Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

since i've done the continuity task i wouldn't really say i've learnt many specific thing, but more that i've gained the experience and general filming knowledge you can only get from doing projects like this. There are no specific scenes i can really realte to that i've done better in either of the film

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I think one of the most similar movie characters to drake napalm is the human torch, they have very similar powers as each other and use their powers in the same way, to stop crime. although they are far from the same. the human torch is a fairly 'cool' athletic person whilst drake is some what of a geek. also the human torch was born with his powers where as drake got his in a chemical accident.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I made the production logo myself; I wanted it to show the comical edge in my work.

The long road logo is mine too; it represents a funding company’s logo.

I deliberately put only a few credits in to avoid the boring aspect of having so much to read, like the titles to the first Spiderman

I decided to put each actors name as they appear on screen so you have something to relate too.

The films a slightly comical action film which, if made would probably be done so by a large film company such as universal studios, who have a lot of experience with comic book style films

I decided to put ‘a film by’ instead of ‘directed by’ as I did more than just direct it.

Its fairly un-conventional to put the title of the film in twice how ever I decided to do this, the first title is to introduce you to the civilian Drake, and the final title to show you he’s more than just a civilian.

Audience Feedback

As there weren't enough people in the level 2 class the day they gave us feed back and only Jim got chance to see my film so he was the only person i got feedback from.

Jim's feed back was that it is unusual to have the title of the film in the opening credits and that i should possibly put the 'A film by Sam Chappell-Winnington' at the start instead of the end.

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

I've not really learnt how to use anything new in this project, how ever i have learnt a lot about how to use things in-conjunction with each other.

for example to make the fire in the palm of drakes hand i filmed the hand on the HD camera , imported it into final cut, then exported the clip and imported it to After effects, tracked the fire to the hand, exported it and then imported it back into final cut.

Finished opening sequence

This is the final version of Drake Napalm

Rough cut

This is the rough cut of my film Drake Napalm.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)

1) Transition - I made every transition between scenes either fade in or out for a smooth flow to the sequence, this particular scene i made the next shot fade in behind the title so you saw what was happening in it but didn't feel it was going on for too long.

2) Framing - I chose to frame my shots fairly centrally so you're forced to focus on the character and pay close attention to facial expressions etc.

3) Lighting - My opening sequence was lit entirely by natural light, i felt this was best as it makes it slightly easier to relate to, opposed to if i had light rigs it would make reduce the natural shadowing and wouldn't look so good. also i had no access to lights even if i wanted them.

4) Camera Movement - This shot is a backwards tracking shot, i did it by sitting on a bike backwards while it was pushed forwards. this was the best technique i could use as the dolly i had access to was unstable and just vibrated. and walking i was unable to keep the camera stable. although this shot is still fairly wobbly it was the best result i got after filming it a good few times.

5) Setting - I wanted to set my film in a street to make it seem like it was just a random crime that drake witnessed, however because my scene had a gun, all be it a fake one. I wasn't aloud to go off college grounds, this was the closest i could get to a street.

6) Costume - Drake Napalm is a scientist thats been caught in an accident, therefore it makes sense for him to be in a lab coat.

7) Narrative - This shot shows the general theme of the opening sequence in one shot, Drake witnessing a gun crime.

8) Typography - For my credits i went onto a site called DaFonts and downloaded a comic book font called badaboom i thought it fit the style and theme of my film well. i then made it red with a yellow out line to give it a fire effect.

9) Visual Effects - To show drakes powers off i decided to animate a shot of his hand with fire into it.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)

Editing

When it came to editing my footage into an actual film i realized i had a lot of work to do. The ideas i had come up with involved a large amount of animation in after effects.  Fortunately i have a reasonable knowledge in using after effects and areas i was unable to do ash was kind enough assist. About half way through editing i realized that the shot of ash' hand, onto which i was going to animate fire into was too unstable and i was unable to track it. This meant i had to re-shoot that particular shot. I was unfortunate enough to of booked the camera to film on days that there was snow everywhere, this meant when i re-shot ash' hand, there was a serious continuity error, however the only real way to fix this would be to re-shoot the whole film, which there was not time for! Despite the lack of snow in the background i feel i tracked the hand well, after Ricky showed me how and the final shot of the fire in the hand came out well. Although i was unable to get the look i wanted when making the title scenes. Which was the writing in the middle of a ball of fire. I still got a fairly good look which put across the feel i was after.

Summary of the shoot

Overall i think the shooting of my film went pretty well, after the 1st day going wrong which i feel i rectified efficiently. The rest of the filming was of a reasonable quality with no real mistakes that i can tell of at this stage.

Second day of shooting

After the disaster of my first attempt of shooting my film, i re-thought the main troubles i went through. I planned again, borrowed my friend JJ's bike for the day, arranged for alex to bring in his gun and borrowed a lab coat from the science room next to our class. With all these things sorted out i was able to successfully shoot my film. I sat on the bike backwards while james pushed it forwards (therefore i was traveling backwards). This technique gave me a fairly smooth tracking shot.

