The document provides a summary of research conducted by Jack Henderson on existing films and visual effects techniques that could be applied to a short film project. Henderson analyzed scenes from films like Atlanta, Drive, Blade Runner 2049, and Mad Max: Fury Road that utilized interesting visual effects or cinematography techniques. He also summarized tutorials on invisible masking and color grading. Audience research included surveys and interviews that showed most respondents prefer a thriller genre and enjoy mystery in characters. The research will help inform Henderson's short film ideas and application of visual effects.

1. Research
Jack Henderson

2. Existing ProductThis teaser trailer for the show Atlanta
shows an incredible visual effect of the
character falling through the floor from
left to right and rotating into a different
location. The camera tracks the subject
in a circular motion which gives the
effect a feel of repetition. Lighting is
used differently in different locations to
create the effect of being in a different
place each time. For example, indoors
the light comes from one solid beam
however outdoors the character is
evenly lit. I believe the effect is a
metaphor for the repetition of the
character’s life as his face stays the
same each time. As this is only a trailer, the visual effect is visually perfect and does not give
away any details to the series apart from who the character is. This would be appealing to the
audience of both first time viewers and regular watchers as it shows that the series is well
produced and possibly has an element of mystery. I would love to use an effect like this as it
combines both practical effects and effects which are managed in post such as lighting. My
only limitation would be the equipment which would give me a rotational camera effect.

3. Existing ProductThe opening scene to the film Drive
introduces the main character and the
environment he finds himself in. The
camera pans through walls to reveal
different locations and creates an
amazing opening atmosphere of tension
and mystery. Lighting changes
throughout the opening scenes are seen
as very natural, from the darkness of a
hotel room to the fluorescent lit car
garage. Depth of field is also used very
well to show status amongst characters,
for example in the garage scene the
main character is further away and
appears smaller than the authority
figure in the foreground. The scene is made to create a mysterious environment for the
character and to leave the audience asking questions as to what is going on in the film. I have
chosen to look at the film Drive as I believe it is a good example of ambient and atmosphere
creating cinematography. It also features an incredible sound track which fits the film perfectly
and escalates the drama of the piece. I will potentially use a soundtrack in my project so I
believe this will be a good reference point for creating atmosphere through audio.

4. Existing ProductThe Ruins of Las Vegas scene in the
movie Blade Runner 2049 is a visually
stunning moment in the film which is
mainly created in post production. The
film won multiple awards for visual
effects and was highly renowned. I am
confident I could achieve a similar effect
like this by using the skills I have learned
and the Adobe suite. This specific shot
seems to be tracked and tinted with a
gradient running across the sky to
create the dense sandstorm effect. I
would be interested in conducting a
shot like this as it requires a lot of post
production work which would be useful
for my experiments as it is not too hard to replicate to a decent standard. All I would need is a
camera and the Adobe suite. I plan to do more research into shots like this before conducting
any experiments to make sure I do then to a good standard.

5. Existing ProductI have also chosen to look at Mad Max:
Fury Road’s Opening scene as the use of
different shot lengths used to establish
the baron environment. The long shot
seen on the left is a shot that is
produced to introduce a character and
an environment and is one of the first
shots in the entire film. I believe this is
due to the ack of change in the
landscape so it would be inevitable not
to establish the setting quickly. Fury
Road also features intense battle scenes
which are a combination of both
practical and visual effects. The use of
composites and green screens are
all very common within the film and are used effectively to intensify scenes which require a
high level of action. I would like to use a basic level of these effects in my piece as I believe that
some of the scenes I plan to include will require a level visual effects to achieve better visual
quality that I will not be able to achieve through plain practical effects such as CGI and colour
grading.

6. Techniques Research
Although I will not use this specific
technique in my project, I found this
technique very useful for my research
as it showed a good example of how to
mask objects from videos and how to
professional edit them accordingly.
This technique requires Premiere Pro
and After Effects, both of which I have
access to and a good knowledge of
using. I am excited to experiment with
this technique as it has many practical
uses within any project I could do. The
process is very simple however I plan
to spend some time perfecting the
skills before applying them to my final
project. I feel effects such as this to my
piece will create a more professional
feel.

7. Techniques Research
I found this tutorial useful as it
outlined the differences in the
colour grading of films and the
effect that they have on the
atmosphere and feel of the film.
This is something that I would like
to learn about as I believe it will
develop my skills and allow my
work to look more professional.
Brightness, contrast and colour
grading are all things I am yet to
experiment with so I plan to do
this in this piece as I have a lot
longer to play around and
experiment whilst watching online
tutorials such as this one.

8. Research Analysis
Some of the products that I researched featured similar settings and genres such as Mad Max and
Blade Runner both being set in a post apocalyptic world. I have chosen these themes due to the
openness and inventiveness of the genre as it is usually a realistic future however all possible
scenarios are up for question. This also allows for lots of room for visual effects to be added in to
create certain atmospheres and environments. Most of these products also have very character
driven narratives and rely on interactions between charcters and their respective backstorys. This
is also something I would like to foucs on during the production of my project as, like my last
project, storytelling is something that I like to focus on. Strong leads, such as Tom Hardy and Ryan
Gosling in Mad Max and Drive respectively, are a main selling point for a lot of films. This is
something I would like to work on however I will be limited by the selection of actors that I can
find which will be a problem. This also comes down to a good script and editing which I focused
on a lot in my last project so I am fairly confident in my ability to create atmosphere and tension
through these techniques.
I would like to use the techniques I have found through my research and more techniques like it. I
have found that a lot of the skills learned through practicing visual effects are transferable and
can be used for a wide range of different effects. This is something that is extremely useful to me
as I have a time constraint for this project so it will allow me to develop transferable skills which
will be used for a lot of the effects I will be using.
Conducting this research has given me a good vision towards what I would like to do in my final
product. The ideas I have devloped through this process has allowed me to begin idea generation
immediately and to start drafting ideas.

