Evaluation 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback? 






It is clear that the movie was well received by the two A Level students shown in the video clips above. One of these students is currently studying A level Media Studies at our school, and found the film very funny as he understood the responsibilities of having to go out and complete a movie, which can be stressful and saddening, depending on the student and movie style. This is good, because our specific target audience was teenage male students, but we knew that Media Studies / Moving Images would enjoy the film more, as they would find it much more relatable.

The movie works well for those who have a tolerance for comedy, and one member of the audience even commented that the horror was more of a black comedy and they found it quite funny throughout, rather than just up until the island scene. I have found that an audience can be attracted that are doing coursework subjects, not just Media Studies. The audience found the editing 'choppy' in parts, and commented that not all the audio was as clear as it could have been. If I was able to change the movie, I would re-record all the dialogue, rather than just the audio that was completely unusable. The soundtrack was well received by all, especially the use of the violin cover of the Pirates of the Carribean theme, which most viewers could recognise.

We decided as a group after showing the movie to an audience that our foley wasn't so good. This was because it was our first time using foley for a movie, and we thought it was easier than it turned out to be, so if we were to use it again, we would research the best way of using foley in a movie, then going and using it. My favourite thing about the audience feedback was that the audience actually cared about the characters we created and their deaths, which I was very proud of. This was due to using the comedic features, such as telling jokes. Making the audience laugh made them more connected to the characters, and then the horror elements take them by surprise. From this, I would definitely like to see more comedy-horror movies in Hollywood, because I believe the right film team can create an excellent movie.

Evaluation 1

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

Evaluation 4

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages? 

Evaluation 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?


Note Form & Emaze

Notes:

Marketing is very important for any movie

Looked at posters from similar style movies and movies we like (wicker man & Star Wars poster) 

Decided to create montage poster

Shows a lot going on

What makes it effective

Shows 3 main characters and setting, recognise actors without even seeing the names

Shows cast names

Relevant font

Colour scheme 

Viewer knows the movie will feature a dock / pier / lighthouse

Review includes social media platforms for promotion 

5 star verdict on movie, clear indication of how good the reviewer thought it was

Well written, doesn't give away the whole plot

Everything compliments eachother well, they all follow the same sort of them

Effective ancillary texts

Emaze:

The Poster

Our poster was inspired by 'compilation' / montage-style posters like Star Wars and the other posters shown below. These posters were our favourite type of poster as they show a lot going on from the movie in one image. The protagonists, the three boys and the villain are clearly shown on our film poster for Samhain. 

This version of The Wicker Man poster is a similar style, but using hand drawn images. I admire the border and symmetrical sky design. I wish to adapt this technique to our poster incorporating dismal colours. To do this, I will draw images by hand, scan the drawings and convert them on to Photoshop, where they can be perfected and formatted in a fashion to grab the audiences attention.

As the film is a horror, I will need to draw some ominous pictures, such as upset skies, desolate islands, and an unnerving portrayal of the Pagan Wildmen. Using colours such as Red, Black, Grey and Deep Purple, will further help the audience indicate that the movie is associated with the horror genre.

Incorporating key images you see in the film is important when emulating this style, the light house, town, boat and the three characters will therefore feature in this poster.

We took in to consideration the dimensions of our film poster, as international standards are used for any poster. In the US, the size for an advertising movie poster is 27" x 40", known as the one sheet.

The Magazine Review (Described in Evaluation)

Historical Research

Historical Research

The background of our film is loosely built around the Pagan festival 'Samhain'. This is an important part of the year for Pagans as it marks the 'Feast of the Dead'. Samhain was the time of the year where the veils of underworld and our world are at their thinnest, where the dead spirits could mingle with us living humans. In Pagan ideology, death is not something to be feared, but celebrated as it is a key point in life as is being born. Samhain is what those who are aren't pagans would know as Halloween.




Inspiration for the film comes from the stories of the primitive pagan barbarians, who would sacrifice humans with the award of demonic power. In researching some ancient Northern European customs, it is believed that on summer solstice; the longest summer day, human sacrifice rituals had taken place. The purpose of these savage rituals is to connect with nature or 'the other side'.

It is said to be a danger in calling on to random spirits, but by covering ones self in the blood of the sacrificed will give power in the spiritual realm, but if not protected by the blood, demonic oppression can occur.

For our film, three characters will have sinned or tampered with an unwelcoming presence, the acts of those seeking the three characters blood will be inspired from the brutish last rites of Satan's worshipers.

Costume Production

Costume Production

Collecting Materials.

