Media Studies

https://prezi.com/view/WEWYdocmafQECKzzK9DB/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTk7OyV4yHQ     Above is my final draft of my film "The Real Deal". I was unable to make any further revisions to my film as I was unable to meet with my actors . However there were only a few things I would have done to the film.         I would have liked to be able to make some improvements to my title sequence by making it flow better. I would have done this by displaying the credits, which appeared on objects in the scene, by moving from one to the next instead of cutting from one to the next. This would have required me to rearrange the scene to make the objects closer. However I was unable to make this revision because I could not meet with my actors and I realized that in order for this to look professional I would need to purchase a camera stabilizer which I was unable to do.     Additionally I would have tried re-filming the entire film at an earlier time of day to give the scenes more light. T...

    The technology that I used in the making of my film includes an iPhone 10, a bendable tripod, a mountable light, and an editing app called Splice.     My iPhone 10 was set to 4K at 60 frames per second. This gave the video a clear picture and made the movement very smooth. This is because 60 frames per second is a slightly higher frame rate. The iPhone was mounted on a small bendable tripod which allowed me to film myself without needing anyone to hold the camera for me. The tripod also gave me more stable shots. I was able to mount it to many objects including an extendable music stand which allowed me to adjust the high of the camera anywhere between 4 and 6 feet. On the music stand I was able to mount two small lights which allowed me to get footage in low light conditions which is much of the film.      My editing app, Splice, was used to produce this film. Splice allows most effects that other software has. I used some dissolve transitions...

      At the beginning of this project my skills in camera use where fairly similar to where they are now. I  had some trouble centering my subjects in the frame and also I had a problem with my hands shaking while holding the camera. When using editing software, I had trouble editing my short takes in a way that made them transition smoothly. The clips either went on too long with a gap of silence or they jumped to the next too quick. This was a problem specifically with the conversation part.       Now my skills have improved greatly. I focused on centering my subjects in the frame and referred to the Rule of Thirds often. I also stopped the shaking by putting the camera on a tripod. Putting the camera on a tripod also allowed me to film without anyone needing to hold the camera. My software usage improved as I learned how to transition between short takes, allowing the phone conversation in my movie to be more realistic. I was also able to put tog...

Audience Engagement     In my audience engagement research I discovered that the best way to reach people who would like a music based film is through venues where music is performed. I saw examples like special appearances on music competition shows which was utilizes by the marketing team for the film Rocket Man . My favorite example comes from the team for A Star Is Born  who did a partnership with Live Nation , who hosts a lot of major concerts. Both of these actions help the film reach large audiences who like music.       My marketing plan includes three main parts. The first part is to create a social media account because no matter what genre the film is social media is a good place to reach viewers. The next part involves having the star of the film appear on American Idol for a guest performance. The next part involves a partnership with Live Nation wherein they advertise for us with banners and screen ads at their events. This plan ...

  Conventions       My film "The Real Deal" uses a few conventions of the genre. One convention that is used in my film that is shared by the genre is the use of incidental music. This convention is implemented throughout the opening scene of the film. While the scene takes place there is music that helps create a relaxed mood for the opening scene. Another convention that was used in my film was the use of short takes in the B roll footage at the beginning of the scene. This footage included the credits for the film which appeared in various forms such as a text message or a flyer on the wall. The short takes help the title sequence progress quickly with logical flow.      My film also challenges some conventions of the genre. One example of this would be the title sequence where the titles appear in the scene instead of in text. In the title sequence the opening credits appear on a phone screen, on a receipt, and on a sheet of music. This gi...

For the distribution of  my film, I want to have a short theatrical release, a re-release of the film in theaters, and a home media release that is exclusively digital download. Theatrical release       For my theatrical release I want the film to have a shortened window. I want the film to be in theaters for three weeks. Most films make over ninety percent of their money in the first three weeks. I want to have this window because we can make mostly the same profit without having to keep the film in theaters too long which costs money.  Re-release       There will be a re-release of the film in theaters a week after the first theatrical release has concluded. This version of the film will include bonus content and lyrics on the screen that allow the audience to sing along with the film. This will be available for two weeks. This will give the film a chance to pick up more profit from the theaters while it is still relevant....

