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Qualitative Research analysis
What themes or issues can you see?
In asking this question I aim to show that the audience
of my storyboard understand the theme of my intro.
Direct Reference:
‘An issue I see is anxiety as the woman is unable to
leave her house and she could possibly have OCD and/or an issue with sitting
still as she changes her socks a lot and other things.’
‘The issues I see is a sense of nervousness and anxiety
for the woman when trying to go outside. It suggests to me that she has a deep
fear of the world which may prevent her from her life.’
Discrete Analysis:
Both interviewees caught on to the theme of mental
health and the OCD of the woman in her home.
However, the interviewees explained their points
differently for example the ways in which the OCD was shown.
The first interviewee said that OCD is shown through
the change of socks and not being able to sit still. Whereas, interviewee two
talked of how her deep issues made her fear the world and caused problems in
her daily life.
Conclusions:
Both interviewees were able to identify the running
theme of OCD and anxiety caused by feeling trapped in her own home. They also
both said that the woman had a nervous nature and it affected her life.
Action Statement:
OCD was clearly recognised in the storyboard by the two
interviewees, I used mental health as an issue because there are a lot of
different mental health sectors and Agoraphobia is not a very well - known one.
The storyboard links to the audience understanding because what I tried to
convey through my storyboard was clear to the interviewees and they understood
the issues I was trying to put across.
Is the Storyline interesting to you?
The aim of this question is to find out how successful
my intro would be with my target audience.
Direct Reference:
‘I find the storyboard interesting as the person is
unique and different, and it looks as if her daily activities are not the usual
boring tasks you usually see’.
‘Yes, from an audience perspective we typically do not
fear the outside so seeing the protagonist face this fear is captivating for
me’.
‘The storyline seems interesting because I would like
some explanation of the protagonists odd behaviours’.
Discrete Analysis:
All participants in my qualitative survey talked of
their interest in the storyline of my intro and how they liked the idea because
of the odd characteristics and the unusual behaviour.
The interest shown by the participants is seen because
what catches their eye is the unique actions, behaviour and idiosyncrasies, and
how being stuck in her home makes her actions different to the tasks of people
living a normal life.
Conclusions:
In conclusion all participants saw interest for my
intro and this meant that I knew my intro would appeal to my target audience.
Action Statement:
I asked this question to my participants because I
needed to know how far my intro storyline fit into my target audience age
group. Because they all said this storyline interested them this made it easier
for me because I knew that when making the intro I could relax a little knowing
it would appeal to a larger group of people.
Can you see any Social Realism conventions, if so what
are they?
I aim to find out if my audience thinks that my film
intro fits into the genre and is a realistic issue that interests them.
Direct Reference:
‘Some conventions of Social Realism can be identified
in this storyboard, for example the woman appears to live in a small house
suggesting she is working class and the subject matter of mental illness which
is not a very talked about issue’.
‘I can see some Social Realism conventions such as the
use of location, as it is set in her home, it emphasises on the presented
issues and the face of the protagonist is not shown in the first four shots;
making the audience intrigued in who she is’.
Discrete Analysis:
All participants in my survey agreed that the location
of my intro was conventional and that it emphasises the issues she faces and
the class she is categorised into.
The differences between responses were how the shots
made up the personality of the character. In one response the participant talks
of how the home brings out a part of her personality and tells the audience a
bit about the character. Whereas the other participant talks about the mystery
in not seeing the characters face and how this
gives the audience a need to carry on watching and figure out her full
personality, as by not seeing her face the only connotations we find out are
that she is shy and scared.
Conclusions:
In conclusion all participants found at least one
convention in my intro and were able to explain why it was conventional to the
genre.
Action Statement:
The house was clearly recognised as being conventional
of the Social Realism genre through its real location and size creating an
image of the working class for the audience. My aim for this question was to
find out if my intro was conventional enough to fit into the Social Realism
genre and be clear to the audience what was going on in the intro that links to
other films of the same genre.
What technical elements are included?
I aim to figure out from the responses what I have used
and what I need to include when filming.
Direct Reference:
‘There are different
angles and there is a use of shallow focus and other technical codes such as
POV shots, an establishing shot and match on action so there is a good use of
technical codes’.
‘Different camera angles
have been employed to create meaning, as well as the use of mise en scene to
emphasise the representation of the main character’.
‘Technical elements such
as non – diegetic music, different camera shots e.g. POV shots, jump cuts for
editing and interesting mise en scene can all be seen in the storyboard’.
