Own Video Evaluation: 'what are you doing here?'

STRENGTHS

We managed to use a software, that was very new to us, to create a relatively smooth running video. The video used different shot types and different angles to make each clip unique, even though the line spoken stayed the same throughout. We also included different transitions and edits, which we figured out how to do with a little bit of help. This video helps to show us what we have left to learn about the software and about filming in general; it can help us improve our knowledge and skill for our final film and for the future.

WEAKNESSES

As we learn to use Adobe, we will learn how to better edit and compose our shots. We didn't really think about composition whilst filming, which is why when we went to edit the footage, we had to flip, crop and move some of the shots. We hadn't learnt about any of the continuity rules either, which we also had to go back and fix in editing. 

USE OF SOFTWARE 

Using Adobe Premiere Elements for the first time was interesting as it was new to the both of us. We didn't know what most of the buttons did but, after we got some help, we soon understood most of what we were doing. Inserting the clips and ordering them was the easy part, as all we had to do was drag and drop the footage into the video bar. The difficult part came when we started to edit the footage. We found it hard to fix the composition as it was not very straight forward as to how to flip and crop the clip accurately, without ruining the quality too much. We also found it hard to get the transitions right (i.e. zooming in at the end of the clip). This was also not clear and took a little bit of YouTube searching and tutorial watching to get it more or less right. We got the hang of the software eventually, but I think we need a bit more practice before we get it perfect. 

TARGETS

In the future, after a bit of practice, we will hopefully get better at composition and editing. We will know how to film the shots correctly so that we don't have to edit too much, but we will also know how to edit any mistakes we make, such as continuity errors. We will also know how to use sound, camera and editing to create different atmospheres and emotions for different genres. This will help us when it comes to filming our final film. 

Continuity in Film: Match On Action

Match on action, or cutting on action, is an editing technique used in continuity editing where one shot cuts to another view that matches the first shot's action. This creates a visual bridge which will ensure the audience don't take notice of the cut or any continuity errors. By carefully matching the action in the two shots, the editor makes the motion seem uninterrupted. 

A common example is a man walking up to a door and reaching for the handle. Just as his hand touches the handle, the scene cuts to a shot of the door opening from the other side. Although the two shots may have actually been shot hours apart from each other, cutting on action gives the impression of continuous time when watching the edited film.

Continuity in Film: Rule of Thirds

The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. This creates more tension and creates a more interesting composition rather than just putting things in the centre. Ideally, the points of interest should occur 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up or across the frame. Usually, the lower third or upper third line will be where the horizon sits, whilst the primary focus of the shot will remain on an intersection point.

The main reason for using the rule of thirds is to discourage the subject from being at the centre, or prevent the horizon from "dividing" the picture in half. When the subject is placed in 1/3 of the frame, the remaining 2/3 of the frame balances out the subject with some sort of context. This is because, if you have 2/3 of the frame to use, you can fill it with all sorts of visual aesthetics that can help aid the storyline.

Continuity in Film: Shot Reverse Shot

Shot reverse shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.The shots you should have for a basic shot reverse shot are: a two-shot of the characters usually in wide or medium shot; an over the shoulder shot on character A; and an over the shoulder shot on character B. Shot reverse shot is used with the 180-degree rule.

For example, in a shot-reverse shot sequence of two characters having a conversation, the first shot is a character looking towards the second character (who is offscreen). The second shot would be a shot, from the reverse angle, of the second character looking back at the first character. The shot-reverse-shot sequence will cut between these shots and will usually include a wide or establishing shot to break them apart. 

Continuity in Film: 180 Degree Rule

The 180-degree rule states that two characters in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another. The rule states that the camera should remain on the same side of the invisible axis. This is because the axis connects the characters; by keeping the camera on one side of the axis for every shot in the scene, the first character is always on the right of the second character and vice versa. This helps to not disorient the audience.

For example, in a dialogue between two characters, if the camera remains on one side of the axis, the relationship between the two characters will continue from shot to shot, even if one of the characters is not on screen. Moving the shot to the other side of the characters will reverse the order of the characters from left to right will confuse the audience into thinking the characters are talking to themselves instead of to each other. Another example is in a car chase. If a vehicle leaves from the right side of the frame during the first shot, it should then re- enter from the left side of the frame in the next shot. Leaving from the right and entering from the right will also create a sense of confusion within the audience. 