We took a day out with our Media Studies class in a hunt to find materials to use for our costumes. We went to Helen's Bay filling large plastic bags with seaweed, and sea shells. We collect just about enough to facilitate the production of these products. The seaweed had to be kept in the school's green so wouldn't dry up and become brittle, when the costumes with seaweed incorporated are created they will more than likely be stored in the green house to keep them in good moist condition. 
The shells we collected were brought to the sinks in the Art rooms where we rinsed all of the sand and dirt off of them so they could be moved to the next stage of drilling.
These materials fit the short film very well as they give the nature of the scene's location more recognition.

Along with the shells and sea weed, we will also use fabrics in the costume. We utilised our school's Art and Design resources for thick fabrics with rough textures such as hessian for the main body of the costumes, we also utilised old curtains and bed sheets to help us create out costumes.

One of the costumes we are working on creating is inspired by one of the Pagan Wildmen's attire shown below.

I admired the technique the costumer designer made by having multiple acorns (from my interpretation) beaded on strings hanging from the outfit. I wanted to adapt this aesthetic to my own costume in relation to the film's setting being the beach, so with all of the shells we collected, we spent multiple hours drilling small 4mm holes in each shell to then put on string to hang from the costume. This costume design has quite the eery, spooky element to it, which was an initial aim when writing for the film.

1.  Shells collected from beach
2.  Sand washed off of shells
3.  Shells drilled with 4mm drill bit
4.  Shells beaded on string, knotted to secure
5.  Hot glue gun to attach shells to the piece
6.  Additional shells glued to the chest of the costume representing armour.

Another costume that had inspired the head wear for our project, was this mask worn by an Eastern European Pagan Wildman. It is quite evident in the photo that a fabric has been manipulated to create the large head shape. Another method we discovered to create large helmets/masks with ease was by using paper mache, which involved creating a mould from paper to then wrapping the mould in thin strands of paper lathered in wall paper place, after around 3 solid layers of newspaper were covered around the mould, and 3 days to dry, we were left with a solid rounded mask outline, quite similar to the mask above.
The next stage was to paint the mask a darkish brown to match the other garments of the costume, I painted the mask with brown acrylic paint, I finished off the mask by drawing a mouth and teeth  using black and white acrylic paint, and a sharpie to outline the teeth with.

1.  Large ball created with newspaper (mould).
2.  Wallpaper paste + water used to form pieces over the mould.
3.  Strips of construction paper cut out.
4.  Strips covered in paste and applied to mould.
5.  4 layers applied over mould.
6.  48 hours to dry
7.  Once dry, newspaper mould is removed leaving mask.
8.  Mask painted brown, with mouth and teeth also.

 I have focused on aspects from each of these costumes to then go and create to add to our own. From the first photo, the costume has a straw skirt, we acquired straw from our school's art resource. To create a straw skirt quickly and effectively, we will:

1.  Measure strands of straw to cut out.
2.  Use an old belt to attach the straw to
3.  Use duct tape and glue to effectively join the strands of straw to the belt.

The second photo uses shredded rags as an over coat of the costume. We will distress old blankets and utilise the spare hessian to create an overcoat for a costume

With the photo to the right, I will focus on the skirt worn, taking inspiration to make my own. I am thinking of using this 'dress/skirt' costume as an undergarment.

Overall Schedule for February and March

February 

March

All of March and from then on will be spent on editing the movie on Final Cut and recording any additional audio, including foley, that is necessary.

There is audio recorded on an iPhone that will also need to be put in to the movie, such as when Eamonn is running up the hill. The actor had an iPhone by his side in order to record his dialogue.

Shooting Schedule for Donaghadee

We have decided to keep the overall plan and structure the movie, but to improvise as it would sound more natural after learning all of our historical research about the festival and knowing exactly what is going to happen.

We are now filming at a chip shop at Donaghadee when we arrive there, rather than the car scene we originally had planned. We went to Bangor and recorded the car scene, but there was too much disruption from wind on the iPhone audio that we used to record.

Risk Assessment 1

A risk assessment is necessary considering the location where we will be filming, being the sea side. If safety precautions aren't taken before shooting, potential injuries or equipment damage may occur.

Risk Assessment 2

Characters for the Movie

The sailor, Eamonn Cooper, brings the three main characters to the island because they are significant in the sacrifice that the pagans require, like in the Wicker Man. These characters represent:

- The Fool
- The Virgin
- The Seed Bearer

Casting for the movie is also outlined for each character. We couldn't
Angus - The Fool

We chose the name Angus for the Fool, which is the Anglicized version of Aonghus, a name associated with Irish mythology. Aonghus (sometimes surnamed Mac Og meaning "young son") was the Irish god of love and youth. We decided that the name Angus was the most suitable because it relates to youth or younger years, and this foolish character is to be presented as childish and young-minded.

Angus is going to be wearing a bear costume throughout the movie, to present him as a fool. This costume is actually supposed to be scary as in the movie, he is planning to play as a monster, but instead wore a furry lion suit.