Discrete Analysis:
The participants of my
survey were all aware of the shot variety shown in my storyboard and how it
brought interest to the audience and how the use of non – diegetic sound was a
good use of technical elements.
Some interviewees
explained their reasoning of which technical codes are used in the intro and others
only explained which areas of technical codes were included but not the
specifics of it.
Conclusions:
All of my peers in my
survey could see a range of technical elements in my storyboard, mostly in
camerawork but also in other areas as well. The participants explained in their
different answers that they could see all 4 areas that make up a film, which
means I have used a wide range of ideas to create an idea for a project I am
excited about.
Action Statement:
It was clear to the
interviewees that I wanted to use a range of technical elements and that I
wanted to make it as good as possible with the range of things I could use. My
aim with the technical elements was to make a product that I could be proud of
using what I have been taught throughout the media course, by using a variety
of shots in my intro it makes the filming look better, and cutting the match on
action in the right place is important because it gives it a more professional
look.
Could I have included more issues alongside this one?
I wanted to find out from
my audience what other issues could possibly be used to tie in with my
storyline and create a better product.
Direct reference:
‘You could have included
some darker issues that perhaps more people would be able to relate to/
understand. Perhaps there could have been another character involved to display
the protagonist’s ability/ disability to form close relationships’.
‘No, I feel as though if
you included more issues, it may take away the focus on the main meaning you’re
creating’.
‘You could have included
issues such as relationship issues/ family issues between the character and
people in her life’.
Discrete analysis:
Most of my interviewees
noted that I could add in more issues to my intro to link in to my issue of
mental illness and the reasons for it as well as how it can affect a person,
perhaps I could have included depression through her being trapped in her own
home. Or I could have included family issues as a factor in her Agoraphobia.
There was a disagreement
in one response because the participant said that by adding more issues to the
intro then it would take away from the main issue of Agoraphobia and that is
not something that I want to happen.
Conclusions:
I could have possibly
added more issues and made more backstory through those issues, but it may take
away from the original storyline and issue of Agoraphobia which is not a very
common topic discussed through film and not many people understand what it is
or why it is a mental illness.
Action Statement:
Through this question I
wanted to find out how the audience thought my film fit into different
categories of issues and how I could improve these by adding more issues or
whether they thought that it didn’t need any more help to make it better. By
asking these questions I was able to gather the opinions of my peers and what
issues they thought audiences might enjoy seeing more.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
grace johansson main task as media first cut
First Cut Comments:
Whilst doing the first edit and cut of my social realism introduction I noticed some successes and some things I need to improve in my introduction to help me achieve a better grade.
A success of my first edit of the main task was that the low - key lighting created a sad and dark mood and helped to set the tone of my intro, the contrast between the low - key lighting inside the house and the high - key lighting outside of the house shows the darkness and anxiousness that lingers in her home and that there is a whole world full of opportunities and brightness just outside of her home that her fear is stopping her from entering. The shots that have been created fit with my theme and came out mostly how I wanted them to which is a success and I got a good cut for the match on action which was good because I was worried it wouldn't work very well.
There were issues I noticed when I was going through the footage I had collected, one of those was the amount of space within the frame, the camera I used had a square LCD screen, whereas the video films in widescreen, so when I started filming the frame cut off some of the footage because it could not show widescreen footage on a square screen. This was a problem because when I wanted to film a shot it was difficult for me to tell whether or not the whole space would be in the frame. Another issue and improvement I needed to make was the shots in-between moments of action, there are some shots in the bedroom and then it cuts straight to the downstairs which doesn't make any sense because she would not just appear there magically from upstairs to downstairs. The tripod was a struggle for me personally because I had trouble with the leaver, whilst filming the leaver would get stuck when I tried to pan or create movement which made it harder to get the shots I needed.
Evaluation Question 7
Theme Music
External Speaker: You are now listening to Down with Film hosted by
[Host name]
Host: Good morning and welcome to Down with Film, I’m [Host name] and
today we are going to be discussing the experience of creating ‘the Woman who
was never seen’ with new film director Grace Johansson.
Theme music
Host: ‘the Woman who was never seen’ is a new feature length film that
tells the story of what it’s like living in fear of leaving your own home, and
the struggles faced being trapped from the outside world. The story follows
Olivia, a 34 year old woman with Agoraphobia, meaning she is afraid to leave
her home and go to explore a new place. Her fear was caused by a mugging that
happened 12 years ago and still haunts her to this day. Being her first feature
length film Grace is certainly making a jump into the competitive industry of
film. In fact I am joined by Grace now in the studio. Hi Grace, how are you?
