video.

The final piece, finished.



he's a music man.
he's a what?
he's a what?
he's a music man.

evaluation.

‘Get a Life’ is a romantic/comedy/drama that aims to entertain a target audience of anybody between 13 and 20, and families that require a fun time at the cinema. Although the film is mainly a hybrid of these three genre’s, it does include a sci-fi element, where a ghost returns.
The main characters are young adults, which is the main reason why the target audience is of a similar age. The audience can easily relate to the storyline when the action is about people their age. This film develops conventions of rom/com/drama’s, but lacks challenging them.
The conventions of a romantic/comedy/drama movie are: cheesy jokes, a dilemma, a person completely in love with the other character, but that character completely oblivious, and dramatic, unrealistic storylines. Films with an example of these conventions are:

The Notebook picture clearly has a red theme running in the movie, alike to 'Get a Life'. This is a parallel to similar movies in the rom-com-drama hybrid genre. All of the other conventions shown in the example movies are a part of ‘Get a Life’, for example: the main characters are in love, when a tragic ‘dilemma’ strikes, killing the female. The third, and final, main character pushes her way into the boys life, getting attention from the dead character who is beyond the grave. She returns, which is unrealistic, and haunts the boy humorously.
The only convention that is really challenged is the ‘ghost’, which isn’t a common convention of romantic/comedy/drama films. The idea that it is unrealistic fits the conventions, but the whole sci-fi idea of a ’ghost’ challenges a real film which is a hybrid of these three genres.
The theme colour of red suggests love, and death. This was used because most rom/com/drama films have a ‘theme colour’ that is used on posters, titles, and any advertising for the film.
The colour palette is bright at the beginning of the trailer, to show the happiness of school, until we see the heartbreak of Megan. The expected outcome of this bright introduction to the film was to grab the attention of the audience, especially the younger members. I personally find a bright looking, happy movie much more appealing than a dull, miserable one so therefore figured that if I like this then its highly likely that other members of the public will also. It's not an informed decision to make but with asking around, I got answers to related questions to which 8/10 people said they would prefer to watch a brightly coloured opening movie scene than a dark one. In editing, this opening scene wasn't completely light and needed some hue adjustments to make it more vividly coloured.











Antithetically, the colour black is also recurring throughout as that also connotes death. The return of Charli from the grave involves her wearing all black to a wedding. This clearly shows she’s come from a dark place: purgatory. This scene comes further into the trailer and is therefore not contradicting the opening scene which is preferred to be bright. The death of Charli comes about a third of the way through the film, which allows the audience to 'love' her character. I hoped that they would empathise with the feelings felt by Tyler and Megan due to the tragic loss of their friend and, even though its not played upon and she returns, it would evoke emotional involvement on the audience's part. This outcome couldnt be tested as we only made a trailer, but if I talk a guess as to what reaction we would recieve, it would be that her death was a shock, and her return was a relieving moment for the audience, as they felt they had lost the character. This guess came from the involvement I feel when watching films as I know I get more involved than I should.













The part of the trailer when Tyler leaves was filmed at night, at the same time as the scene of the night before. To show a notable difference, we changed the hue/contrast of the scene. This allowed the lighting to be more pronounced, with a more extreme white balance to suggest dawn/morning. The shot-reverse-shot of the conversation shows a darkness in the window which was unavoidable due to the only available filming time. The mise-en-scene clearly shows a bedroom and the adjusted lighting creates the desired effect for the morning time frame.














In terms of the costumes, we represented the social groups easily and less stereotypically than truly possible. They included typical everyday clothes: leggings, dresses, plain colours, patterns, etc. In contrast to that, each character had to dress up rather than down so we see the difference in them through the text. The way they mature is shown through costume in the way of the everyday clothes turn to wedding, formal wear that shows the age change.

The sounds added were simple and effective. Most were diagetic, even though added in editing because they were part of the narrative, and came through it. An example of this is the bell noise heard at the beginning, after the voice-over, and before the start of the school scene. This sound is a bridging noise and allows a fast cut between completely different scenes, effective in grabbing the audience's attention and keeping it throughout the trailer.

The main product and ancillary texts, an Empire magazine cover and a movie poster, work well together. The research into Empire covers began with simply looking for covers with a white background, as this is a convention of rom/com/drama movies. The Megan Fox cover was suitable as it allowed me to see the layout created when the background is white.
The change of a title was also an option as it would clearly represent the idea of romance, like the image changed the magazine title to black, like batman, with a blue outline. These colours fit well as they represented that colour palette of the film.