9. Questionnaire Analysis

10. Audience research
• Observation: All of my sample group enjoy films
• What this says about my audience: I can work under the assumption that everyone enjoys
films
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I mainly added this as an opening question to
introduce the sample group to the survey and give context to what the survey is about.
However due to the results I believe this is very useful as it shows that most (if not all) of the
16-25 age group enjoy watching films. This could be due to the accessibility of movies
through streaming service, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and the internet.

11. • Observation: All of the sample group watch at least one film a week
• What this says about my audience: Watching movies could be routinal.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: This could suggest that the
audience is well versed in common themes and motifs of films so using
common themes may possibly be a good idea as it will help them relate
and recognise the film as more professional.

12. • Observation: My audience’s has an average age of 19
• What this says about my audience: My audience are in the age group of Young
adults
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My product will appeal to this
audience by following the themes that were found in my research. I will also
choose an appropriate BBFC age rating for my product which I will decide on in
idea generation.

13. • Observation: Thriller is the most popular genre
• What this says about my audience: Most people fall into the
category of “experiencer” VAL
• How will your product appeal to this audience: To play to the
audience I would choose the genre of thriller however I am yet to
decide what genre to pick

14. • Observation: Most people have viewed a short film
• What this says about my audience: As most short films
are distributed through social media, I can assume
most people use social media

15. • Observation: Short films are commonly viewed online
• What this says about my audience: My audience commonly use the
internet
• How will your product appeal to this audience: If I were to
distribute my film, it would be posted online on platforms
commonly used by my audience

16. • Observation: Most people are not sure whether they prefer films with CGI
• What this says about my audience: This could suggest that a lot of high budget
films have a high level of CGI that are very realistic or that people do not know
about CGI
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I plan to make my visual effects as
realistic as possible so that the audience possibly do not realise it is CGI

17. Audience research
• Observation: Most people have chosen newer, high budget films
• What this says about my audience: They possibly only view newer
films with a good market
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My product will be
inspired by big budget films and will try to be conducted to the
same level of professionalism

18. Audience research
• Observation: People have, or would, view short films online
• What this says about my audience: My audience are willing to view
short films on platforms familiar to them
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My film will be
distributed online to where my audience find it accessible

19. Interviews

20. Interview 1
Do you prefer a set character background or an element of mystery for
the main character of a film?
I think it depends on the genre of film, however if done well I think
mystery is always great, for example the unknown background of the
joker suits the character very well and makes him more unpredictable.
Are you always able to tell the difference between CGI and Practical
Effects?
No not always, Mad Max: Fury Road is a great example of this,
however if it isn’t done very well or there isn’t a big enough budget it
can look cartoony.
Do you respect films more for using practical effects?
I don’t, if the story works well but the CGI wasn’t great I would change
what my feelings are towards the film.
Would you be interested in watching a thriller short film?
I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to find one but if it was
recommended I would probably watch it.
Is a soundtrack necessary in films? Explain your answer?
I think its necersary because it builds up your emotions towards a
scene.

21. Interview 1
• Observation: Soundtrack is necessary, Practical
and visual effects are neither better what matters
is if it looks good
• What this says about my audience: The audience
are conscious of practical and visual effects but
cannot always tell the difference
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I
will ensure that my visual effects are as realistic
as possible to ensure the that the audience isn’t
to conscious of the difference.

22. Interview 2
Do you prefer a set character background or an element of
mystery for the main character of a film?
I prefer a mystery as it makes the film usually more interesting.
Are you always able to tell the difference between CGI and
Practical Effects?
No not always, it depends how well they are done.
Do you respect films more for using practical effects?
Not necessarily, if a film doesn’t need to use it then it’s fine
without it.
Would you be interested in watching a thriller short film?
Yes.
Is a soundtrack necessary in films? Explain your answer?
Yes, as it helps the film a lot, can help build tension as well as
getting rid of all dead noise that there could be a lot of.

23. Interview 2
• Observation: Soundtrack is necessary for
building tension
• What this says about my audience: The audio
is as important as the visual
• How will your product appeal to this
audience: My product will feature an
extensive soundtrack to build tension and
drive the emotion of the scene whilst the
visuals will be as realistic as possible

24. Bibliography

25. Bibliography
1. Henderson, Jack. (2018) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on
13/03/2018)
2. Brownsword, Josh. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on
13/04/2018 )
3. Ward, Jack. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 13/04/2018 )
4. Cinecom.net. (2018). BEST INVISIBLE BOX Challenge EVER - Premiere Pro Tutorial. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjRf1ex-2SM. Last accessed 11th April 2018.
5. TV Promos. (2018). Atlanta Season 2 "Heavy Rotation" Teaser Promo (HD). Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac4GHlh_EFc. Last accessed 12th April 2018.
6. Benatos. (2017). Blade Runner 2049 - 'Ruins of Las Vegas' Scene [HD]. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXS8E4szcSc. Last accessed 12th April 2018.
7. jenjaesx. (2015). Mad Max: Fury Road - Opening Scene. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IJ8_Jf891k. Last accessed 12th April 2018.
8. GammaCaeles. (2017). Drive (2011) - Opening Credits Scene - Car Chase. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHYaj6EHfJg. Last accessed 12th April 2018.