When the camera passes over the invisible axis, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes a reverse angle. A reverse angle will disorient the viewer by showing an opposing viewpoint of the scene, by altering the perspective of the scene and the relationship between the characters established in the original shot. To avoid this disorientation of the audience, the camera could move in the scene to show the audience that it is from a different angle or viewpoint. 

'Rush' Analysis: Opening 2 Minutes

The opening scene begins with a long shot of a stormy sky - connoting tension and possibly anger. This later relates to the competitiveness and tension between the two driving rivals.  We cut from this shot to an eye surveying the clouds - thoughtful and pensive.  Niki Lauda is considering not only his upcoming race - but his place in the world.  This idea, explored through symbolism, is then referred to directly in the monologue from Lauda - 'who would do a job like this?' 

We cut to a long shot of the road and the panning is used to take the audience towards a medium shot of Lauder in his car.  The use of the words on the screen help to set the scene and helps us to understand what the film will be about and who it centres around. We focus on the road - the track - momentarily before this to show the significance of the track itself, it symbolises adventure and mystery whilst connoting to the path the drivers have taken within their lives. We then focus on the medium shot of Niki himself in his car, looking focused and prepared to race. 

This cuts to a long shot showing Niki on one side and his rival on the other. Niki is looking focused on the race whilst his opponent is looking slightly more focused on the paparazzi. There is light shining from the cameras on the opponent whilst there are shadows cutting across Niki. This shows a direct comparison between the two. There are then close-ups of the two - Niki is focused and shows a stern look on his face whilst his rival is smiling for the cameras. This also shows a direct comparison of the two. 

After this, there is a sequence of shots cutting from car to car, using medium shots, high shots and close-ups. The continuous cutting creates a fast-paced nature to the scene, relating to the sport itself. The scene then cuts to close-ups of the engine. The jolting camera creates the effect of the heat from the engine and the power of the engine as well. 

The panning birds-eye view of the track as well as the close-ups of the rivals' eyes, helps to create tension and intrigue within the scene. The scene cuts very quickly across from the pedal to the speed gauge to the different cars at different angles very quickly. This, again, creates a fast pace for the scene. 

The fading out to black right at the end creates a cliff hanger, intriguing the audience to continue watching to see what happens. 

'Hitch' Analysis: Opening 2 Minutes

In the beginning of the scene, we hear music which is quite happy and upbeat. We also have ambient sound to make it seem more realistic. This shows the audience what type of film it may be and what genre they are about to watch, as films such as horror do not have happy and upbeat music in them. The camera cuts from one person to another and back again. It shows the evolution of how three different couples meet and fall in love. 

This is all whilst someone, whom we can assume is the main character, is doing a monologue voice-over. This helps to set the story and tells us who he is. It also shows us that the film will most likely centre around him. The monologue makes the audience trust him and focus on him throughout the opening. The monologue cuts from being a voice-over to him being in the scene and speaking to the camera. This makes the audience feel involved in the story and as if they are in the film talking to him. The monologue repeats "basic principles" at the beginning and at the end of the scene. This relates to the language aimed towards the audience and perhaps shows what the movie will be about. 

The continuous cutting from couple to couple makes the scene feel fast-paced and keeps the audience intrigued to see what is going to happen next in their relationships. The fast pace is also shown by the smooth way he completes tasks, such as passing on the dog. The way he walks around and speaks with such confidence makes him likeable to the audience and be the person that the audience hope to meet or hope to be. The use of rack focus as he stands across the street makes him seem important to the different couples' stories as it always comes back to him. We then cut to an establishing shot of New York City, which we can infer is going to be the main location for the movie. 

'Sweet Home Alabama' Analysis: Opening 2 Minutes

In the beginning of the scene, the music is quite happy and is very obviously country music which helps to set the scene for the movie. The camera pans across the stormy sky and the beach, creating an atmospheric mood and also helping to further set the scene for the audience. The storm is very loud and dramatic which greatly contrasts the happy music. This contrast possibly alludes to the relationship between the children, or later as adults. A long shot of the beach then shows the children running. This makes us think that these are the main characters and that this moment is important to the story. The way that the children are shown to come into focus after the lightning hits, shows the importance of them in the moment and in the movie.

