Evaluation | Question 2: How particular social groups are represented

How particular social groups are represented

A stereotype is a group of qualities assigned to groups of people, and they can be positive or negative. They can be related to race, gender, sexuality etc. Some common stereotypes, especially addressed in film, include women being weak, teenagers being in gangs and unattractive people cast as villains.

In our film opening, we are introduced to three characters - one protagonist and two antagonists. Our protagonist conforms to stereotypes, as she can be viewed as weak, as she is often alone and is upset and jealous of the two antagonists. She feels as though she isn't good enough, and this is a stereotypical and common view that main female characters believe in popular teen films.

The two antagonists - myself and Monique - don't conform to stereotypical views of girls, as they are confident and aren't weak. However, they do conform to stereotypical views of teenagers. In their introduction, we see them steal clothes from a shop, which comes from stereotypical views that all teenagers misbehave and "are up to no good".

Evaluation | Question 7: What have you learnt in the progression from your prelim to your full production?

What have you learnt in the progression from your prelim to your full production?

Earlier in the assessment, our group made a preliminary film introduction, inspired by the famous 1980s The Breakfast Club. We all came together to come up with camera shots, costumes, editing and music. 

First of all, I think, from this preliminary film, our group have definitely become closer, and we understand eachother a lot more. We know eachother' strengths and weaknesses. For example, Diana played the protagonist as the group agreed that she was the best actress amongst the four of us. We learnt these because of the amount of time we had to spend together during the development of Love Yourz, which was spent in class and out of college. 

My editing skills have also improved vastly, in my opinion. When we made our pre-lim, I didn't feel very confident using Final Cut Pro, but I used it as my chance to gain experience. Since making the pre-lim, I have learnt to improve pace in an opening by shortening segments and getting rid of clips that aren't necessary to a plot. Also, I learnt how important it is to film clips multiple times. We didn't do that originally with our prelim, so the footage wasn't as good as it could've been.

Also, at the very start of my AS Media course, I was required to create a preliminary sequence, as this allowed us to get to know the equipment and software such as Final Cut Pro, to edit, and ClipGrabber, which was used to find sound effects. My group for this consisted of Taja, from Group 23, and Matthew, from Group 25. Since the very  first preliminary sequence, I have grown a lot in my abilities to not only work in a group, but also in filming and editing.

Editing | 2nd March 2015 - Jess production diary

On the 2nd March, Diana and I worked through our three hour lesson, and through lunch to finish editing our final cut. As Monique was working on titles and blogging, and Nana was ill, we had to ask Donna occasionally for tips and advice.

We wanted the opening to be quite fast paced, as to add anticipation for the shoplifting scene, so we had to chop a lot of the clips down. We also decided to slow down the clip where Monique and I walk into the shop, as an 'homage' to Mean Girls, and the moment the 'Plastics' walk down the corridor.

Thanfully, the rest of the group enjoyed the final cut. We hope to work on the soundtrack with Nana and then the titles with Monique, in the following week.

Filming | 17th February 2015 - Jess Production diary

We decided to meet in Dalston again, as we would only be filming in and around the Glassworks shop in Dalston. However, on the way to the shop I started to feel really ill, and I was worried this would affect the filming, as I had started throwing up. I decided to push through and we finished filming on the 17th February.

We first filmed Monique and myself walking into the shop, and we filmed this multiple times, which would make the editing process easier. In order for me to get home earlier to feel better, we filmed my parts first, and then Diana-only shots last.

We then filmed the shoplifting scenes - first the stuffing of the bag in the store, and then again in the changing room. These parts were quite difficult, as the floor was quite uneven, making the stabilising of the camera quite difficult. Also, the changing room was quite small, so having two people along with a camera was quite difficult.

Finally, I filmed the 'escaping' part, where I leave the store, and Monique is chased after. After I went home, the group filmed parts that included the texting scene, and Diana's reactions to the theft.

Filming | 16th February 2015 - Jess Production diary

We decided to finish filming during the half term, as we would then have at least four days to finish everything, without distractions of college or work. We agreed to meet on the 16th February at Liverpool Street Station, as it was quite easy for all of us to get to. It was also close to any transportation needed to get to our filming locations, which were Dalston and Shoreditch.

