EVALUATION QUESTIONS: Preparation for Interview

QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?

CAMERAWORK, EDITING, SOUND AND MISE-EN-SCENE:
     WE USED TWO SHOTS, SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT’S AND CLOSE UPS TO ALLOW THE
     AUDIENCE TO SEE THE REAL EMOTION ON THE ACTOR’S FACES. THROUGH
     RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT MANY OF TODAY’S POPULAR SOAP PROGRAMS USE BCU’S
     TO CAPTURE THE EMOTION, CREATING TENSION AND CLIMAXES. WE ALSO USED
     FOOTAGE THT WAS SHOT THROUGH THE FENCE IN A PARK TO MAKE THE AUDENCE
     FEEL AS THOUGHT THEY ARE SPYING ON THE CHARACTERS AS THEY LIVE THEIR
     LIVES.
     THE MUSIC I USED, I FELT, SUITED THE TRAILER AND THE SOAP GENRE BECAUSE IT’S
     MODERN, HAS GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR ‘THOUGHT BEATS’ IN EDITING AND IT
     SUITED THE STORIES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN THE SOAP ITSELF. AN EXAMPLE
     WOULD BE THE HOLLYOAKS TRAILER FOR MERCEDES AND RILEY’S WEDDING:
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8bt7M74lA
     THE COMBINATION OF THE SOUND AND IMAGES SUITED BECAUSE THE MUSIC
     INCREASED IN TEXTURE AND TEMPO DURING THE FIGHT SEQUENCES, AND
     CRESCENDOED TOWARDS THE END CREATING A CLIMAX.
     I LIKED THE IDEA OF A VERY FAST EDITED TRAILER, BUT NOT JUST TO CREATE A
     CLIMAX, BUT TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE THAT THE CHARACTER’S LIVES ARE JUST AS
     FAST-PACES AS THEIRS. I USED SLOW-MOTION HEAD TURNS DURING THE TRAILER
     TO EMPHASISE JUST WHO THE SCENES WERE REFERRING TO AND TO EMPAHSISE
     THE STORYLINES THEY WERE IN. I PURPOSELY PUT A SLOW MOTION IMAGE OF ALL
     THE CHARACTERS AT THE END TO TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE
     OF THEM IS INVOLOVED IN THE PLOT.
                                            TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INFORMED AND
                                     GUESSING AS TO WHAT IS GOING THE HAPPEN IN
                                     THE PROGRAM, I CREATED TITLE CARDS USING
                                     ‘OneNote’ TO PUT PERIODICALLY IN MY TRAILER.
                                     ALL TOGETHER THEY SAY: “ENEMIES COLLIDE, IN A
                                     BATTLE OF POWER. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, AND ALL
                                     HOPE IS LOST, YOU FIGHT. BUT WHO WILL BE
                                     THERE, TO SAVE YOU, WHEN YOU FALL?” THE
                                     AUDIENCE KNOW THAT THE BOYS ARE GOING TO
                                     FIGHT AND THAT ALL THREE OF THEM ARE
                                     ENEMIES WITH EACH OTHER AT SOME POINT, BUT
                                     THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT IF YOU FIGHT
                                     AND FALL, WHO WILL BE THERE TO PICK YOU UP
                                     AFTERWARDS.
LOCATIONS, PROPS AND COSTUMES:
    1. CHAPEL:THIS WAS NEEDED FOR THE WEDDING SCENE BECAUSE WE WANTED THE
       SCENE TO LOOK LIKE IT WASN’T PREPARED FOR – IN OTHER WORDS, A SHOT-GUN
       WEDDING.ELLIE WAS DRESSED IN A PINK DRESS, RATHER THAN WHITE TO SHOW
       THAT THE WEDDING WAS A LAST MINUTE DECISION AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE THAT
       MUCH TIME TO GET READY.SHE ALSO BOUGHT A BUNCH OF RED ROSES TO USE, BUT
       IN THE END, WE DECIDED TO USE JUST ONE BECAUSE IT WAS MORE SIGNIFICANT.
    2. BAMFORD ARMS: WE KNEW THAT THIS PUB NEEDED TO BE USED AS MUCH AS
       POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE NAMESAKE OF THE PROGRAM.