We then see the use of close-ups in a shot-reverse-shot of the children. This shows their connection and the nerves between them. It helps to show how each of them is feeling towards the other. Their accents as they speak are quite obviously Southern, which helps to, again, set the scene and the story. The music slows down to increase the amount of suspense within this part of the scene. The medium shot zooming in to a close-up of their kiss shows us that they're an important piece to the story and they are who the audience should relate to. 

When the lighting strikes a second time, the music dims in comparison to the sound of the storm. The fact that it strikes twice (which is extremely rare) shows the use of foreshadowing and symbolism to suggest something might happen later on in the characters' lives and their stories. The extreme close-up of her face shows the fear in her eyes. The burst of light across her face, in slow motion, similar to when someone dies in a movie, connotes peace and tranquility which strongly contrasts the stormy, angry weather. The scene then cuts to her dreaming about that time. The dreaming aspect contrasts the storm, however the fact that she is dreaming about that particular moment in her life makes us wonder about why its so important, which is what the movie goes on to show.

Target Audience Anaylsis: Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy Films: The Top Ten Cliches

Romantic comedies usually start with some kind of monologue from the lead character whilst we see an establishing shot of where the film is going to primarily take place or what the overall theme of the film may be. We get to learn about all the characters within the first five minutes, even if it isn't totally obvious. The general theme within these films is that love is an obstacle course with great rewards should the main characters follow correctly. It shows a good person is hard to find and nothing can pull them away from who they're meant to be with. 

1. 'Happily Ever After' is always the main theme in romantic comedies. In most rom-coms, the main characters are introduced as complete opposites yet the audience are able to see how perfect they are together. Th aspect of separate lives features heavily also however, the film always ends up in some sort of relationship or even at the alter. 

2. Just when everything is going alright and the audience is content with how the film is going, a twist happens, where the result of 'happily ever after' seems very far away. Usually this comes down to misfortune. However, some twists, such as car crashes or sudden divorce, can bring two people together (eg. 'Titanic' or 'Twister'). 

3. The film usually begins with the lead being involved with love interest #2. Love interest #2 is always going to be someone inappropriate or makes the audience wonder what the lead sees in them. This is seen as dramatic irony as they will never end up together. This is seen in almost all rom-coms, specifically in 'Notting Hill', 'Sweet Home Alabama' and '(500) Days of Summer'.

4. The film goes on to introduce love interest #1, who is considered the perfect person. The woman usually initially hates the man, as shown in '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Guys and Dolls'. The man also usually finds the woman annoying, as shown in '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Ten'. Love interest #1 is the person the audience likes and warms to and the person the lead character generally starts to fall for.

5. The film then goes on to, more often than not,have a fight between the two love interests. Usually over the girl and love interest #1 usually wins, to the pleasure of the audience.

6. Rom-coms always have relatable lead characters. This is what draws women in to watch it in the first place. It makes the film itself more relatable and more enjoyable. 

7. The lead characters will always go through one or multiple embarrassing moments in front of their love interests. 

8. The most iconic scene of any rom-com is the airport or taxi scene where love interest #1 realises that they've made a mistake and decide to go back and get the love of their life. This usually involves a grand romantic gesture of some kind towards the lead character and ties the whole film together at the end. 

9. Parents in rom-coms are always characterised in a specific way. The mother is usually over-involved but lovable and the father is usually befuddled. Sometimes these roles are reversed but only very rarely.

10. The lead female usually has a helpless best friend who is very supportive but doesn't really know what they're going through. The male lead also usually has a best friend who is a slob but the audience can't help but love them.

An example of a cliched romantic comedy is 'Dirty Dancing'. The trailer is below.

In 1963, Frances "Baby" Houseman, a sweet daddy's girl, goes with her family to a resort in upstate New York's Catskill Mountains. Baby has grown up in privileged surroundings and all expect her to go on to college, join the Peace Corps and save the world before marrying a doctor, just like her father. Unexpectedly, Baby becomes infatuated with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle, a man whose background is vastly different from her own. Baby lies to her father to get money to pay for an illegal abortion for Johnny's dance partner. She then fills in as Johnny's dance partner and it is as he is teaching her the dance routine that they fall in love. It all comes apart when Johnny's friend falls seriously ill after her abortion and Baby gets her father, who saves the girl's life. He then learns what Baby has been up to, who with and worse - that he funded the illegal abortion. (IMDb, Written by Amanda W, amended by Linda C.)