Grace: Hi [Host name], I’m very good thank you
Host: For those who are not familiar with your work, what techniques did
you learn from your preliminary training task that helped when you came to the
beginning of your film?
Grace: For my preliminary task I had to be able to execute different
shot types, the 180 degree rule and match on action correctly and create a
script for the characters to use. I learnt how to correctly frame a shot which
would help when it came to filming my main task as the look of the film would
be clearer cut and better quality for the audience to view. The preliminary
task gave me full control of the setup and content meaning I took on a
leadership role which allowed me to practice for the actual filming. Through my
preliminary task my knowledge of shot types increased and allowed me to think
about how I could use my newfound knowledge to make my film introduction as
good as possible.
Host: Apart from camera framing and shot sizes what other techniques did
you use in ‘the Woman who was never seen’?
Grace: As a part of my film I included camera movement as well as using
real life titles to create verisimilitude for the audience. I also had more
knowledge of shot sizes and the correct ways of framing them.
Host: Did you find that you needed to do a lot of planning for your main
task?
Grace: Whilst creating my preliminary task all I needed to generate was
a short handwritten script that was easy for the actors to remember in the
scene. To guide me through my main task I had to create storyboards to help me
when trying to make the action flow in my intro, I drafted my storyboard 3
times before I was happy with the way the shots were laid out and that I had
included titles and where the shots were going to be, as well as what type of
shot they were. For my main task I had to acquire forms of consent for the
actors, write out a list of costume, make – up and hair and props needed in the
shots, as well as a health and safety form so that all of the concerns were
noted and dealt with. For scheduling I had to create a filming schedule as
planning for when I was going to film each shot and to make sure I was able to
get them all filmed. I also created an intro breakdown to show what the general
idea of each scene was going to be. I did not need a script for my main task as
my intro was more abstract and showed emotion through the actions of the
character, dialogue was not needed because the character is alone in her own
home and she does not go out and socialise with other people.
Host: What difference was made between the filming of the preliminary
task and the filming of the main task in terms of hair, make – up, costume and
props?
Grace: For my preliminary task I did not need to worry about using
props, costume, hair and make – up as it was not being used to create a certain
representation or show a personality of a character. In my main task I used 4
pairs of socks to add effect and show the hint of OCD in Olivia’s personality
caused by her Agoraphobia and the madness that comes with the fear of leaving
your own home. In terms of hair and make – up there was not a huge need for it,
however in itself this created the effect of her attitude towards her image and
how she doesn’t need to try and look entirely stylish and presentable because
she is not going out anywhere to impress anyone. I use a wide shot in my main
task in which Olivia is shown organising objects on the table, this again is a
sign of OCD because the table is not particularly messy however she is still
organising it, and she doesn’t sit still for too long as she is anxious and
bored due to her everyday routine being almost the same.
Host: Between finishing your preliminary task and filming your main task
what did you learn about filming techniques?
Grace: In between filming both tasks I learnt how to set the white
balance of a shot to make the colour brighter and of a better quality, I also
became aware of how to use a tripod with a lever and did practice shots with
panning and tilting to help me familiarise myself with the equipment.
Host: What areas of representation as well as themes and issues were you
trying to display?
Grace: For my intro I was trying to create an overall representation of
disability that went hand in hand with the themes and issues of traumatic
experiences, crime and Agoraphobia, these being very helpful in creating the
framework of my intro and the content I want to produce in my intro. Whereas
for my main task I was creating an area of representation in the form of a film,
for my preliminary task I had no areas of representation or themes and issues I
had to include to gain marks, therefore there has been progression of my
storyboards to include more detail and what my main content will be about.
Host: What is different in the filming of your preliminary task and your
main task?
Grace: In my preliminary task there is no camera movement used to create
effect, whereas I have added this into my main task to follow the actions of
the character. In my preliminary task there was shot reverse shot close – ups
of the characters faces, in my main task there was no dialogue or more than one
character therefore this was not needed. I also added shots that were the same
one after the other with different costume for effect. I have made a
progression from my preliminary task by using a wider range of shots to boost
the look of the film, these shots include an exterior shot, an establishing
shot and a point of view shot.
Host: Why did you decide to make these choices in filming?
