CREATIVE CRITICAL

REFLECTION SANIA SOHAIL

HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE OR CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS AND HOW DOES IT REPRESENT SOCIAL GROUPS OR ISSUES?PROJECT M IS A SMALL TWO MINS MOVIE OPENING, WHICH BELONGS TO A THRILLER-MYSTERY-DRAMA GENRE. THE MOVIE IS ABOUT A GIRL WHO WANTS PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT SHE GOT MURDERED AND SHE CHOOSES JOHN (THE VICTIM) TO BE HER MURDERER. BUT JOHN DOESNT KNOW THAT THE GIRL IS CHOOSING HIM AS HER VICTIM. THE PLAN WORKS AND THE AGENTS ARREST JOHN. JOHN THE INNOCENT VICTIM DOESNT EVEN KNOW WHY HE GOT ARRESTED. THE MOVIE OPENING SHOWS JOHN (THE VICTIM) BEING INTERROGATED BY THE FAMOUS GOVERNMENT AGENT MR.WATSON. LATER ON IN THE CLIP JOHN GETS MURDERD BY SOMEONE WHOS IDENTITY IS STILL A MYSTERY KEEPING THE AUDIENCE CLIFF HANGING AT THE "EDGE OF THEIR SEATS" AS THE PLOT BUILDS TOWARDS A CLIMAX. LEAVING THE AUDIENCE WITH PLENTY OF QUESTIONS IN THEIR MIND. WHO COULD IT BE? IS IT THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO POTRAY HER OWN MURDER? IS MR.WATSON INVOLVED IN THIS? OR IS IT SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY WANTS THE GIRL TO BE DEAD?

CHARACTERS

Mr.watson John

A THRILLER GENRE USUALLY CONSISTS OF A BATTLE BETWEEN THE ANTAGONIST AND THE PROTAGONIST , WHEN THERE IS A DISRUPTION IN THE EQUILIBRIUM. THEN THE STORY SHOWS A CHAIN OF BAD EVENTS BUILDING SUSPENSE FOR THE CLIMAX. THE AIM OF THE PROTAGONIST IS TO RESTORE JUSTICE, WHILE THE ANTAGONIST DESTROYS IT. IN MY MOVIE OPENING THIS CONVENTION IS BEING CHALLENGED BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE CANNOT REALLY TELL WHO THE ANTAGONIST AND THE PROTAGONIST REALLY IS. LATER IN THE MOVIE IT WILL BE KNOWN THAT MR.WATSON IS THE ANTAGONIST AND THAT JOHN WAS THE PROTAGONIST. THE PROTAGONIST IN THRILLER-MYSTERY MOVIES USUALLY WEARS A FORMAL ATTIRE AND THE ANTAGONIST IS WEARING NORMAL CLOTHES,BUT IN MY MOCIE OPENING ITS THE OTHER WAY ROUND. THUS MY MOVIE OPENING HAS CHALLENGED ONE OF THE CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER-MYSTERY GENRE MOVIE. I GOT THIS IDEA FROM THE FAMOUS TV SHOW ONE TREE HILL (2001-2009) DANN SCOTT USED TO BE THE ANTAGONIST AND HIS BROTHER KEITH USED TO BE THE PROTAGONIST, DANN USED TO BE DRESSED IN A FORMAL ATTIRE SHOWING HIS SUPERIORITY AND HIGH CLASS OVER HIS BROTHER WHO USED TO BE DRESSED IN NORMAL EVERYDAY CLOTHES.

