Targets/Feedback from teacher:

My teacher suggested that I implemented the following changes to my blog coursework, to help portray the meaning of 'Flight':

• Target Audience
• Writer about whether film conforms or breaks the stereotype, and why?
• Sound which Leanne produced, where is this sound located within the film, why?
• Types of films at Gulbenkian (what types of narrative are they? Foreign, English - genre).
• Key shots from film for poster. (Choose by 5th of March)

Sound

Despite the fact that Leanne was in charge of creating the sound for the short film, I worked closely with her to ensure that the sound produced matched the visual feel that I hoped to achieve as cinematographer. Sound plays an important part of portraying meaning to the audience, meaning that it was vital that the sound chosen reflected the overall theme of 'Flight' effectively. If the wrong sound was chosen, then the film would not be as professional as possible. As there is no dialogue within our film, the ambient sound and music used has to represent the progression of the narrative.

Dance Sequence

The first piece of sound that we produced was the sound for the dance sequence. The dance sequence is a very important aspect of the narrative for 'Flight', as it shows Sophie's struggles as a young dancer. The sound used had to reflect this effectively. As a group, we decided that classical sound should be used for the entirety of the sequence. Using classical sound reflects the classical ballet dance sequence that we were trying to portray. This will then contrast with the urbanised drug culture theme which is portrayed later within the film. Leanne then used the program on the Apple iMac GarageBand to create the potential choice of music for our film. She used two different sound files - 'emotional piano' and 'orchestra strings 2' to create an overall sound file. The sound created lasted for the desired amount of time the footage lasted for. Also, as Leanne created the sound herself, the sound is copyright free.

We then placed the sound that Leanne created over the footage of the dance sequence. Upon reviewing the sound with the footage playing, it seemed that the sound did not match the visuals effectively. It was clear that the sound was far too repetitive. Although the image of the dance sequence itself was repetitive due to Sophie's struggles, we all felt that it was too repetitive and would just bore audiences. The music was also not dramatic enough, meaning that it did not represent Sophie's overall struggle at wanting to become a dancer. Because of these reasons, we decided to find other music to use within our production. Hannah then found a piece of music on Youtube called 'Mozart - Requiem'. (As shown below). This was not as repetitive as the sound that Leanne produced, and had the desired dramatic feel towards the end of the sequence. The segment of the sound that we are going to use will be the 00:20 to 01:00. This is because this segment of the music matches the visuals most effectively. We played the sound alongside the visuals once they had been filmed, to ensure that they worked effectively together. Once we were sure that this worked, we went ahead and added the following sound to our production. We then decided that this sound should re-appear later within the film to ensure that the two sections of the production link effectively.

Ambient Sound

When we re-watched the dance sequence, although the music we added was effective, we noticed that there was a significant lack of ambient sound within the scene. This was evident upon looking at the door shut, and the lack of foot-steps walking across the hard wooden floor. We re-filmed some sound that we could then place within the scene, as it would make the film more realistic and would lower the risk of alienating viewers. We ensured that the sound matched the visual effectively. 

Nature Scene

As a group, we spoke about which type of sound to use. As we watched the footage play, we decided that the music added show be low, reflecting the tone of Sophie's mood as she reflects on the possibility of turning to drugs to help her career. We then found a 'Bach Classical Dubstep' video on Youtube, which we implemented into the scene. This complimented the themes within out film, as the beginning of the music had elements of the classical dance music which was shown earlier within our film. However, as the song progressed elements of the genre of music 'dubstep' began to get introduced. The dubstep music had elements of a more urbanised atmosphere, which effectively contrasted the images shown on screen. This made for an effective couple of conflicting themes being portrayed to the audience - showing the dual lifestyle that Sophie could choose to lead and her conflicting ideas about her identity. We ensured that when we added this sound to out film that it was relatively quiet, so that the ambient sound of the nature scene could still be heard. The music chosen for this particular scene is shown below:

Flashback Sequence

The final piece of sound left to be added to 'Flight' was the sound for the flashback sequence. The flashback sequence shows the linkage of the reflection scenes, and hints that Sophie will turn to a life of narcotics in the future. As a group, we decided not to use music for this scene, but instead find a slightly surreal sound effect to portray Sophie's confusion at which path she should take. I found a whispering sound file, which I then uploaded as a Youtube video. Then, Leanne experimented with layering the whispering sound. This looked effective, particularly with the harsh colour of the flashback sequence, so we decided to keep the multiple layers. The sound then faded out, linking the following scene (which featured silence) effectively. The whispering sound file (without being layered) can be seen below:

Silence

We used the use of silence frequently throughout the short film 'Flight'. This is because it was shown to be a popular convention of the social realist genre, as it makes the audience feel slightly uncomfortable and allows them to gain an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the character shown. Silence was primarily used when Sophie was the focus of the shot, as it shows the viewer her confusion as to whether she should purchase/take the drugs or not. However, when we showed the silent scenes to our tutors they said that it felt out of place. Because of this, we deleted the ambient sound in the final scene of the sequence to make the two scenes link effectively. 

