Note to Examiner

Dear Examiner,

I have been working on this blog for over 8 months, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so I hope that you enjoy looking through it.

The first section of this blog consists of analysing different camera techniques, before my posts move on to my preliminary task. The final section of my blog is comprised mainly of my analysis of some opening sequences and that of my own opening sequence.

Sulaiman Khan

Inspiration for my opening sequence

The main inspiration for my opening sequence was a scene from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, in which the four hobbits are pursued by a mysterious rider and end up having to hide under a tree as they cannot outrun him. The scene culminates in a tense climax in which the hobbits are almost found, but narrowly escape. I chose it as an influence on my opening sequence as it builds up suspense brilliantly and I thought that it would therefore be a good model for the opening scene of a film.

My opening sequence features a very similar scene based on this one, and it is the climax, serving to make the audience want to watch more. 

Evaluation Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the filming of my opening sequence, I used a variety of technologies from camera equipment to editing software. While filming my product I learned how to use these technologies to effect.

Camera

The camera I used was not ideal as it did not produce footage of great quality.

 However, it was small and easily portable which was necessary for my opening sequence as I shot in various different locations

Also, another benefit of the camera that I used was that it charged quickly and this was important given the time restraints that I faced when filming due to light.

Manfrotto tripod

The tripod was easy to set up and allowed me to take stabilised shots.

I could also easily adjust the height at which the camera would sit, which provided me with various options when shooting 

Overall I believe that the tripod was very important in the production of my opening sequence. Had I held the camera for the all of the shots while filming, shots which needed to be static would not have been and therefore my product would have looked more unprofessional.

Final Cut Pro

I significantly improved my editing skills using Final Cut Pro and the little procession time for videos as well as the easily understandable layout made editing not only quick and efficient but also enjoyable.

The fact that a student like myself can access this kind of software and be able to use it effectively is an indication of the rapid development of technology in recent years, and it has certainly made creating media products much easier.

Editing on Final Cut

Using social media to share my film

This is a screenshot of me promoting my opening sequence on Twitter

Evaluation Question 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience with a fast-paced start, in which the escaped prisoner kills the prison warden, which catches the audience's attention immediately. This makes the audience want to watch more and indicates what my product has to offer.

Also, The music is immediately dramatic and suggests that an important part of the plot is about to take place, which builds the audience's anticipation and makes them want to continue watching to see the outcome of the scene.

Furthermore, the different scenery in my opening sequence also plays a part in attracting the audience. This also indicates that the film will be fast moving and therefore appeals to viewers who favour action or thriller films.

Evaluation Question 4 - What would be the audience for your product?

Question 4 media from sulaimank