Grace: I made these choices for filming my main task because the camera
movements helps the audience to follow the scene and feel like they are a part
of the film, the shots that were repeated in my main task with different
costume were used as a hint for the audience as to the personality of the
character and to show what went on in her life. Through the use of the same
shot with different costume it allows the audience to see Olivia’s life with
OCD and how it has been caused by not being able to leave because of her fear
of the outside world.
Host: How did the techniques you used affect the overall product?
Grace: The techniques used in my main task such as camera movement,
match on action, wide shots and similar shots allowed the film to flow and it
created an insight for the audience as to how the character thought and what
they did with their life whilst living in fear of the outside world. Due to the
fact that there was no dialogue in the intro it allowed the audience to really
focus on the actions of Olivia and how actions speak louder than words in some
situations.
Host: Why did you not use a white balance setting whilst filming?
Grace: My camera that I was filming on came from my home and it sets
white balance automatically therefore there was no need for me to activate it
myself and set it up, the camera adjusted itself to the lighting and setting,
therefore it meant filming was a lot easier and took less time. Having an
automatic white balance setting was easier for me because I am not the best at
preparing my camera for white balance filming which means the camera settings
are helping me get a smooth finish without having to set up a white balance I
would not be happy with.
Host: Whilst filming the main task did you find there was a lot more of
a process that you had to go through before you could start filming than when
filming your preliminary task?
Grace: For my main task I had to get permission to film in the location
I had chosen, I then had to get my actor (my friend Anna) to ask her parents to
sign a release form for me so that I had the consent to film her. I had to
create a health and safety chart for regulations and to show that my location
was safe to film in, and also fill out numerous forms to show the things I
would need to create my intro. Lastly I had to create a filming schedule so
that I was able to get all the filming done in time. However, during my
preliminary task I did not need to fill out any of these forms because it was a
short script that was filmed in a classroom at school where the actors were sat
at a table the entire time.
Host: What did you learn through filming?
Grace: I have learnt that trying to pan and tilt whilst someone is
walking and sitting down is very difficult because there is only so fast a
camera can pan and tilt so if a person walks at a certain speed or are a
certain height it is extremely difficult to get the shot right. I also learnt
that it is important to use what is in the shot frame to compose an image of
what the character is actually like.
Host: Why did you use these techniques?
Grace: These techniques helped to distinguish between my character and
the rest of the world that she was scared of, as well as showing how her daily
tasks differ from everyone else’s especially the fact that her outfit has to
fit exactly the way she wants it too and tries on many items before deciding.
Host: In terms of editing, what was different about the two tasks?
Grace: For my 2 tasks my editing was done on Imovie which is quite
simple to use. I included simple cuts that did not need much changing and
editing for my preliminary task as it was simple filming and was not a complex
storyline as the script was small and had only 4 shot types. Contrasting this I
used a lot of longer and short cuts one after the other to couple effect with
the plot of my intro. I had to keep checking the length of my intro in my main
task because it could only go up to 10 seconds over 2 minutes and it was
difficult to keep within the time frame with all the shots I had filmed.
Host: In your preliminary task did you face any struggles and did you overcome
these struggles in the editing of your main task?
Grace: Whilst editing my preliminary task I found it difficult to cut
the match on action in the right place as I had never had to use it in a piece
of filming before and I was unsure how it was supposed to work. Once I knew how
to properly cut match on action I was able to effectively apply my newfound
knowledge whilst editing my main task. I also had to learn to cut between wide
shots, medium shots and 180 degree close up shots, this was a skill I had to
learn because it was a criteria of the preliminary task, using this skill came
in handy when editing my main task because I knew when I needed to insert the
different shot types and where they would look best in the intro. It was not
important for me to have close – up shots in my intro since there was no
conversations between characters and it was focusing on her actions rather than
her facial expressions so I didn’t have to worry about those types of shots
when editing.
Host: Do you feel you have progressed substantially since your
preliminary task?
Grace: Overall I do feel I have progressed and learnt more since my
preliminary task because I am more aware of filming techniques and what is
right and wrong when filming a task. My shot knowledge has expanded greatly and
I am now aware of what looks good in terms of using particular shots to set a
tone, mood or aesthetic of an intro. My preliminary task was very bare and did
not create any meaning for the audience, however, my main task was designed to
get through to the audience and make them feel different emotions whilst watching
it. My storyboard creations have improved through looking back on my
preliminary task storyboard and seeing how I could make my drawings better and
add more detail without confusion.
Host: Well it was lovely speaking with you today Grace.
Grace: Thank you it was a pleasure talking to you about my new project I
really enjoyed it.
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