The film, Hearts Beat Loud, appeared at many film festivals worldwide. The film then was made available for a limited theatrical release. This allowed the film to make a good profit from theaters given the films more modest budget. After the limited theatrical release the film was made available on digital download on services such as Prime Video.  I would consider mimicking this film's limited theatrical release because most films make most of their money in theaters over a short period of time. I would also want to make my film mainly aimed at digital download services like this one. 

For the theatrical release of Bohemian Rhapsody, the team followed the conventional business model where the film was kept in theaters for ninety days. There was a re-release of the film in a sing along format a few months after the films first release. For thee home media release, the team first put out the film on digital download. A month after the digital release, they released the film on DVD and Blue Ray. For my film, I would consider the re-release. With Bohemian Rhapsody, that included a sing along version. With my film, I would have a second release with bonus content and maybe make it a more immersive version of the film by making it a sing along version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTk7OyV4yHQ   Third Quarter Revisions       For my third quarter submission of my film, "The Real Deal", I made a number of revisions. These included improving my title sequence, improving the quality of the music in the film, and improving my camera work.  Camera work       In my first submission, I was made aware that the camera could not be operated by one of the actors. In correcting this I purchased a mountable tripod for my phone which allowed me to film at many different angles without needing anyone to hold the camera. The phone mount also allowed me to get better shots in some cases like the scene where my character, Andrew, is in the car talking on the phone. In this scene I mounted my phone to the dashboard which showed my character from the front allowing the viewer to see facial expressions.  Title Sequence       After doing the Art of the Title ...

A star is born followed a mostly traditional distribution model. The film was released in theaters first and then was made available on digital download just days before the DVD release. The home media release happened about 90 days after the theatrical release which is conventional. Theatrical Release       The theatrical release came with a few early showings at film festivals such as the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. The film released in theaters in early October of 2018 and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film remained in theaters for the average 90 days. The Film was re-released in February of 2019 with some extra footage.  Home Media Release       The film was released on digital download and on DVD. The digital download release came before the DVD release by 4 or 5 days. This was relevant because the demand for DVD copies of a film is increasingly lower and the digital download market is m...

For my first revision of my film I corrected the mistake of who was operating the camera. After presenting my first draft, I was made aware that the actors could not help me operate the camera while I was on camera.               After receiving this feedback, I purchased a mountable tripod for my camera (iPhone). This allowed me to position it the way I needed to and still be on camera, without any help from the actors. Additionally, I purchased a mountable light that allowed me to acquire more quality lit shots for my opening sequence which previously was poorly lit.

For my second revision I improved my title sequence and opening credits. This change was inspired by our class activity where we looked at several famous title sequences. The title sequence that I found to be the most interesting was the one for the film "Almost Famous." The credits for the film were being written out by a character in their journal. This was interesting to me because it is not a typical way to do opening credits and it made me pay more attention to the credits than do most films.   I re-shot my title sequence with the purpose of making it themed similarly to the sequence from "Almost Famous." I wrote the title out on a piece of paper that looked like a flyer posted on the wall. I then had the credit for my name appear on the screen of the phone of one of my actors via text message. I had my first actor's name revealed by having him write it out on the signature line of a receipt. I had my second actor's name appear on a fallen piece of p...

Traditional Distribution     The traditional business model for film distribution utilizes release windows. Release window allow a film to take advantage of different markets at separate times to avoid overlapping its own marketing. For instance, a film will be released in theaters first, then about two months later it will release on home video, and then two years later the film will be open to being aired on TV. This allows the film to access multiple areas of the market and allows it to be profitable for a longer period of time. What I Would Use     From this business model, I would utilize the release window between the theatrical release and the digital release. For the digital release I would rather release the film to streaming services like HBO or Disney+. The use of the release window allows the film to make profit for a few months before becoming available on steaming services. Aside from streaming services, I do not want to release the fil...