Dann Scott (antagonist)Keith Scott (protagonist)

ONE OF THE CONVENTIONS OF THRILLER-MYSTERY MOVIES IS LOW KEY LIGHTING. MY MOVIE OPENING HOWEVER IS FOLLOWING THIS CONVENTION. MORE THAN HALF OF MY MOVIE OPENING WAS SHOT IN LOW KEY LIGHTING. THE LOW KEY LIGHTING TENDS TO GIVE HIGH CONTRAST BEING ONE LIGHT IT DIRECTS THE LIGHTING AT ONE PART OF THE FACE MAKING IT VERY ON ONE SIDE STRONG TO HUMAN EYE. LOW KEY LIGHTING IS A NECESSARY KEY ELEMENT IN CREATING A CHIAROSCURO EFFECT. THIS TYPE OF CONVENTION WAS VERY IMPORTANT IN MY MOVIE OPENING AS IT CREATES A DISTINCT AND DEEP SHADOWS. THE IDEA OF LOW KEY LIGHTING CAME IN MY MIND WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE FAMOUS MYSTERY-THRILLER-FANTASY GENRE TV SHOW "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES" SEASON 6. THE PART WHERE TRIPP WAS INTERROGATING ENZO. MOST OF THE VAMPIRE DIARIES INTERROGATION PARTS ARE SHOT IN LOW KEY LIGHTING.

LOW KEY LIGHTING IN MY MOVIE OPENING

WHILE MAKING A FILM WE CANT REALLY UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FILM SOUND. MUSIC IS ESSENTIAL IN ANY FILM TO UNDERSTAND THE MOOD OF THE CHARACTERS AND HINT AT A SIGNIFICANT PART IN THE FILM. IN A THRILLER OR A MYSTERY FILM IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ADD MUSIC WHICH CREATES SUSPENSE AND TENSION IN THE VIEWERS MIND. MY MOVIE OPENING IS AGAIN FOLLOWING THIS CONVENTION. I CHOSE THE SOUNDTRACK OF EXPENDABLES 2. THE SOUNDTRACK WAS PLAYING IN MY ENTIRE MOVIE OPENING. LOW KEY MUSIC (CELLO MUSIC) INSTRUMENT AS SOON AS THE MOVIE OPENING STARTS. THE PACE IS SMOOTH AND SLOW WHICH ADDS A TENSE ATMOSPHERE. IN THE ESTABLISHING SHOT THE MUSIC IS SOFT BUT HAS DEEP UNDERTONE WHICH MAKES IT SOUND SINISTER AND SUGGESTS THAT THE MOVIE CONTAINS THRILLING OR HORRIFIC SCENES. I GOT REALLY INSPIRED BY THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE MOVIE "THE RED ROOM" (2008) AND THAT’S WHY I WANTED MY MOVIE OPENING TO HAVE A THRILLER-MYSTERY GENRE SO THAT I CAN OUT A THRILLER-MYSTERY SOUNDTRACK.

PROPS SUCH AS GUNS WHICH SIGNIFY TERROR ARE TYPICALLY USED IN ALL THRILLER-DRAMA-MYSTERY MOVIES. MY 2 MINS 30 SECONDS MOVIE OPENING HAS PROPS LIKE GUNS AND OTHER TOOLS WHICH ARE TYPICALLY USED BY ALL INTERROGATORS. IN CASE OF PROPS, I HAVENT USED ANY THING WHICH IS NOT COMMON, A TYPICAL PISTOL, HANDCUFFS, CHAINS AND SOME ELECTRICAL TOOLS COULD BE SEEN IN MY MOVIE OPENING. I BELIEVE THAT A THRILLER MOVIE WITHOUT SUCH PROPS IS USELESS. THRILLER MOVIE LOVERS WANT TO SEE TERROR AND KILLINGS IN ALL MOVIES. IN ONE PART OF MY OPENING I HAVE SHOWN THE VICTIM BEING ELECTROCUTED BY THE AGENT, I WAS INSPIRED BY THE ELECTROCUTION PART WHEN I WAS WATCHING "THE HOME ALONE 2"

FOR THE DRESSING OF MY AGENT, I WAS REALLY INSPIRED BY THE AGENTS OF THE MOVIE "NOW YOU SEE ME"