I am going to be playing the character of Angus, and will be wearing a lion suit for the day of filming at Donaghadee Pier.

Sean - The Virgin

We chose the name Sean for the Virgin, which is the Irish version of John, a biblical used name. We decided that this name was the most suitable because it has connection to the bible, and this character is to be presented as a virgin and devout Christian, with a holy necklace that his mother has given him to be safe whilst on the boat filming his project.

The character of Sean is going to be played by Kevin Pourmostofi, a student in my Media Studies class.

Fergus - The Seed Bearer

We chose the name Fergus for the Seed Bearer, which is also associated with Irish mythology, meaning 'man of vigour'. This character is to be presented as the 'cool guy' of the group who has had sex with a girl the night before. We drew inspiration from the Ulster hero Fearghas mac Róich, as our character sees himself as a hero, appearing cocky and confident in his establishing scene in the park.

The character of Fergus is going to be played by another member of my group for the short film, Rudi Magill. We think that me and Rudi look more alike than me and Kevin / Rudi and Kevin, so the audience will see these two characters as close friends with the similar names and appearance.

Eamonn Cooper

We chose the name Eamonn, which is the Irish version of Edmund, meaning 'protection'. This character's name is to be ironic, as he is not protecting the three main characters, he is actually directing them to their deaths at the hands of the Irish pagans that he has been in communication with.

Distribution

Definition:

Film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience, such as the Hollywood giants Columbia or 20th Century Fox. 
The distribution of film is what makes the film available for an audience. Accompanied by promotion, when the film is initially produced it will be shown to audiences in a movie theatre.
A professional film distributor would typically devise an efficient marketing strategy to get a film to be seen by the intended target audience. Knowing what dates are best to release the film. What cultures should be targeted and where the film is promoted is key. The film should be available to the public either by movie screening, television viewing, or online for personal home viewing.

Last year for my AS film introduction, the distribution company that we included at the beginning of the movie was Film 4. This year, we have decided to include either BBC Films or The Irish Film Board, as we feel that these films distribution companies are more suitable than Film 4. Our movie focuses on old Irish mythology and folklore, and is set in Bangor in Northern Ireland, so we decided to either use a British or Irish film distribution company.

The Irish Film Board has films that focus on older Irish history and culture. Our movie focuses on ancient Irish traditions and pagan culture so I feel that this distribution company is the best one to include in the beginning of the short film.

What distribution company would I work with and why?

I would choose a company such Northern Ireland Screen, Northern Ireland Screen was the production company incorporated in the making of 'Cherry Bomb', which I believe is one of the best films to come from NI. This company is also growing rapidly with success due to the amount of films coming to be shot in NI. This company also funds some popular film festivals in Northern Ireland such as a Queens film festival, Cinemagic fest and Belfast film festival, working with this company could benefit our film as it could potentially be shown to an all Irish audience that I believe would enjoy it the most as they may be able to relate to the themes within the film.

Gore Effects

We had ideas originally to include a gory ending for the characters at the hands of the pagans that live on the island. I feel that including blood in our short film at the very end would shock the audience, as there is a moderately strong comedic tone established from the very beginning, and then these 'funny' characters are brutally murdered on an empty island.

If we are to use gore in our movie, these are the effects that we are going to use. The best tutorials that I could find on YouTube are shown along with a short description how they could be used in the movie.

The character's bloody deaths will be a very quick collection of shots, edited to be fast paced, one-after-another, probably only about seven or eight seconds total of gore. The screen would then go to black for a few seconds and music would fade in, showing the movie title. This leaves the audience a short while to almost reflect on what has happened to the teenage protagonists who they have watched throughout the short film.

Throat Slit



One pagan would use a blade, specifically a Celtic dagger as shown in the prop research, to cut one of the characters' throat.

Impale



One pagan wouldn't impale a character on a stationary object, but they would use a bladed / sharp weapon to stab right through one of the characters.

The reason why the pagans are able to kill the three main characters quite easily is because the sailor who owns the boat, Eamonn Cooper, gives the protagonists a drink on the boat which makes them vomit and unable to defend themselves when the pagans arrive to them at the top of the island.

Target Audience

Our short film is comprised of comedy and horror elements, where the main characters in the film tell jokes and have comical moments, but in the end die to a group of pagans on an island, sacrificed for the pagan holiday of Samhain.

The target audience for our movie is teenage boys, from the ages of approximately 16-23. There are no female characters present in the short film, and two of the main characters joke about how one of the characters brought a girl home from a club the night before.

I believe that the short film is most relatable to teenage males, particularly ones who are studying A-Level Media Studies, as the film possesses moments that highlight the responsibilities that come with creating a short film, such as one person having to bring some props as shown in the movie.