For the marketing of my film "The Real Deal", I am going to utilize social media, an appearance on a music show, and a partnership with Live Nation.  Social media      For social media marketing I am going to create an account on Instagram for the film. The account will feature a few clips from the film, photos, and possibly a trailer and some bloopers. I also want to include announcements on when the film is getting released. This page will help the film because it will draw in an audience from social media and it will show them things that might make them want to see the film.  Special Appearance       For press, I am going to have the star of the film (which is me) appear on American Idol for a guest performance. This would be beneficial for the film because it would be advertising to a large audience. Not to mention, the audience of American Idol would likely find the film more appealing because it aligns with their interest...

     Rocketman has a target audience similar to mine because it is about a musician's rise to fame. The film follows the true story of Elton John, a very well known musician. The film covers his career through the 1970s and 80s. My film is similar in terms of the plot because my film follows Andrew from the start of his career.       The marketing for rocket man included a website and some social media accounts. The film had accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The film also had a website that had some unique features. These included an Elton John themed photo and video filter and a personality quiz to determine what Elton John song is best for you. Additionally the film had a Spotify playlist.              Marketing for the film was also done by a cross promotion with Fandango. Fandango allowed its VIP members access to screenings two weeks before the release to boost the hype for the film. Also the show "Ame...

Today in class we analyzed some title sequences from Artofthetitle.com . One title sequence that I found particularly creative was the one for Almost Famous.         This opening has the credits written out on notebook paper. Between these shots of the credits the camera also pans across the desk and wall showing a lot of music memorabilia around the persons desk. I found this technique interesting because it brought the credits to life and showed what the film was about (a journalist writing for a rock band for The Rolling Stone .) in a nutshell.  An opening similar to this that I also liked was the opening for school of rock. This film had the credits written on jackets and posters all round a room.        Some aspects of this title sequence that I might use would be the credits written on something, possibly flyer, and I would also like to include some close ups of music related items like a guitar pick, a rock T-shirt, or a close u...

     The film "Bohemian Rhapsody" has a similar target audience because it is also a movie for music fans and follows he story of a musician rising to fame. This film is about Queen, a band that is well known today.      Since the band was well known, the film had many opportunities to reach their target audience with several resources such as a Queen tribute coming early in the process, creating hype for the film and restoring some memories of the band. Another marketing tactic used early on was interviews and TV show appearances with the lead actor Rami Malek talking about playing the character Freddie Mercury. Later on he made an appearance in character at Fox's CinemaCon. As things picked up other resources where used such as a deal with Wrangler creating a line of jeans inspired by the film. Also the band Queen, who was somewhat involved with the film as well, announced a reunion tour with Adam Lambert. Once the film had been in theaters for a while t...

My target audience is similar to "A Star is Born" because the movie is based on practically the same subject. It is about a young star being pulled into fame by a career musician. The film was marketed with various methods including social media, a website, trailers, multiple posters, a pre-release of the soundtrack.      The trailers, posters, and social media marketing were utilized to gain a wider audience for a film that typically would only appeal to music fans at first glance. Social media marketing was utilized by a Lady Gaga (actress in film) fan page and other pages that the film marketing team used on facebook, twitter, and instgram. They also advertised through the event promoter Live Nation which holds concerts. This was done by the company's media division.     The aspects of the films advertising that I would use would include the use of Live Nation to promote them because this reaches the target audience. I would also use the social media pages,...

My target audience for "The Real Deal" will be young musicians, likely teenagers, who are interested in music. I chose this demographic because the film touches on the subject of the music business. Also it focuses on a character who is very passionate about his music. I feel that because a lot of people play musical instruments or listen to music I am able to relate to many people with this film. This film will be appealing to my audience because it highlights issues that young musicians face. Also this film can be an inspiration to young musicians to start a career in music or just play music as a hobby.