Below is a PowToon I made, followed by the script.
| Evaluation Question 2: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? | Done |
Our film opening targets a wide range of audiences around the age of 16-24. This is because that age range is usually associated with the action/post-apocalyptic/sci-fi elements that are present in our film opening, as well as the fact that 16-24 is roughly the age range of both the actors and the massive amount of characters portrayed in our film opening. However, unlike most movies, the age range is as specific as my target audience gets; potential viewers are not disregarded based on gender, race etc. because our film opening is rather diverse in terms of those classifications.
Many movies are criticised due to the lack of diversity in characters; lead roles more often than not go to white males. This is even a convention in the genre of our post-apocalyptic action film opening where a white male lead who displays stereotypical 'male' traits i.e. strong, brave, etcetera who fits into the 'lone wolf' archetype is cast. Our film opening directly opposes this convention as our characters are racially diverse; there are white actors and actresses, Asian actors and actresses, Arab actors, and other ethnicities. So not only are there more than just white cast members, there is also no definitive main character, but rather numerous ones.
There are also two female characters on-screen and one female crew member which may not be that progressive but is definitely a challenge to both post-apocalyptic action film conventions and general film conventions since females are stereotypically associated with weakness and fragility. Since the representation of our characters range from many ethnicities and genders, audience members will have an easier time identifying with or connecting to a character/characters. For this reason I don't have a specific target audience outside of the aforementioned age range, seeing as this is the only constant characteristic.
Camerawork engages the audience due to the variety of shots and camera movements we've experimented with such as pan shots, over-the-shoulder shots, long shots and even an attempt at aerial shots. This is very exciting for the viewer because they are shown things or events at a view or angle that they are not used to or unable to see; the novelty of the experience stimulates them.
This is usually combined with bold and eye-catching props to further stimulate the viewer visually, which we did through the heavy emphasis on props i.e. the quadbikes, katanas, snipers, and so on. The "DIY" homemade look of some of the props is particularly enticing to independent filmmakers perhaps because it inspires some competitiveness in them.
The costumes were all homemade as well, and the desert setting emphasises the natural, primal aspect of nature that we wanted to convey to the audience. There is no dialogue at all in our film opening which is surprisingly quite engaging to viewers; they're almost expectant of someone to talk, and when no one does, the audience is intrigued! Not to mention it builds up the suspense and adds a hint of mystery. The characters communicate through NVC instead, therefore viewers are more inclined to pay close attention.
Colouring is also a key feature here in capturing the audience's attention. One common convention of post-apocalyptic action movies is to use dramatic colour palettes with either high-key or low-key lighting, depending on the tone of the film.
We opted for high-key lighting and filmed during the day to emphasise the natural golden hues of the sand dunes in the desert setting, increasing the contrast and saturation later on in post-production to highlight this. We firmly wanted to communicate a dangerous, action-oriented atmosphere to the audience members without the grim, somber and dark mood that is often connoted with low-key lighting. This is a more lighthearted take on post-apocalyptic fiction. The strong visual contrast and vibrant colouring thus draws the viewer to the product efficiently.
This is further developed through the editing, which sought to establish a fast-paced adventurous film opening. Quick and abrupt cuts were used to heighten the viewer's tension and plenty of match-on-action sequences can be spotted for the purpose of displaying action from different views, angles and manners. Elliptical editing is also used to further 'skip' some dull parts and switch the focus to the fast tempo of the action. This instantly catches the viewer's eye because it communicates a sense of urgency to them thus they may feel like they are struggling to keep up, forcing them to pay more attention.
To top it all off the sound is particularly important in arousing feelings of tension and curiosity amongst the audience: fast tempoed and catchy, the score of our film opening emits a sense of danger, illiciting a fear response.