       THE INSIDE SCENES WERE DARK AND SHIFTY, AND FOR GOOD REASON BECAUSE
       THAT WAS WHERE JOHNNY AND MASON WERE PLOTTING RAV’S DOWNFALL. THE
       TWO BOYS WERE DRESSED CASUALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE ENJOYING A NIGHT IN THE
       PUB. THE OUTSIDE SCENES BETWEEN RAV AND BREE NEEDED TO BE BRIGHTER, AS
       THOUGH IT WAS A ‘BEACON OF HOPE’ FOR BREE, BECAUSE SHE FINDS A CONFIDENT
       IN RAV. THE FIGHT WAS ALSO FILMED OUTSIDE, BUT IN THE CAR PARK. WE FELT THIS
       WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE LOCATION FOR THAT SCENE, BECAUSE FIGHTS ALWAYS
       TAKE PLACE IN THE CAR PARK.JOHNNY ALSO USES A PINT GLASS BEFORE THE FIGHT
       STARTS, TO SHOW THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR RAV AND HE HAD BEEN DRINKING –
       HENCE WHY THE TWO BOYS GOT INTO A FIGHT SO EASILY. THE BOYS WERE ALL IN
       CASUAL DRESS TO EMPHASISE THAT THEY WERE AT THE PUB.
    3. STREET: WE WANTED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE CHARACTERS ARE ALL
       WORKING CLASS AND FROM AN OVER-POPULATED TOWN, WHICH IS WHY THE
       STREET WE CHOSE WAS FULL OF TERRACED HOUSES. THE SCENE BETWEEN MASON
       AND KATE WAS FILMED HERE, AS THOUGH THEY JUST CASUALLY BUMPED INTO
       EACH OTHER. THIS CORRESPONDS WITH THE SOAP DRAMA, BECAUSE IN THE
       EPISODES WE SEE ON TV, THE CHARACTERS ALWAYS FOUND EACH OTHER
       INSTANTLY.
    4. PARK: AT FIRST WE WEREN’T SURE WHICH PARK TO USE, SHOULD IT HAVE A PLAY
       AREA? DOES IT HAVE BENCHES? ETC. IN THE END, WE FOUND A PARK THAT HAD
       BOTH, WHICH IS HOW WE GOT THE SHOTS THROUGH THE FENCE. THE FAMILIARITY
       OF THE PARK WITH THE CHARACTERS WAS ESSENTIAL AS WE WANTED IT TO SEEM
       AS THOUGH THEY KNEW THE PARK VERY WELL, AS THOUGH THEY THEMSELVES AS
       KIDS USED TO PLAY IN IT.
    5. ALLEY: WE CHOSE TO DO THE SCENE BETWEEN MASON AND JOHNNY (DOING
       DRUGS) IN AN ALLEY WAY TO EMPHASISE THE DANGERS AND THE SUSPICIOUS
       EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN ONE. WHILST THE CHARACTERS ARE TEENAGERS, THEY STILL
       GET UP TO A LOT OF TROUBLE.WE USED A ZIPPER BAG FILLED WITH SALT TO
       SUBSTITUTE AS DRUGS – WE FOUND THAT IT WAS THE MOST REALISTIC
       SUBSTITUTE.
    6. TOILETS: WE CHOSE TO USE THE COLLEGE TOILETS, TO SHOW THAT THE
       CHARACTERS ARE STILL YOUNG AND YET MANY THINGS ARE GOING WRONG WITH
       THEM, I.E. BREE IS PREGNANT.BREE IS HOLDING A PREGNANCY TEST; THIS WAS THE
       SIMPLEST PROP BECAUSE THE ACTION SPOKE LOUDER THAN ANY OF THE DIALOGUE.
       BREE IS DRESSED IN A DRESS AND CARDIGAN TO SHOW THAT SHE MAY BE GETTING
       READY FOR A NIGHT OUT.
INITIALLY, WE WANTED THE AUDIENCE TO RELATE TO THE CHARACTERS – WE MADE THE
COSTUMES STEREOTYPICAL, BUT ALSO MODERN. AT TIMES, THE COSTUMES PROTRAYED
THE CHARACTERS’ ATTITUDES AND FEELINGS IN THE SITUATIONS: FOR EXAMPLE, SASHA
WEARS A LEATHER JACKET TO SHOW THAT SHE IS MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THE
OTHERS, SHE IS ALSO THE ‘BITCH’ SO IT GIVES HER POWER.

