learnt how to split clips, how to slow down/speed up sound, how to import pictures and so forth. It has been beneficial as it has opened my eyes up into the media world and I have realised I would really like to pursue a career in media.

Disability within the media

Within the clip (7:14-12:00) I picked up on several things that shows signs of bi-polar:

1) Can't come to terms with illness
2) Spending ridiculous amounts of money, money that she doesn't have
3) Stacey says that she is 'normal', and is implying that her mother, who also too has bipolar, isn't 'normal'
4) At the end she repeats she is 'normal', by saying this she is indenial that she has bi-polar, and wants to make herself believe she doesn't
5) Excessive drinking
6) Up and down mood swings

I was reading the comments on the clip, and people with bi-polar said that Eastenders portrayed the disability perfect. As it is a sensitive subject to touch base on, they must have gone into a lot of research to enable them to portay Stacey in a non-offensive way.

Our title

After deep consideration, we have come to the decision that our final film title is going to be Heroin/Heroine. My group was in 2 minds as to whether the title should be a girls name or if it should be a play on words. We decided on this title as the drug in her pocket is heroin, and she could be seen as a heroic figure.

BBFC - certificate 12

As a group, we have come to the decision that our film will be a certificate 12 as it allows moderate swearing.

99.9% last day of filming

After long days of filming in all weather conditions, we are finally happy with our footage. Last week my group went filming and we thought we had finished, unfortunately when we uploaded onto the Mac, we realised the ending of our film opening was rather boring and we had some troubles with the sound. We filmed several endings to our film, Elisha said things such as "Why are you here?" and "Shit". Instead of any dialogue or another person within our film, we decided for Elisha to drop drugs whilst she is riding her bike, and she takes her headphones out. By taking her headphones out it helped us with the sound bridge. We are still working on the second production company 'Rock Pictures', we feel it isn't long enough therefore we may film again or experiment with iMovie. The deadline is in two weeks, so we are on track and we only need to finish that bit off.

Shawshank Redemption

Last night I watched the award winning film Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont. The films about a young banker who spends nearly 20 years in prison for murdering his wife and his lover, despite his claims of innocence. Throughout the film, we see him befriend 'Red', another prisoner, and we watch their friendship grow. The film shows amazing camera angles and editing skills. I particularly found the sound great, digetic and non digetic. The twists within the storyline were fantastic, as I was sitting in suspense not knowing what was going to happen. Overall, I found this film absoloutely incredible and I would definitely recommend it.

Our production companies

This is our first production company



This is mine and Alyces vlog about our second production company

TV drama study day at Richmix

Final footage

Today my group went filming, for what seems to be the last time as we feel we have a sufficient enough of footage. We filmed our end scene for our opening, it went extremley well (even though we were in the pouring rain). Elisha, the girl on the bike, skidds as she sees an androgynous figure. She pulls her headphones out and says 'Oh sh*t'. We don't see the persons face or body, we just see their black boots. After we finish editing, all we have to do is think of title names.