'Sight And Sound' magazine target audience

I have explored the possibility of placing my magazine review page within a wide range of magazines. These included 'Total Film' and 'Empire'. However, from looking at the type of films they features, it was clear that they tended to focus more towards Hollywood blockbusters. 'Sight And Sound', however, steered more towards a wide range of audiences, focusing on films across all genres. Due to the fact that my film appeals to a niche audience due to the genre of social realism, 'Sight And Sound' seems to be the ideal choice of magazine to place my review within. Once I came to that decision, it was clear that I needed to do some research into the target audience of the magazine.

The pricing to purchase one magazine is £3.95. 'Sight And Sound' also offer the option to subscribe to12 issues for £38.00. The pricing of this magazine is around averagely priced compared to other magazines, with 'Total Film' and 'Empire' being priced at £3.99 for one issue. This shows that the magazine is aimed at the middle-class worker, who can afford to purchase magazines about films for their leisure. The magazine is not being targeted at students as a cheap option, as it is not being marketed as an inexpensive magazine. However, it also shows that the magazine can be easily accessed and purchased for film fans around the country.

Above is an image showing the cost of 'Sight and Sound' magazine.

The 'Sight And Sound' website says that "A Sight and Sound magazine subscription is essential for anyone serious about film." This shows that the magazine is targeted at readers who wish to gain an insightful review on films that are both current and have been released in the past. The magazine focuses on presenting ideas that are critiquing the productions which are reviewed, and allows the reader to think for themselves about what the film is trying to say. The tone of the writing is professional and formal, which further shows that the target audience is not at students. I would say that the age which the magazine is targeting is 25+. This is because people of this age are more likely to want an insight into what themes the film deals with, as opposed to the narrative structure of the productions the magazine reviews. The content of many of the magazines seems to be text-heaving, showing that the magazine is targeted at those who want to read about film reviews, as opposed to look at imagery that lies within the film. The following extract is taken from 'Sight And Sound's website: "Sight & Sound is the UK's original movie magazine. Every month we deliver the most informative commentary on film and television, covering each new cinema release and extensive DVD reviews. Award-winning, provocative, in-depth and cutting edge, Sight and Sound's features cover the issues and film-makers of the day with the highest quality journalism." This shows that the magazine is targeted at those who wish to receive high quality reviews of the latest film and DVD releases.

Overall, I feel that the review page for my short film 'Flight' would fit perfectly within 'Sight And Sound' magazine. This is because of the darker themes (such as drug use) that the film deals with, meaning that it would not appropriate for those under 15 years of age to see. 'Sight And Sound' will also focus on imagery and mise-en-scene which lies within my film, whereas magazines like 'Total Film' would steer towards the narrative. Due to the fact that 'Sight And Sound' focuses on films which are released all over the globe, I feel that the British themes of 'Flight' would fit well within the magazine, as it would offer an insight into British culture for other readers globally to see.

Flight Music

Below is the music which our sound leader, Leanne, created for 'Flight'. She used a mix of piano tools on the programme 'GarageBand' to ensure that it fitted with the dance sequence within our narrative. We watched the footage we had filmed along-side creating the sound, making sure that the sounds which we produced matched what we would see on screen. This is one of the possible pieces of music that we will consider using within the film.

     

The sound which Leanne created will be used in the dance sequence of the film, when Sophie is practising her ballet movements. The music is fairly repetitive, which emphasises the repetitive visuals which are shown on screen. This is particularly emphasised near the beginning of the dance sequence, where Sophie repeatedly tries, and fails, to execute a certain dance move, and becomes increasingly frustrated. However, due to the fact that not all of the sound has come together for a film as of yet, we will have to see how this sound links into sounds in different parts of the production. If it does not fit, then we will have to use a different piece of music to achieve the desired effect. 

Below is a picture of 'GarageBand', the software which Leanne used whilst creating the sound, with the help of myself. We worked closely as a team to ensure that the sound she was creating matched the desired feel which the audience got from my visual.