WE RELIED HEAVILY ON NATURAL LIGHTING, WHICH ENDED UP BEING OUR DOWNFALL
WHEN SHOOTING THE OUTSIDE SCENES. HOWEVER, WE GOT PAST IT, EVEN THOUGH IT
MADE THE FIGHT SEEM UNREALISTIC BECAUSE IT TOOK PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.

Evaluation Question 1: Prep for Interview

  • 1.
    EVALUATION QUESTIONS: Preparationfor Interview QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS? CAMERAWORK, EDITING, SOUND AND MISE-EN-SCENE: WE USED TWO SHOTS, SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT’S AND CLOSE UPS TO ALLOW THE AUDIENCE TO SEE THE REAL EMOTION ON THE ACTOR’S FACES. THROUGH RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT MANY OF TODAY’S POPULAR SOAP PROGRAMS USE BCU’S TO CAPTURE THE EMOTION, CREATING TENSION AND CLIMAXES. WE ALSO USED FOOTAGE THT WAS SHOT THROUGH THE FENCE IN A PARK TO MAKE THE AUDENCE FEEL AS THOUGHT THEY ARE SPYING ON THE CHARACTERS AS THEY LIVE THEIR LIVES. THE MUSIC I USED, I FELT, SUITED THE TRAILER AND THE SOAP GENRE BECAUSE IT’S MODERN, HAS GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR ‘THOUGHT BEATS’ IN EDITING AND IT SUITED THE STORIES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN THE SOAP ITSELF. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE HOLLYOAKS TRAILER FOR MERCEDES AND RILEY’S WEDDING: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8bt7M74lA THE COMBINATION OF THE SOUND AND IMAGES SUITED BECAUSE THE MUSIC INCREASED IN TEXTURE AND TEMPO DURING THE FIGHT SEQUENCES, AND CRESCENDOED TOWARDS THE END CREATING A CLIMAX. I LIKED THE IDEA OF A VERY FAST EDITED TRAILER, BUT NOT JUST TO CREATE A CLIMAX, BUT TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE THAT THE CHARACTER’S LIVES ARE JUST AS FAST-PACES AS THEIRS. I USED SLOW-MOTION HEAD TURNS DURING THE TRAILER TO EMPHASISE JUST WHO THE SCENES WERE REFERRING TO AND TO EMPAHSISE THE STORYLINES THEY WERE IN. I PURPOSELY PUT A SLOW MOTION IMAGE OF ALL THE CHARACTERS AT THE END TO TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS INVOLOVED IN THE PLOT. TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INFORMED AND GUESSING AS TO WHAT IS GOING THE HAPPEN IN THE PROGRAM, I CREATED TITLE CARDS USING ‘OneNote’ TO PUT PERIODICALLY IN MY TRAILER. ALL TOGETHER THEY SAY: “ENEMIES COLLIDE, IN A BATTLE OF POWER. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, AND ALL HOPE IS LOST, YOU FIGHT. BUT WHO WILL BE THERE, TO SAVE YOU, WHEN YOU FALL?” THE AUDIENCE KNOW THAT THE BOYS ARE GOING TO FIGHT AND THAT ALL THREE OF THEM ARE ENEMIES WITH EACH OTHER AT SOME POINT, BUT THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT IF YOU FIGHT AND FALL, WHO WILL BE THERE TO PICK YOU UP AFTERWARDS.
  • 2.