The final front cover used a simple, chirpy colour palette including summer-y colours such as pinks and reds. The immediate colour of red is the main theme colour for the movie so it was obviously going to be a part of the front cover. The idea that the characters are divided clearly shows the jealousy, and the expression on the face of Megan shows she doesn't appreciate being second best for Tyler. The plain white background is a typical rom-com-drama convention while the red blocks behind the writing is an Empire feature. The costumes worn are those like in the movie, with the black theme suggesting death, while Tyler's red shirt suggesting love or blood. The affectionate hug between Charli and Tyler shows they're clearly together, and Megan's expression connotes hurt, or pain on her part. She shows jealousy in her eyes and sadness in her mouth. The front cover fits the film, and is a professional looking Empire cover. A website is an output device for Empire. This would allow the audience to visit the front cover online, and be viewed by the target audience,




The idea for the poster, with Charli being transparent, came from the most obvious representation of a ghost. They're stereotypically see through, just like in films such as 'Casper', and this idea could easily be displayed on a poster. It would also allow the audience to easily justify that Charli is a ghost at the end of the movie or, without watching the trailer, they could imagine she is a ghost throughout. Other posters which are for similar movies of this genre use plain white backgrounds, and bold colours. The red and black theme runs through the poster also, and tells the audience when they can see the movie, and where. All the typical requirements of a poster are present, while showing the audience a sneak peak of what to expect in summer 2010.
The output devices are the internet, and I would fund a website for advertising. Websites which would attract my target audience are Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, etc. The social networking sites attract young adults and parents who're trying to reconnect with old friends. They would take their kids to see the film on recommendation of Facebook adverts down the right hand side of the webpage. While advertising would be payed for on the internet, I would also fund billboards in town centres. These would attract the target audience of young people, and families who're looking for a night out at the cinema. The movie has no rating as its appropriate for anyone of any age.
Both texts show a clear image of what happens in the film, and use typical conventions of rom/com/drama movie texts.

The audience feedback was positive, but clearly stated that the first half of the trailer was more action packed, and funny than the futuristic, ’3 years later’, part. After the first viewing, we edited the future part more to make it fit well with the school days. The change in music clearly shows the change in time period, and allows the audience to anticipate what will happen now as an ellipsis separates the film trailer.
A second, and final, viewing of the trailer allowed us to see that the audience would be interested in seeing the full movie if it was in cinemas. They agreed that storyline works well, and it fits into the hybrid genre we intended.
We used media technologies, such as the internet, to explore the genre we chose for our trailer. This allowed us to research thoroughly the conventions of these genres, view images of the posters for real movies, and take ideas from them for our film trailer. We watched a variety of trailers online when researching our chosen genre, and this allowed us to see what sort of shots, transitions, and fonts were used in romantic/comedy/drama films. These were simple mid-shots, long-shots, or close-up’s with adventurous, cheesy transitions. The fonts used were always bold, and written in higher case lettering, clearly catching the eye of the intended audience, making them want to look at the poster and see the film.
When planning our film, the internet provided us with a never-ending supply of information to wade through. We worked together to decide on the storyline, shots, transitions, etc, and managed to plan out a film trailer with a simple, yet effective storyline.
Even though the editing process was unexpected, and very messy we managed to pull together a trailer which included many rom/com/drama conventions, with a typical storyline that our audience liked.

Over the past year, as a growing A2 student, I managed to change dramatically. Last year I spent time editing with my group, and spent even more time researching, planning and writing up everything that happened during the process of editing. While working in a different group this year, I didn't partake in half as much editing as was possible. This wasn't due to a lack of commitment, it was purely because I had other unchallengeable commitments such as work in my daily routine. The editing process mainly happened out of school hours where I was clearly unavailable, and wasn't forewarned. I was penalized for this and I personally feel that was unnecessary.
This year I took on an acting role, unlike last year and took part in the planning of the film more than last year. The fact that I didn't take part in as much editing as possible is not something I regret. It helped the other two group members develop their skills on Adobe Premier Elements, while mine were average from the previous years editing.
The whole process of making this trailer was not smooth at all. A bump was hit almost every day, and the idea that my commitments got in the way is not something I accept as my fault. The technical errors including lack of sound, and our files being deleted from the computer were unavoidable just like other commitments. When everything finally got sorted the trailer was much more developed, unlike what it would have been without the bumps in the road. The trailer is a well fitting idea of a rom/com/drama and its definitely a text to be proud of.

hello, do you miss me? i hear you say you do but its not the way i'm missing you.

short analysis.

