Evaluation - Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you fell you have learnt in the progression from it to your full product?

 

Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation - Question 1

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

Goodfellas - Opening Scene - Titles

Goodfellas - Opening Scene - Titles

Starting off with what sounds like a highway in the background the production company is introduced. The background sound foreshadows the actual sequence which occurs in the opening scene. The titles have an effect of speeding through and stopping as if at a pit stop just like racing track/highway, coinciding with the sound. I'm guessing as the movie was released in 1990 technology wasn't advanced enough for actual high way sounds so the next best thing was a race track.

After the two production titles it is made known to the audience, that don't know, that the film is a classic (or at that time bound to be a classic) as it's a Scorsese film. 

Next coming the actors. This is irregular as it starts with Robert De Niro who isn't the main character/star of the movie. However of course De Niro is De Niro and deserves recognition due to being the biggest star in the film, and for this you can tell it was a contrived happening. Ray Liotta, whom the film is actually based on, is next. Followed by the other main actors.

Next is the information that it's based on a true story. This lures the audience in knowing it's a real mob story, also fitting the genre. 

After the hiatus caused by some visuals the setting is shown to the audience through the title of New York and the era of the movie 1970. 

After the opening sequence the title for the movie 'Goodfellas' comes through the racetrack 3 times before stopping, this is for emphasis and to stand out among the titles. Also the title is blood burgundy going with the genre.

Followed by other main contributors to the movie. These follow the same white title on black background colour scheme. The last title being the most important in the director which stands out until the actual film starts.

Overall, the titles are white on a black background. The titles are regular, they hold a two second space in order to be clearly read by the audience. The order is by importance. The fixation is always in the middle in order to stand out as much as possible. The only irregular title is 'Goodfellas' as it's the most important.

Opening Scene - Clockers - Titles

Opening Scene - Clockers - Titles

Starting with the famous universal logo/emblem and title, staying true to always starting with the production company. Then going again after the screen black out to Universal Stuidos in yellow. The title is on a body with a bullet hole in, showing the both the genre and feel of the movie.

The next title is a production company, it's over a bloody handprint and dead body. The next title, being Spike Lee's signature stamp on his films 'A Spike Lee Joint' shares the same background, being a testament to the humble Spike Lee as he doesn't have a separate background for himself. 

After comes to actors, however this is not as regular as the production companies as it uses the metaphor of crime scene taping and zooming in on the crime before the actors name (being the title present) is revealed.

After Mekhi Phifer (Who was only last due to this being the movie that launched him into the hollywood stratosphere), the screen zooms out to see the movie title of 'Clockers'. This follows the same yellow colour way, however this time incorporating red.

This is another rare occurrence, as after the movie title it goes back to the actors. However as it reaches the less significant people, that have to be named for attention (Eg: Sticky Fingaz - because he's a rapper) the titles are in a set of triplets, being a six on the screen for a spilt second before fading away.

After the naming of actors on the titles it goes to the crew consisting of those contributing to the film.

Oddly a main contributor and renown name in Martin Scorsese is put as one of the producers at the end in a set of three, as if to lose his name amongst the titles.

Overall, the titles span from regular to random irregular happenings in that sometimes it will be fluent then will wait for some shots to be sunk into by the audience then a title will appear. The yellow colour scheme is regular throughout and only changes for the movie title.

Audience Feedback

 

I have heeded the feedback and acted upon it. The storyline has been changed to adapt more to the audience. I have done this by changing the scene order and making ellipsis more clear so the storyline's concept is more easily grasped. The scenes that were considered too dark were re-filmed and adapted to make even better story line wise. I also separated the sound from the visuals and put sound in the background to counteract this.

Overall, mass change has come and some criticisms aided this. Such as the criticisms about the story line not being clear. I also edited tighter in order to cut down time and add more mystery as it gives less information and leaves the audience guessing.

Preliminary Sequence

Preliminary Sequence - Evaluation

The first thing noticeable that went well was the delivery of the actual shots used. It seemed like an impossible task when Miss assigned this, saying we had to use a worm's eye view and concept edit among other variations of shots. Then boom, the ideas came flooding in. I instantly knew it would be easy to catch a worms eye view of either me walking down the stairs or entering the room to show my movement and a match-on-action. Rosie also had this idea of using my coffee brown eyes as a metaphor transition to an actual coffee in her hand, seeing that our sequence was some kinda break up/drug intervention (we really had no idea we just went with the flow). The eye concept edit unfortunately didn't work but I learned from it in that if not filmed well enough it really isn't possible to save anything through mere editing and elongating, don't be lazy... just re-film it. The same process taught me that it's best to film till you can't anymore. An example would be the cut of me walking down the corridor to walk into the door or just walk down the corridor in general. This was filmed on for a while so it was be easy to cut and transform into anything due to the flexibility this technique brought about.


We/I also learned that despite being media, acting can honestly make or break the sequence. Another detrimental thing is don't stop and start while filming, my God, having to scourer through 0.4 second - 1.2mins footage splayed all over the place made me wanna pull my hair out.

Overall, I learned that patience really is the key when it comes to filming. Also rough cuts and/or trying to cut corners aren't acceptable, if it doesn't look right to the producer's eye it certainly won't the audience's. When it comes to acting and variation of shots there is no space for complacency, if it isn't good enough re-film and don't be lazy carry on filming to the end.