We got the bus to Shoreditch, where we looked out for graffiti we liked. Walking down the high street, me and Diana noticed graffiti that read 'Shoplifters Welcome', which we thought would work perfectly. We then set up the camera, and filmed Monique and myself walking, from different angles and shots. This would allow us to sort out match cuts.

 We then walked down to Brick Lane, where we spotted a beauty salon with the sign 'Love Yourself', so we also filmed us walking past this. We thought this quote worked well for two reasons - our title 'Love Yourz' and the message we wanted to show in this film.

We wanted to get as many shots of me and Monique as we could, so we filmed shots of me and her linking arms, or us laughing. However, it soon started raining. We wanted the weather to remain consistent, as it wouldn't make sense otherwise. We decided to make use of our time, and find a new shop to film in. In order to do this, we went to Dalston and asked around three clothing shops if we could film in their shop. To our delight, Glassworks in Dalston allowed us to film in their shop!

Finally, we planned what we would film the next day, and parted ways.

Jess Christmas work

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Sub-genre: Comedy

List the title credits and the order they appear in:

1. Paramount Pictures presents
2. A John Hughes film (writer)
3. Matthew Broderick in (main character)
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (title)
5. (Cast names)
6. Co-starring
7. Music score by
8. Casting by
9. Costume Designer
10. Edited by
11. Production Designer
12. Director of Photography
13. Executive Producer
14. Produced by
15. Written and directed by

What 'type' or category of title sequence does the film have? Black background with blue text, and then discreet text over a moving image

Who is the producer? Is it a mainstream or independent production? John Hughes and Tom Jacobson, and it is a mainstream production.

What storylines or plots are introduced in the film's opening? How are these developed in the rest of the film? Ferris wants to have the day off of school so he fakes an illness. This is developed in the rest of his film, as he has a very eventful day off school and doesn't get caught.

Who are the main characters? The only main character featured in the opening sequence, is Ferris Bueller. His name is constantly repeated throughout the opening sequence by the minor characters, such as his parents and his sister.

What social groups are we introduced to in the film's opening sequence? We see a white middle class family. There is very little diversity throughout the film. One stereotype that the film conforms to is that the brother and sister can't stand eachother.

How do the teen/youth characters interact with adults? Ferris tends to follow authority when confronted, but his main 'rebellion' is him skipping school. He also has a lot of respect for his parents. This may not be expected in a teen film, as a lot of teen films tend to focus on 'teen angst'.

Camera: We see mostly mid-shots in the film, as this frames the characters well. Ferris breaks the fourth wall a lot, so this shot is perfect for when he addresses the camera/audience. There are also a lot of establishing shots, as Ferris and his friends visit a lot of different places, and so the establishing shots allow the audience to make sense of the locations.

Editing: The editing in the film is very fast-paced for the most part, but there are occasions where it is slow down quite a lot. For example, when Cameron, Ferris' best friend, goes underwater in a moment of madness, there is use of slow motion.

Sound: The soundtrack for the film is very famous, especially for its famous 'Twist and Shout' scene. The film features a lot of music from the 1980s, which is fitting for the time it was made. 

Mise-en-scene: Some key locations from the film include the parade, the high school that the teenagers attend, Ferris' house and the police station.

The Conventional Order of Titles in a Teen Title Sequence

 the conventional order of title sequences in teen movies goes as such: 

·      Production company name / Production company title

·      Distribution company identity / distribution company title

·      Actor 1 (star of the film)

·      Film title

·      Actor 2

·      Actor 3

·      Costume

·      Music by

·      Edited by

·      Production Designer

·      Director of Photography

·      Written by

·      Director 

 The titles for the movie are done, most often in an order of who is deemed the most relevant in the production and promotion of the movie. 

I

Final Costumes

Diana - The Outsider:

Jess and Monique

Monique:

Half Term Production Schedule

Monday - Wednesday:

Planning to do everything on Monday & Tuesday:

Monday:

9AM (not leaving till complete) Mean Girls

Diana (&Jess) will get permission on the 12th after college.

The shop - Shoplifting scene including the dressing room scene - influenced by shoplifting scene in Top Girl

The bar - the girls gossip and laugh etc

Tuesday:

9AM

Graffiti - Brick Lane

Liverpool Street Underground Station - Meeting Place

Take bus 8 or 388 to Brick Lane 

Phone Numbers:

Diana; 07570796606

Nana: 07955297860

Monique: 07960533220

Monique: 07960533220