The trailer begins with a voice over before the action begins on screen. There is a slight delay, as on screen we see a long shot of Tyler and Megan's wedding. The voice over then clearly states that she began from the wrong point of the story and rewinds the footage on-screen.
A diagetic bell, although added during editing it comes through the narrative, cuts off the female voice and introduces the audience to a normal school day. We see Tyler and Charli, hand in hand, walking into the classroom. A match on action is used with the over-the-shoulder shot of Tyler and Charli entering, as they walk past Megan who is seated.
We then cut to a mid-shot of Megan arriving at Charli's house for prom. Outside this house, we cut to seeing Megan say on the kerb, looking at her watch as a car's reverse lights ignite and move from the back of the shot to the foreground. Music then accompanys the footage in the text.
We cut to Megan talking to a stuffed cat about her problems, as she imagines that it has had an accident on her shoe. The atmosphere is dark, suggesting night time and a dark event to come. Her diagetic voice clearly says that nothing ever changes.
We cut to Charli reaching for the cat in the tree, and falling on the floor. A shot of the sky and streetlights, twirling around is shown to immediately tell the audience that she has fallen out of the tree. The music is cut as screams take its place. They echo and a mean laughter is heard.
A scene in the hospital, with dreary mise-en-scene as they're waiting for the news. This makes the audience feel uncomfortable in the place, and expect the worst. As the doctor approaches an over-the-shoulder, shot-reverse-shot conversation between the doctor and Tyler begins, about the death of Charli.
The two characters left, Megan and Tyler, comfort each other in a two shot where Megan moves in to kiss him. We jump to a parallel scene of later that night where she is using the exact same move. The audience clearly know he didnt refuse at the hospital otherwise they wouldn't have ended up in her room together. Tyler rises this time, from the two shot on the bed, and moves towards the door. We cut time out here as he is leaving in the morning. We know there is a time change because the mise-en-scene is lighter, suggesting sunlight filtering in through the window. A shot-reverse-shot is used for the coming conversation between Tyler and Megan.
Tyler leaves the room and an establishing shot of the church is shown, with text stating that we're taking 3 years out of the story and skipping to the future.
The long-shot that we saw at the beginning of the trailer returns and the story continues from where Sarah left off with the voice-over before. There is no music since the death of Charli, and her return evokes the return of music also. As she pops out from behind the vicar, we get a lively, upbeat tune occuring.
As Megan steps back from the vicar, the audience are left to guess that she doesnt marry Tyler at that point in the movie. Tyler then throws a 'hissy' fit and requests confetti being thrown on him. The voice is in slow motion, and is deeper than usual for comedic effect. The mid-two shot of Tyler and Sarah allows us to mostly see him, and the confetti being pushed his way. The music fits with his 'huff' and creates a laughable moment for the audience.
The text then cuts to footage that is white tinted, suggesting an eerie atmosphere. This is used to show that Charli is a ghost and it is easy to distinguish the difference between her when shes alive and dead. The white effect connotes imagination, similar to effects in some movies when the screen waves from side to side to suggest daydreaming/dreaming/imagining. The music which is accompanying the '3 years later' part of the trailer is very unrealistic and suggests, to me personally, the idea of a gameshow or fun.
After the fight between Megan and Charli, we fade to Tyler being dressed up. The mid shot of him getting dressed misses off his head, suggesting that he's embarrassed. This shot could also be a POV shot from Charli's point of view, as she watches to make sure he puts on the dress which she's forced upon him. This then cuts to a long-shot of Tyler lay on the bed with Charli in the background, giggling. He has clearly been forced to spend time in a dress. Megan walks in, and looks twice at the sight she is faced with while laughing silently to herself.
We then cut to a cuddling session on the sofa, between Tyler and Megan. A long shot of Charli, as she walks in, is shown and we flick back to the cuddles on the sofa. Tyler moves from Megan and we return to Charli, who has walked out of the room and returned with crisps. This connotes the awkwardness of having a ghost around.
We then, finally, fade to a black screen where the title is revealed. The voice over takes over, declaring that the only way to find out what happens is to visit the cinema in the summer, 2010.

california sunshine and tennessee rain, i'm an east coast kid with a west coast way. i don't mind the weather, but i hate the way it has to change...

editing process.