'Dirty Dancing' encompasses many cliches of romance films. It joins a sheltered rich girl with a illiterate boy from a very different background to her. Her over-bearing father is very critical of her and her actions, which means she must rebel against her parents to do what she thinks is right. It is primarily about following your heart and not your head and about immense social change. It finishes with a memorable happy ending about finding the perfect person. 

'The Mechanic' Analysis: Opening 2 Minutes

The first part of the scene - the close-up of the watch - helps the audience to see the wealth of the supposed antagonist. The establishing shot of the inside of the house and pool show us this also. This man is supposed to be the one the audience do not like and do not warm to. The mysterious sound motif when he puts the watch down also hints at this negative feeling towards the antagonist. The sound gets blurred as he goes into the water, making it sound as if the audience are underwater too. The struggle he faces whilst underwater is enhanced with the shaky camera actions and the louder sounds of the men to make the audience feel like they are there in the scene. 

We cut from the struggle underwater to the seemingly peaceful contrast out of the pool in the house and back again, creating a shot reverse shot with contrasting atmospheres to keep the audience enthralled. The dangerous sounding non-diegetic music adds to the tension during this part of the scene. We then cut from a close-up of the antagonist floating away to a medium shot of the protagonist changing. This is a convention of action films. The close-ups of his angry face and the prevalence he is given shows the audience who the film is based around and who to focus on. 

The audience can see the comparison of the two men. The protagonist is shown to be muscular and emotionally distant whereas the antagonist is shown to be scrawny, much weaker and physically unable to fight back. These are both conventions of action films which the opening conforms to. Another convention is the slow-motion jump at the end. It slows the pace of the film down where it was previously quite fast paced as we cut from location to location in the house. The long shot of the classic jump on to the boat is dramatised with the slow motion, to create more tension in the scene before leaving it on a cliffhanger in the opening titles. 

'Expendables 2' Analysis: Opening 5 Minutes

In the beginning of the opening, the sound begins to pick up into an adventure type music sequence. This is non-diegetic sound in the background and continues throughout the scene with the more predominant sound of guns, the vehicles and buildings being destroyed in the foreground. The music makes the story seem fast paced and adds to the suspense and power of the opening scene.

During the beginning, the camera cuts from close-up to close-up of each of the characters in 'The Expendables' team. We see the determination in their faces to finish whatever it is they have started and makes the audience wonder what has happened and makes them want to continue watching to find out. It shows the audience that these are the people we should be focusing on and showing their importance to the story. The quick cuts all around and the movement of the camera makes the audience feel like they are there with them. It stimulates confusion and intrigue as the camera follows all of the characters around the scene without really knowing where the scene is taking place. This creates a fast pace for the audience to keep up with which is contrasted in the dark room with the antagonists as they aren't really moving around.

We see an establishing shot of the town being destroyed with bright coloured flames surrounding and contrasting the bleak beige of the location. This cuts to a two shot in the vehicle, making the audience feel that they are in the scene with the actors. The characters each show their talents and pairings in each of their parts of the scene, which helps the audience to understand who to follow and who the film will continue to focus on. It then cuts to the group of antagonists with a hostage in a dark room and when one of them tells the other to shut the door, it is in another language. This conforms to the convention of antagonists being foreign.  

The heavy gunshots and explosions, although in longer shots, are prevalent as they are very much obvious due to their sound and powerful nature in the scene. We focus on these, showing that it may continue during the rest of the film. It also conforms to the convention of having violence and explosions all around, helping to attract the target audience. The opening itself is very much in-your-face. This is common as it helps to set in stone the theme for the rest of the film and keeps people intrigued from the very beginning. 

Target Audience Analysis: Action

Action Films: The Top Ten Cliches

There are many different types of action film, from classic beat-down gun violence to ninja martial arts to medieval and 11th Century battles. They all have similar cliches with some difference for example, in a martial arts action film you would see people jumping from wall to wall, which you wouldn't see in 11th Century battles. 

1. Action films generally contain a group of assassins (usually Navy Seals or mercenaries) who come together to complete one last dangerous mission before retiring. Some of the men usually don't want to get involved and one of them will eventually enter to save his friends and ultimately die in the process. The leader will try to preserve his unit by telling them to leave but they most certainly will not. The leader will, most often than not, have a backstory of a mission in which he 'lost his soul' and is struggling to redeem any dignity from it. 