In terms of distribution, I think the relatively well-known independent production company Warp Films is a good choice for our film project. There are many reasons as to why this is the best option; for one, it directly broadcasts to British viewers, a portion of our target audience, through branding; the phrase 'Warp Films' is familiar to the average UK moviegoer. Since it is both a film and television production company, this allows Warp Films to freely advertise its products on a national level using strategies such as cross-media convergence and synergy, in combination with social media such as Twitter to cross-promote and YouTube to release trailers, etc. Many independent filmmakers advocate for the use of social media to gather views and fans.
This helps battle the overwhelming amount of Hollywood feature films dominating the film industry which causes significant obstacles and issues for the
British film industry when it comes to filmmaking. This has been a problem since Hollywood's conception. British filmmakers, especially in independent companies, have great difficulty producing and financing a film and take higher risks in comparison to American major media conglomerates because the British film industry is overshadowed by Hollywood. By choosing a relatively successful independent British production company, this issue is addressed and challenged.
Another reason Warp Films is an appropriate option is due to the success of previous productions; Warp Films is responsible for the releases of films such as Exhibit A (2007) - which was awarded the title of 'Best UK Feature' at the Raindance Film Festival - and Ben Wheatley's Kill List (2007) which received strong critical acclaim with the UK-based film magazine Total Film declaring it 'Outstanding'. It was given a 5 star rating. Films produced by Warp Films are notable in their fresh, innovative content, distinct in their experimental nature which can be largely attributed to Warp Films being an independent company. This leads to the conclusion that Warp Films could largely benefit from Quicksand simply because it reinforces the production company's well-earned reputation for the execution and exploration of creative and visionary ideas. A second advantage of producing our film would be variety and range; Warp Films is not particularly known for their lighthearted comedies but rather their heavier and more serious works surrounding practical issues, which may not appeal to a wide range of individuals. Our film is less realistic and more action-oriented than the average An increase in the variety and tone of films would mean a wider scope of viewers outside of the niche audience.
One way our film project can benefit from Warp Films' position lies in promotion through social networking. For example, Warp Films' Twitter account alone has a dedicated fanbase of over 30,000 followers. Their Facebook page has an estimate of 50,000+ likes. Warp Films frequently exploit a combination of these to promote their productions, which would be highly advantageous for our film project. In turn, we can also use our individual social networking accounts to promote Warp Films.
Many movies are criticised due to the lack of diversity in characters; lead roles more often than not go to white males. This is even a convention in the genre of our post-apocalyptic action film opening where a white male lead who displays stereotypical 'male' traits i.e. strong, brave, etcetera who fits into the 'lone wolf' archetype is cast. Our film opening directly opposes this convention as our characters are racially diverse; there are white actors and actresses, Asian actors and actresses, Arab actors, and other ethnicities. So not only are there more than just white cast members, there is also no definitive main character, but rather numerous ones.
There are also two female characters on-screen and one female crew member which may not be that progressive but is definitely a challenge to both post-apocalyptic action film conventions and general film conventions since females are stereotypically associated with weakness and fragility. Since the representation of our characters range from many ethnicities and genders, audience members will have an easier time identifying with or connecting to a character/characters. For this reason I don't have a specific target audience outside of the aforementioned age range, seeing as this is the only constant characteristic.
Camerawork engages the audience due to the variety of shots and camera movements we've experimented with such as pan shots, over-the-shoulder shots, long shots and even an attempt at aerial shots. This is very exciting for the viewer because they are shown things or events at a view or angle that they are not used to or unable to see; the novelty of the experience stimulates them.
This is usually combined with bold and eye-catching props to further stimulate the viewer visually, which we did through the heavy emphasis on props i.e. the quadbikes, katanas, snipers, and so on. The "DIY" homemade look of some of the props is particularly enticing to independent filmmakers perhaps because it inspires some competitiveness in them.