    LOCATIONS, PROPS ANDCOSTUMES: 1. CHAPEL:THIS WAS NEEDED FOR THE WEDDING SCENE BECAUSE WE WANTED THE SCENE TO LOOK LIKE IT WASN’T PREPARED FOR – IN OTHER WORDS, A SHOT-GUN WEDDING.ELLIE WAS DRESSED IN A PINK DRESS, RATHER THAN WHITE TO SHOW THAT THE WEDDING WAS A LAST MINUTE DECISION AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME TO GET READY.SHE ALSO BOUGHT A BUNCH OF RED ROSES TO USE, BUT IN THE END, WE DECIDED TO USE JUST ONE BECAUSE IT WAS MORE SIGNIFICANT. 2. BAMFORD ARMS: WE KNEW THAT THIS PUB NEEDED TO BE USED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE NAMESAKE OF THE PROGRAM. THE INSIDE SCENES WERE DARK AND SHIFTY, AND FOR GOOD REASON BECAUSE THAT WAS WHERE JOHNNY AND MASON WERE PLOTTING RAV’S DOWNFALL. THE TWO BOYS WERE DRESSED CASUALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE ENJOYING A NIGHT IN THE PUB. THE OUTSIDE SCENES BETWEEN RAV AND BREE NEEDED TO BE BRIGHTER, AS THOUGH IT WAS A ‘BEACON OF HOPE’ FOR BREE, BECAUSE SHE FINDS A CONFIDENT IN RAV. THE FIGHT WAS ALSO FILMED OUTSIDE, BUT IN THE CAR PARK. WE FELT THIS WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE LOCATION FOR THAT SCENE, BECAUSE FIGHTS ALWAYS TAKE PLACE IN THE CAR PARK.JOHNNY ALSO USES A PINT GLASS BEFORE THE FIGHT STARTS, TO SHOW THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR RAV AND HE HAD BEEN DRINKING – HENCE WHY THE TWO BOYS GOT INTO A FIGHT SO EASILY. THE BOYS WERE ALL IN CASUAL DRESS TO EMPHASISE THAT THEY WERE AT THE PUB. 3. STREET: WE WANTED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE CHARACTERS ARE ALL WORKING CLASS AND FROM AN OVER-POPULATED TOWN, WHICH IS WHY THE STREET WE CHOSE WAS FULL OF TERRACED HOUSES. THE SCENE BETWEEN MASON AND KATE WAS FILMED HERE, AS THOUGH THEY JUST CASUALLY BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER. THIS CORRESPONDS WITH THE SOAP DRAMA, BECAUSE IN THE EPISODES WE SEE ON TV, THE CHARACTERS ALWAYS FOUND EACH OTHER INSTANTLY. 4. PARK: AT FIRST WE WEREN’T SURE WHICH PARK TO USE, SHOULD IT HAVE A PLAY AREA? DOES IT HAVE BENCHES? ETC. IN THE END, WE FOUND A PARK THAT HAD BOTH, WHICH IS HOW WE GOT THE SHOTS THROUGH THE FENCE. THE FAMILIARITY OF THE PARK WITH THE CHARACTERS WAS ESSENTIAL AS WE WANTED IT TO SEEM AS THOUGH THEY KNEW THE PARK VERY WELL, AS THOUGH THEY THEMSELVES AS KIDS USED TO PLAY IN IT. 5. ALLEY: WE CHOSE TO DO THE SCENE BETWEEN MASON AND JOHNNY (DOING DRUGS) IN AN ALLEY WAY TO EMPHASISE THE DANGERS AND THE SUSPICIOUS EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN ONE. WHILST THE CHARACTERS ARE TEENAGERS, THEY STILL GET UP TO A LOT OF TROUBLE.WE USED A ZIPPER BAG FILLED WITH SALT TO SUBSTITUTE AS DRUGS – WE FOUND THAT IT WAS THE MOST REALISTIC SUBSTITUTE. 6. TOILETS: WE CHOSE TO USE THE COLLEGE TOILETS, TO SHOW THAT THE CHARACTERS ARE STILL YOUNG AND YET MANY THINGS ARE GOING WRONG WITH THEM, I.E. BREE IS PREGNANT.BREE IS HOLDING A PREGNANCY TEST; THIS WAS THE SIMPLEST PROP BECAUSE THE ACTION SPOKE LOUDER THAN ANY OF THE DIALOGUE. BREE IS DRESSED IN A DRESS AND CARDIGAN TO SHOW THAT SHE MAY BE GETTING READY FOR A NIGHT OUT. INITIALLY, WE WANTED THE AUDIENCE TO RELATE TO THE CHARACTERS – WE MADE THE COSTUMES STEREOTYPICAL, BUT ALSO MODERN. AT TIMES, THE COSTUMES PROTRAYED
  • 3.
    THE CHARACTERS’ ATTITUDESAND FEELINGS IN THE SITUATIONS: FOR EXAMPLE, SASHA WEARS A LEATHER JACKET TO SHOW THAT SHE IS MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THE OTHERS, SHE IS ALSO THE ‘BITCH’ SO IT GIVES HER POWER. WE RELIED HEAVILY ON NATURAL LIGHTING, WHICH ENDED UP BEING OUR DOWNFALL WHEN SHOOTING THE OUTSIDE SCENES. HOWEVER, WE GOT PAST IT, EVEN THOUGH IT MADE THE FIGHT SEEM UNREALISTIC BECAUSE IT TOOK PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.