Flight - First Draft Feedback

Above is the first draft for my short film, 'Flight', which I shared on Youtube in the hope of receiving some feedback from the website, due to the fact that many young aspirational film makers use that particular website to share their footage. As of yet, we have had had no responses from Youtube members.

I also uploaded this video to my Tumblr Media blog to gain feedback on what people particularly liked about the film and possible improvements for when we create the second draft. I felt that it would be beneficial to share our film on social networking sites as it would result in gaining feedback from people who belong within our targeted audience - young people. It was worthwhile as I gained many opinions, some of which can be seen below:

I will take the opinions which have been shared with me and keep them in mind whilst filming the second draft of my film. Most of the feedback which was received pointed out many of the positive aspects of the film - such as the colours which we used in the nature scene, the framing of many of the shots, the editing. However, some criticisms were received, saying that sound needed to be added to show meaning, and that the stability of some of the shots needed to be corrected. We also showed the film to some of the peers in our Media group, and to our Media teachers. The teachers suggested that the film should focus more heavily on the drug itself, without making it too evident as that would take away the effect. Ideas were that Sophie should be shown holding the drug, or that some shots should be incorporated which would make the narrative of our short film easier to understand. Mrs. Stone said that she particularly liked the shot of Sophie's silhouette in the bedroom sequence, as it added a sense of grace to the film and showed the audience Sophie's goals and aspirations. However, she added that it would be beneficial if we played around with the sound on the nature sequence, to show the lack of balance in Sophie's lifestyle. She particularly noted the sound of the train, as it was quite loud and didn't fit with the tranquil shots of nature. Mrs. Stone also added that the exchange of the drug seemed random and did not fit in with the rest of the nature. Mr. Cunningham said that we should remove the scene of Sophie walking to the dance studio, as it was unnecessary and didn't add anything to the narrative, and perhaps may bore audiences. He did, however, say that he really liked the opening shot of our film (the dark ballet studio with the only light source being from the door), as it showed a lot about Sophie's character. 

I have decided to take on board all of the comments which have been suggested, and make improvements for the second draft:

• To consider using a sound bridge to link the nature scene and the shot of the train passing together. This will make the film flow more consistently and will not seem as daunting.
• To use flashback sequences of Sophie taking drugs before-hand. It will be unsure to audiences whether this is showing the future, or showing the past, and will seem quite surreal. To do this we will make the shots very quick and ensure that the lighting is bright.
• To make sure that the camera is stable, particularly in the sequence where Sophie is shown to be purchasing drugs.
• To remove the shot of Sophie walking to the dance studio.
• To use sound to portray meaning to the audience, as currently the lack of music leaves the production feel empty.

Overall, sharing my production has greatly benefited my production, as it means that I have many improvements to work on for the re-shoot. Many people also pointed out positive aspects of the film, which is important as we now know which shots to keep and which shots to remove.

During Filming

Wednesday 14th December 2011

We decided to shoot some of the dance studio scenes today, due to the fact that we recieved and email from the leisure centre (who own the dance studio where we desire to film) was free after school on Wednesday afternoons. We headed there and filmed all of the dance sequence. Some shots I was unsure of whilst shooting, yet it is hard to come to a final decision until the footage has been looked back on on a computer screen. Looking back now, I am pleased with what I managed to shoot, yet I feel that some scenes may need to be reshot, such as the spinning sequence where Leanne holds the camera and spins. This doesn't seem to fit well within the sequence, as it is primarily graceful, slow movements, and I feel that this shot will remove the desire affect. Apart from that, we managed to stick to our schedule, and after we had filmed the dance sequence we went to Hannah's house to film the scenes in her bedroom. The lighting was very effective within the scene, as the sun cast Leanne's shadow on Hannah's wall. This was not a shot that was storyboarded to be in our film, but, as cinematographer, I saw the shadow and decided to include it within the production. We had to film the scene of Leanne looking out of the window quickly, as the natural lighting moved quickly throughout. However, I am pleased with what we filmed and I do not think that any of the sequence will have to be re-shot, as it is all visually appealing and gives an insight into the character of Sophie.

Wednesday 21st December 2011

We expected to film today at around 4pm to 5.30pm, but the lighting around this time was much too light. I wanted to film whilst there was dark lighting to create an urbanised atmosphere, to show the area in which Sophie lived in. It also complies with the stereotypes within the drama genre - youths living in an urban area. I am pleased that we decided to wait until 5pm as the lighting was much more effective and darker than if we would have filmed at 4pm. The dark lighting resulted in the fact that I was able to get some good shots of unnatural lighting - such as street lamps and car headlights, which looked really effective. I also ensured that some of these shots were blurry, and then gradually came into focus, as this meant that it portrayed Sophie's confusion. However, we were unable to film in the public toilets due to the fact that they were closed. It is shown that they are being closed for a quite a while, so it is necessary to change our location. Because of this, we have decided to film the scene in the toilets at Sandwich Technology School instead.