In the ICT Suite we began our editing process. We copied all the files to the 'L' drive on the school computer, and were finally getting somewhere with editing.
We cut the clips, and gave them some sort of order, this also included adding some fades. Elizabeth had researched the music in romance comedies and had returned with a few possible tracks/sound effects. We used the track she found as it fitted well with the story, trailer and genre. This was laid over the top of the clips in school, at the party, the death and in the hospital. It will possibly be repeated throughout the trailer, and used as the main soundtrack. The party noise was added also, on top of the party scenes, obviously. This was various chatter, and a scream, cleverly, added as Charli dies.
We watched it back multiple times, and were happy with the results we gained today.

three whole words, and eight letters late, that would have worked on me yesterday. we're not the same, i wish that could change but it can't.

editing process.

Due to technical errors we had to move our film from the IT suite to A15, our old media room. The rest of our class are still in IT, but we have had difficulty every step of the way, and are just going to have to edit in our own time.
We recently found out that the sound didnt work, and we need to dub it. We don't have time to refilm, as our deadline is in a week, or so, and find that this is the only way to fix this problem.

i'm a little bit lost without you, and i'm a big mess inside.

editing process.

We captured the footage on Adobe Premiere Elements, and I managed to get the scenes, that we've filmed, in order. I cut down the shot of Charli on the floor and, afterwards, Elizabeth began editing the bedroom scene where Megan and Tyler are talking after the death of Charli.
Matt and I looked for music on freeplaymusic.com, and he came up with a couple of options, whereas I was unsuccessful. We were looking for romantic music, but fast tempo-ed because of the genre we are producing.

somehow you have managed to get under my skin more than anyone ever did.

shooting.

Thursday 3rd December.
We started shooting at Hayley's house, on Redcliffe Street, where we filmed the scene where Megan is outside of Tyler's house. This was filmed by a mid shot, from the side of her and then an over-the-shoulder as she is pulled in. He drags her inside the house, and she is then faced with Megan & Tyler. We filmed the interior scene at a different location, because the other house had a better suited entrance to the house.
We then filmed the scene where Megan is sat on the courseway outside Tyler's house, waiting for Charli and Tyler to reverse in the car to pick her up. The shot we used was a long shot, as the car reverses. This scene, we later found out in editing, was distorted due to the lack of light. This is down to the lack of sophisticated camera's we have the chance to use.
After changing location, now in Selston, we began shooting more scenes inside Wesley's house. We shot the scene after Megan has been dragged in, and the camera had a high amount of red to the shot, so it is possibly ruined and needs to be refilmed. It was a simple mid-shot, and contained all 3 main characters.
Filmed next was Charli on the floor, after falling from the tree and ending up dead. This was a short scene, filmed with a close up shot, which zooms out. We went straight onto Megan and Tyler consoling each other, next, over the death of their friend. Tyler then leaves in the morning and, seeing as these shots are shot in the same area of the house, it made sense to film them all at once. A variety of shots were filmed, to give us the choice in editing. We had a mid shot from the left, and another from the right.
Tyler is then in a dress, and this takes place in the bedroom also, when Megan walks in to find him. These shots were filmed within seconds of each other, for simplicity. A mid shot was used to show Tyler on the bed, in a dress, with Charli in the background as a ghost. This shows that she dressed him like that, as she is giggling at the thought of him in a dress.
In the house where we filmed, the sofa we were using was outside the bedroom we just filmed in, so it made sense to film on the sofa next. Megan and Tyler were on the sofa, as Charli walks in as a ghost. This was filmed with a mid-shot of the couple sat on the sofa, then an over-the-shoulder when Charli walks in, to see what she is doing.
Outside was the location for the next scenes, where we see Megan talking to a cat. This cat is a stuffed toy, because we didnt have a cat 'on tap'. A mid shot shows her talking to the cat, and then we decided to shoot the climbing of the tree.
This part was safe, as Charli didn't actually climb the tree. She reaches up to the cat, that was put in the tree, but is planted firmly on the ground. If she actually did climb, it would be a safety issue, and we would be, probably, breaking filming/safety rules.
In our film its only suggestive that Charli falls, so we used the camera and shook it a bit, to show she fell. In editing we will show Charli climbing the tree, and then the 'shaky' shot, and then her on the floor. This will hopefully be evidence enough that she fell, hard, while still not breaking any rules!

Friday 4th December

Today we went to Kingsway Church, in Kirkby, and filmed the wedding scene. This went fine, except the tape had an error. We shot the wedding, and got to filmed the part where Charli appeared, but unfortunately had technical issues, so will be filming it all again at a later date.

i only see my dreams in everything i touch. i feel their cold hands on everything that i love. cold like some magnificent skyline; out of my reach, but always in my eye line.