2. Action heroes generally have extreme upper body musculature. This usually attributes to the shirtless scenes that always seem to occur in action films.  These heroes generally go up against a villain or a rival who do not have the same level of muscularity as the protagonist.

3. The action heroes are commonly stabbed in the back by rivals from their organisation or the government or somebody they used to know etc. This is used as the basis for the 'Rambo' movies as well as 'The A-Team', 'Iron Man', 'The Losers' and '300'. 

4. The women in action films are usually one of two things. They are either passive femmes fatales or crusading rebels. However, they never get to drive or use any kind of hidden nuclear weapon. This shows that there is very little use for women in action films.

5. The antagonists are usually heavily accented and foreign - usually Russian, Serbian or from another eastern European country - stemming from 'Taken', 'Eastern Promises' and 'xXx'. Another stereotype of villains is that they are cigar-smoking thugs from across the border, untrustworthy Arabs or bureaucrats from Washington or London. Most commonly, a psycho with an eye patch works well. 

6. Another convention of action films is the eventual need for impromptu surgery after a dangerous fall or heroic event of some kind. The surgery is usually done self-administered by the hero in a remote location ready to fight the villain once again.

7. There are no cars whatsoever in action films. These are traded for helicopters and assault vehicles instead. These are more useful for battering buildings down etc. Usually, the helicopter ends up in a big crash and a fiery inferno throughout one of the initial or major scenes. 

8. Action films, without a doubt, contain enough violence to last a lifetime. From a stream of guns blaring from every angle to assault vehicles and trucks smashing into each other to fires and explosions burning all around.

9. Both the villains and the heroes all end up with a cliched line that it said over and over and is eventually what the film - and the character - is known for. These lines become iconic in the film industry, no matter how cliched the audience think they are.

10.  Slow motion features heavily in action films as it creates more tension and more drama in the scene. Slow motion scenes are usually when the hero makes a giant leap for something, or when a woman gets punched in the face, or when the villain gets a bullet through the skull or even when the hero gets, literally, stabbed in the back. 

An example of a cliched action film is 'The Expendables'. The trailer is below. 

'Barney Ross leads the 'Expendables', a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas, martial arts expert Yin Yang, heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitionist Toll Road and loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen. When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church to assassinate the merciless dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee head to the remote locale to scout out their opposition. Once there, they met with local rebel Sandra and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city. When they escape the island and Sandra stays behind, Ross must choose to either walk away and save his own life - or attempt a suicidal rescue mission that might just save his soul.'

(IMDb, Written by The Massie Twins)

Shown primarily as a rip off of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 classic, 'The Wild Bunch', 'The Expendables' is about "over-the-hill gunslingers" who aim to defeat their Spanish enemies. They risk their lives to save the one Spanish person they like whilst being tracked by one of their former teammates. They eventually succumb to a crisis of conscience which makes them return to "finish the job". The film is completed with a cast of former matinee idols. These things are all the same as in 'The Wild Bunch', making the two films very easy to compare and criticise. 

'Jeepers Creepers' Analysis: Chase-Scene

The scene opens with an extended two shot of the stereotypical teenagers as they are driving - this creates realism and helps to build tension, with the target audience expecting this to lead to something more dramatic and tense. We then cut to a long shot of a house in the woods which is conventional for the genre. The movement from the car makes us feel like we are viewing the house ourselves, as if we are there, and this creates more tension and suspense. 

The scene then cuts back and forth from the teenagers to the house, making it faster paced, creating a sense of danger and further entices the audience. The panning around the mysterious man as the trees block our view, make us feel like we are again in the car with them and makes us feel the sense of urgency and danger that the couple are feeling in that moment. The shaky camera shots as the truck comes up behind them again, shows a sense of danger and makes it more fast paced as we again cut back and forth from the truck to the couple in the car. 

During the cutting back and forth, there is non-diegetic sound of some orchestral music, mainly consisting of violins and a deep drum - sort of like the sound motif in 'Jaws'. This comes in and out of the scene at more of the tense moments to create a larger sense of urgency and danger for the audience. This type of music is conventional in a horror film. This music turns slightly adventurous yet still urgent as the scene cuts, again, quicken between the teenagers and the truck. The close-ups of the teenagers' faces throughout show their fear and their dread about what will happen next. This makes the audience feel the same way and encourages them to keep watching.