I WAS WATCHING "BATMAN-THE DARK KNIGHT RISES" WHEN I GOT THE IDEA OF INTERROGATION FOR MY MOVIE OPENING. I WAS ALREADY INTO A LOT OF THRILLER-MYSTERY MOVIES AND TV SHOWS. I USED TO READ NANCY DREW STORIES WHEN I WAS YOUNG SO I THINK MAKING A MOVIE OPENING IN THIS GENRE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME INTO ME NATURALLY. IVE ALWAYS LOVED CRIME DETECTIVE STORIES AND THE TV SHOW "SHERLOCK HOLMES" PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THAT. SOME OF MY FAVORITE THRILLER-MYSTERY MOVIES AND TV SHOWS ARE: THE MAZE RUNNERFINAL DESTINATION TAKEN EXPENDABLESTHE VAMPIRE DIARIES SHERLOCK HOLMES

HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT ENGAGE WITH AUDIENCES AND HOW WOULD IT BE

DISTRIBUTED AS A REAL MEDIA TEXT?MY MOVIE OPENING, ATTRACTS A VAST AUDIENCE, SPECIALLY THOSE WHO LOVE THRILLER-MYSTERY-DRAMA. IT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR THE AGE GROUP OF 13-45. SUCH MOVIES ARE LOVED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND AGE REALLY DOESN’T MATTER, PEOPLE ABOVE THE AGE OF 45 ALSO ENJOY IT. SUCH MOVIES CAN ALSO BE SEEN WITH FAMILY. THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN WATCH THE TRILLER AND MYSTERY. THRILLERS APPEAL TO BOTH MALE AND FEMALE AUDIENCES AND A VARIETY OF SOCIAL CLASSES CONVENTIONALLY THROUGH THE USE OF RELATABLE CHARACTERS AND THEMES THROUGHOUT THE FILM. THE TARGET AUDIENCE WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN MODERN LIFE AND TECHNOLOGIES. A KEY POINT OF THRILLERS THAT INTERESTS MY AUDIENCE IS THE USE OF SUSPENSE AND TENSION.THIS CAN BE SPECIFICALLY SEEN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS WHICH USES CONSTANT TWISTS IN PLOT TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS.

FOR DISTRIBUTION IVE CHOSEN UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IS ONE OF THE BIG SIX WHO DISTRIBUTE MOVIES OF ALL GENRES. BUT MOST OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS BIG HITS ARE MOSTLY THRILLER MOVIES WHICH INCLUDE:

A GOOD UNIQUE SELLING POINT FOR MY MOVIE CAN BE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ITSELF. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IS ONE OF THE BIG SIX, AND ITS PRETTY UNUSUAL THAT A BIG SIX IS COLLABORATING WITH A SMALL PRODUCTION HOUSE. THIS WOULD REALLY ATTRACT PEOPLE AS THIS IS PRETTY RARE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THE MOVIE THAT A BIG COMPANY LIKE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IS COLLABORATING WITH A INDIE. OTHER THAN THAT, AS A DIRECTOR I WOULD SEND MY ENTIRE CREW TO THE COMIC CON, JUST TO CREATE A HYPE FOR MY MOVIE, MY MOVIE OPENING HAS MANY DEBUT ACTORS. MR.WATSON AND JOHN WOULD BE THE ONES WHO MOST OF THE GIRLS WOULD GET ATTRACTED TOO. I WOULD ALSO APPROACH TO NON MEDIA COMPANIES LIKE MCDONALDS OR LAYS FOR ADVERTISING MY MOVIE. I GOT THIS IDEA FROM THE MOVIE "DESPICIBLE ME 2" WHO JOINED HANDS WITH MCDONALDS FOR THEIR DISTRIBUTION AND MINION TOYS WERE GIVEN AS HAPPY MEAL GIFTS.

OTHER THAN THAT I WILL ALSO MAKE A WEBSITE FOR MY MOVIE JUST LIKE IT WAS FOR "HARRY POTTER" SERIES. FACEBOOK, TWITTER, TUMBLR, INSTAGRAM, MYSPACE WOLD BE FILLED WITH POSTERS AND INFO ABOUT MY MOVIE. ALSO I WILL MAKE COUNTDOWN VIDEOS STARRING MY MAIN ACTORS, JUST SO THAT THERE IS A HYPE ABOUT MY MOVIE. IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD CONTACT GAME COMPANIES LIKE SONY TO MAKE VIDEO GAMES OF MY MOVIE.