Defining moment

When it came to filiming the opening titles of my film Drake Napalm, there was one main problem making one of my shots look very bad. this problem was trying to do an eye level tracking shot. i fixed the problem by using a friends bike and siting on it while some one else pushed the bike. After looking at all the footage, this shot went from being ong of the worst to being the best and i am quite proud of it.

Cast

Whilst i will be filming i shall be needing 3 actors.

I will need

•  Drake Napalm, should be out standing and look intellectual and yet menacing at the same time.
  
• Gun Man, should be able to look shady and kind of creepy.
• Pedestrian, should look innocent and helpless.

I've chosen Ash to play Drake my lead role, i think he's my best option, his orange spiky hair resembles fire, this is a good direct link to Drakes powers.

For the gun man i decided to use Kirk, his beard and the way his hair shadows his eyes gives a some what menacing look.

And the pedestrian role i thought Alex would play the part well, he's just got the right look about him and fits my idea of the character.

First day of shooting

Although i did assess all the possible troubles that i could have come across, so troubles are unforeseeable. Today i set out to film and although i am fairly confident with with the Sony HD cameras we are using, i don't know every inch of them. The camera was set slightly differently and i wasn't aware of that particular setting, as a result the footage we took was not recorded. On top of this, i was unable to shoot the first scene to the standard i was after due to lack of equipment. The shot was an eye level tracking shot but i was unable to walk with the camera and keep it stable.

After Barney had a look at the camera settings and showed us how to rectify the problem i am fully confident i can film and successfully capture all the footage i need.

As for the tracking shot i think the best solution is to use a bike, i sit on it holding the camera while two others hold the bike on either side and push it slowly.

Continuity Task

Yesterday in the lesson we were given Sony HD cameras and were told to use the and film a new continuity test task. i was in a pair with Tim. Tim and i filmed Matt and Mike acting out a basic scene. We then swapped and Tim and i acted for Matt and Mike as they filmed. We couldn't use the same location in both clips because we got kicked out of the hall after the first clip.

This is the clip Tim and i shot.

And this is Mike and Matt's version with myself and tim acting. this version is filmed in HD where as mine and Tim's isn't, we did this to show the difference in quality.

Project so far update

I've set forward in crossing things off my list of stuff still to do, some i have done fine however others i have had trouble with:

1. Finnishing my mood board i tryed taking the files home to finnish it but i don't have the same version of final cut apparently so the folder wouldn't open.
2. The same goes for my annimatic.
3. I'm currently working out my shot list.
4. i have a few suggestions from my teacher and i changed the set from a street to a toe path or somthing.
5. Ash is going to be playing the lead role of drake.
6. Ash also suggested to me that i buy a pair of reading glasses from boots for about £5, and i'll ask one of the chemistry labs if we can borrow a lab coat. I also realized i need a gun as a prop, this isn't a problem as i have a suitable plastic one.
7. I still need to do font tests.

voice over

Whilst lying in bed with tonsillitus thinking about how i could make my opeing sequence better, and what i needed to do with it i came up with this voice over that i'm pretty sure i'll use.

"I've never really had a stedy job, it's always been switching from one to the next. i'd never have one job for more than a couple of weeks, a month at max. even back when i was a kid. I was a paper boy, but it was awful pay. A shelf stacker, dead boring. check out attendant, every one was so RUDE. tryed telemarketing but i just got abuse shouted back. got into accounting, but i was awfull. got my degree and became a chemist, it was alright, but to controled, they didnt like it when i fooled about, said id get hurt. now i enjoy what i do, its far more interesting..."

at this point the shot of drakes hand with a ball of fire in it starts.

Project so far, what i need to do

Although im not the furthest behind, im still lagging a fair bit from where i should be, this is a rough check list of what else i need to do at this point.

1. Finnish mood board.
2. Finnish animatic.
3. Shot list.
4. Find right location.
5. Find the right person to play Drake, my leed role.
6. Find props, (glasses that can be broken, a lab coat maybe)
7. Do title font tests.

Major issue expansion

1) My first major issue is finding a good location.

With out a good location my entire opening sequence will look amature and poorly thought out.

The solution to this is to spend a good amount of time, a day or two, scouting for the right location.


2) The second of my three main issues is the adverse weather conditions

Recently college has been closed due to heavy snow and is likly to do so again later in the week. Every time college is shut, we loose time off the project and as the dead line is fixed, time is precious.

There is no real solution for this, as i can't change the weather! how ever i can help myself by doing as much work from home as possible, research, practice shots etc.

3) The 3rd and final major issue im goin to experiance is being on holiday in half term.

Once again, there is little i can do to rectify this problem, although i do plan on taking my macbook with me so i will make sure i've shot all my footage before i go so i am able to edit it on the plane etc.