The comedic tone of the movie leaves it open for many people to watch and enjoy.

Storyboard

The most talented at drawing in our group is Rudi, so he drew out the storyboard for our short film, which shows how we hope a few shots will look in the completed project. The storyboard outlines many shots that we put forward and have now decided to include in our film. The basic storyboard that we created is shown below.

Creating the Pagan Costumes


First Ideas

From researching websites, films and documentaries, I have now seen a lot of different pagan groups and their styles and different costumes, ranging all over Europe. I have gathered from my research that many of the materials which are used to create these costumes are easily accessible, some customs use simple cloth or burlap dyed different shades. Pagans also tend to blend in man made materials with natural, such as a normal fabric base layer covered in leaves, feathers or fur. Some Pagan wildmen also wear goat horns on their heads and in some costumes they may wear a full animal skull. Another natural material incorporated with the costumes could be vegetables, wearing a necklace of chilis or garlic is part of some pagan traditions.

With all that I have gathered, I sketched some ideas I thought of to create the costumes with:

Concept 1

This costume idea uses a base layer of normal fabric clothes. These clothes will have different colours of fur sewed to them.

A largish sized helmet will be worn when wearing this costume (such as a hard hat or american football helmet), by attaching many pieces of fur to the top of it so it hangs down and makes the pagans head look big will create a frightening character. 

To also create a more unusual looking costume which is what I am aiming to do, I designed the top of the characters head to have stray pieces of rope coming from the top. On the eyes of the character I designed, it shows goggles being worn, as goggles are man made and usually come from store and are branded, it does not completely fit the pagan codes and conventions, but I designed them to like very hand made and amateur, using ropes, and wood carved in to circles for the eyes of the goggles.

Concept 2

The second drawing is a more humane concept to the first one. With more of mixture man made and natural materials.  The head of pagan shows a simple fabric mask with an odd slice above the eyebrow region, again just added this to make it look more unusual. I also designed this mask to have horns of a goat, to display a more a satanic effect to the costume.

The base layer of the costume is a tunic made using fabric, and over the front, shoulders and upper arms, hangs some seaweed, which is relevant to our story as it takes place on a seaside island. Thin brown ropes are used to keep the tunic tight and on the legs I designed fur shorts that will be worn. On the characters feet normal shoes will be worn but will be wrapped up in bandages and when worn for a while when walking around, they will look quite fray and used. In the characters hand is a small brown pouch prop that fits the outfit.                 

                

The third concept would be designed to fit a smaller person for the role, Using a large white fur overcoat with a large fur mask, again using the helmet method to make the head look bigger. Black leather gloves would be worn to keep the heat in. This design is more fitted to a snowy environment. I sketched this 'wildman' with a spear type weapon with a bag similar to the bag held in concept 2. These pouches I've drawn may or may not be used in the film with a sacrificial significance, maybe the hearts of those sacrificed will be put in the bag. Rope again is used as a belt but more for the hand made pagan aesthetic. Below the waste of the character is a skirt/kilt made from straw, In my research I came across many different pagans with different tradition but many had straw in common, so I believe that it is well fitting to our short.

Next, Going to Start the Costumes 

My group along with the rest  of our media class went to the Crawfordsburn Beach in order to collect some materials needed to make our costumes back in the school art department. 

The whole class helped us collect seaweed and shells to be used for making the costumes. For all costumes, a burlap material base will be used. The seaweed and shells will be glued on to the burlap to create different costumes for the pagans, with a shore / 'washed up' feel to the costumes.

We collected all the seaweed and seashells in black bags, to bring them back up to school and store them until they are needed to create the costumes. With the knowledge that it would smell, the seaweed was stored inside our school's greenhouse.

We drilled a small hole in each of the shells using the equipment in the technology department. When all the shells had holes in them, we threaded string through them and tied a knot after each. These shells will be suspended from one of the costumes and some of the other shells will be glued onto another.

This idea comes from our favourite of all the Pagan Wild Men costumes, where small rocks were suspended from one man's costume.

As stated, we used shells rather than rocks to give the pagans a more seaside / 'washed up' look to their attire.

These are two of the costumes almost completed (shown above and below), modelled by Rachel and Rudi in the art department. Each costume will be worn by the pagans along with a mask or a hood. The costume shown (left) is a real pagan dress that inspired the first costume. As you can see, the costume contains a large amount of hay joined to the body.  Instead of using hay, we decided to use seaweed as the main decoration of this costume.

This is the pagan costume that our second costume was modelled on, which all members of our group have decided is the favourite of any (Pagan Wild Man) costume that we have seen. This dress used clam shells or rocks suspended on strings but we decided to use more generic, white shells instead.