Wednesday 12th January 2012

Today we shot some more of the Rope Walk scene of Sophie walking by the river. We filmed that at around 4pm, so that it was a tad lighter than what we shot on the 21st of December, as we wanted this scene to be Sophie contemplating her purchasing of the drug. The lighting which I managed to capture looked very appealing, the sky was a lovely shade of purpley blue, which was reflected in the river. The difference in lighting also portrays the amount of time Sophie spends thinking about the drug exchange, adding to the narrative, which I am really pleased with. There are also many beautiful nature shots within this scene, such as birds flying over a purple sky, with the silhouette of a tree in the foreground of the shot. Leanne asked that I captured many sounds, so I ensured that do so, so that she can play about with them in post-production. Despite the fact that many shots will need to be cut out (due to them being too shaky, or having little relevance to the plot), I am very happy with how today's filming turned out, particularly because of the beautiful colours and lighting.

Monday 23rd January 2012 

The last two remaining scenes of our film - the drug exchange, and the end scene in the toilets. We changed the location of the drug exchange. Originally, it was to be filmed in the town of Sandwich in an alleyway but we decided to change this location to one within the grounds of Sandwich Technology School, as the previous location was too stereotypical of the genre. We wanted to break some of the conventions of the drama genre to make our film unique, and also make it so that the audience can connect with Sophie. I took the role of the drug dealer, as we did not like to rely on other people as actors as it could halt production, so I had to ensure that I gave Hannah, who took my place for filming, careful guidance. We both decided that the drug dealer should be on the right of the screen, slightly hidden by a flight of stairs. This gave him an ominous look and was sure to intrigue audiences. Leanne then entered the scene from the left, entering from the light and going into the darkness. We wanted the exchange of the drug to be relatively quick, as to keep the feel as authentic-looking as possible. I feel that we achieved this effectively. I really like the lighting in this scene as it is dominantly un-natural and looks quite effective. Hannah decided that she was going to edit this scene with jump cuts, which I think, upon looking back at the footage, will be very effective. After we shot this scene we shot the scene in the toilet. We made effective use of the mirrors in this scene as it represented the choices which Sophie faced, and it also made a link back to the mirrors in the dance studio, which makes the film flow nicely together.

Wednesday 8th February 2012 *reshoot*

Today we re-filmed some of the dancing scene. We done this between the time of 1.20 - 2.10pm, in the multi-purpose at Sandwich Technology School. We contacted the fitness centre (which shares the multi-purpose room with the school), to check that it would be free. Before we filmed, Hannah, Leanne and I spoke about why we didn't like the footage which we had filmed previously. Hannah said that she thought that the costume was not effective or believable, so we decided to change it to something that dancers would be more likely to wear. Me and Leanne both felt that the shots of her were either too close to her, or too far away, which resulted in the scene not feeling very graceful, which was the feel that we wanted to achieve. We also said, as a group, that the dance scene seems quite separated from the rest of the film. Because of this, we decided to make the fact that our character, Sophie, was a failing dancer, so we decided to portray some of her anguish over this fact. Futhermore, we ensured that we had a clear idea of sound whilst filming, as this meant that the shots would compliment the sound that Leanne had chosen. I decided to shoot the whole scene on a tripod which remained stationary. This made the character of Sophie be continuously in the centre of the frame, which looks visually appealing to the audience. It also meant that Hannah, our editor, would be able to edit the sequence more effectively, as it meant that she would be able to effectively use time lapses. 

Sharing Progress - Tumblr

I have been documenting the progress of 'Flight' by using the social networking site Tumblr, which can be used to share text, pictures and videos. I decided to use this site as I felt that it would be perfect to use to interact with people, all of whom have an interest in film and media. To gain followers with similar interests, you can 'tag' you posts - meaning that people can search through posts tagged with a specific word. As shown below, I tagged most of my entries with 'media', so that people with a critical eye over media products can give their expertise on my production. As you can see from the images below, several people 'liked' the posts, meaning that they were interesting in how the production had came along. Later along in my production, I will use the social networking site to contact my followers and ask their opinions on the first draft. 

 

The editor of Flight, Hannah, has also been sharing her progress through her Twitter site, as shown below.