The costumes were all homemade as well, and the desert setting emphasises the natural, primal aspect of nature that we wanted to convey to the audience. There is no dialogue at all in our film opening which is surprisingly quite engaging to viewers; they're almost expectant of someone to talk, and when no one does, the audience is intrigued! Not to mention it builds up the suspense and adds a hint of mystery. The characters communicate through NVC instead, therefore viewers are more inclined to pay close attention.
Colouring is also a key feature here in capturing the audience's attention. One common convention of post-apocalyptic action movies is to use dramatic colour palettes with either high-key or low-key lighting, depending on the tone of the film.
We opted for high-key lighting and filmed during the day to emphasise the natural golden hues of the sand dunes in the desert setting, increasing the contrast and saturation later on in post-production to highlight this. We firmly wanted to communicate a dangerous, action-oriented atmosphere to the audience members without the grim, somber and dark mood that is often connoted with low-key lighting. This is a more lighthearted take on post-apocalyptic fiction. The strong visual contrast and vibrant colouring thus draws the viewer to the product efficiently.
This is further developed through the editing, which sought to establish a fast-paced adventurous film opening. Quick and abrupt cuts were used to heighten the viewer's tension and plenty of match-on-action sequences can be spotted for the purpose of displaying action from different views, angles and manners. Elliptical editing is also used to further 'skip' some dull parts and switch the focus to the fast tempo of the action. This instantly catches the viewer's eye because it communicates a sense of urgency to them thus they may feel like they are struggling to keep up, forcing them to pay more attention.
To top it all off the sound is particularly important in arousing feelings of tension and curiosity amongst the audience: fast tempoed and catchy, the score of our film opening emits a sense of danger, illiciting a fear response.
In terms of distribution, I think the relatively well-known independent production company Warp Films is a good choice for our film project. There are many reasons as to why this is the best option; for one, it directly broadcasts to British viewers, a portion of our target audience, through branding; the phrase 'Warp Films' is familiar to the average UK moviegoer. Since it is both a film and television production company, this allows Warp Films to freely advertise its products on a national level using strategies such as cross-media convergence and synergy, in combination with social media such as Twitter to cross-promote and YouTube to release trailers, etc. Many independent filmmakers advocate for the use of social media to gather views and fans.
This helps battle the overwhelming amount of Hollywood feature films dominating the film industry which causes significant obstacles and issues for the
British film industry when it comes to filmmaking. This has been a problem since Hollywood's conception. British filmmakers, especially in independent companies, have great difficulty producing and financing a film and take higher risks in comparison to American major media conglomerates because the British film industry is overshadowed by Hollywood. By choosing a relatively successful independent British production company, this issue is addressed and challenged.
Another reason Warp Films is an appropriate option is due to the success of previous productions; Warp Films is responsible for the releases of films such as Exhibit A (2007) - which was awarded the title of 'Best UK Feature' at the Raindance Film Festival - and Ben Wheatley's Kill List (2007) which received strong critical acclaim with the UK-based film magazine Total Film declaring it 'Outstanding'. It was given a 5 star rating. Films produced by Warp Films are notable in their fresh, innovative content, distinct in their experimental nature which can be largely attributed to Warp Films being an independent company. This leads to the conclusion that Warp Films could largely benefit from Quicksand simply because it reinforces the production company's well-earned reputation for the execution and exploration of creative and visionary ideas. A second advantage of producing our film would be variety and range; Warp Films is not particularly known for their lighthearted comedies but rather their heavier and more serious works surrounding practical issues, which may not appeal to a wide range of individuals. Our film is less realistic and more action-oriented than the average An increase in the variety and tone of films would mean a wider scope of viewers outside of the niche audience.
One way our film project can benefit from Warp Films' position lies in promotion through social networking. For example, Warp Films' Twitter account alone has a dedicated fanbase of over 30,000 followers. Their Facebook page has an estimate of 50,000+ likes. Warp Films frequently exploit a combination of these to promote their productions, which would be highly advantageous for our film project. In turn, we can also use our individual social networking accounts to promote Warp Films.
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