HOW DID YOUR PRODUCTION SKILLS DEVELOP THROUGHOUT

THIS PROJECT?EDITING PHOTOS, MAKING PRESENTATIONS, TAKING PICTURES FROM NEW ANGLES, GETTING TO KNOW ABOUT NEW SOFTWARES, MAKING VIDEOS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY BUCKET OF INTERESTS. EVEN BEFORE TAKING THIS SUBJECT I USED TO HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN FILM MAKING. BUT AFTER TAKING THE SUBJECT IT WASN’T AS EASY AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. THERE WERE MANY THINGS WHICH I OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT. ONE OF THESE EXAMPLES IS THE PROBLEM OF HEAD ROOM. BEFORE, I OFTEN USED TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM OF HEADROOM, BUT AFTER MY FIRST MEDIA STUDIES LECTURE I GOT TO KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF HEAD ROOM. EVEN AFTER THAT I DIDN’T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO IT. THE FIRST PROJECT WE GOT IN OUR MEDIA STUDIES CLASS WAS A "SEFIE PROJECT." IN THIS WE HAD TO CHOOSE A THEME AND THEN USE THAT THEME IN OUR SELFIES IN DIFFERENT WAYS. NOW SELFIE IS SOMETHING MOST OF US TAKE EVERYDAY AND WE DON’T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO TECHNICAL THINGS LIKE HEAD ROOM OR WHAT ANGLE WE ARE USING. MY PROJECT HAD THE SAME MISTAKES OF HEADROOM AND THIS WAS THE REASON I GOT A

EVEN AFTER LEARNING SO MANY LESSONS I AGAIN MADE THE SAME HEADROOM MISTAKE IN MY FINAL PROJECT. AND JUST BECAUSE OF THIS ONE SILLY MISTAKE I HAD TO RESHOOT THE ENTIRE MOVIE OPENING AGAIN.

OTHER THAN THIS, I GOT TO KNOW THE NAMES OF CAMERA. I HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF ANGLES BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THE NAME OF EACH SHOT. I KNEW WHAT A DOLLY SHOT WAS LIKE BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THE PROPER TERM WAS DOLLY TERM.RULE OF THIRDS WAS ANOTHER THING WHICH WAS ADDED TO MY KNOWLEDGE LIST. I GOT TO KNOW THAT RULE OF THIRDS IS USED TO MAKE THE OVERALL COMPOSITION MORE PLEASING TO THE EYE. I ALSO LEARNED HOW TO USE THE CAMERA ON TRIPOD. WHAT HEIGHT THE TRIPOD IS SUPPOSE TO BE WHILE WE ARE SHOOTING FROM A HIGH OR LOW ANGLE. ALSO LEARNED ABOUT THE DUTCH TILT, A CAMERA SHOT IN WHICH THE CAMERA ANGLE IS DELIBERATELY SLANTED TO ONE SIDE. THIS CAN BE USED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT AND HELPS PORTRAY UNEASE, DISORIENTATION, FRANTIC OR DESPERATE ACTION, INTOXICATION, MADNESS, ETCALSO LEARNT NEW THINGS ABOUT MY CAMERA. GOT TO KNOW WHAT ISO SPEED TO USE IN

ANOTHER THING WHICH I LEARNED FROM THIS SUBJECT AND THIS PROJECT TO BE SPECIFIC WAS PATIENCE. I USED TO HAVE A LOT OF ANGER MANAGMENET ISSUES. I USED TO GET ANNOYED VERY EASILY. BUT WHILE SHOOTING MY MOVIE I HAD TO TACKLE EVERYTHING VERY NICELY AND PATIENTLY. I HAD TO DEAL WITH THE MOOD SWINGS OF MY ACTORS. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE ACTORS WONT GET SERIOUS ON THE SET AND THEY WONT ACT PROPERLY, AT THAT TIME I THINK I WAS BEING TESTED FOR MY PATIENCE. I HAD TO VERY PATIENTLY DEAL WITH THEM, HAD TO GIVE THEM THEIR SPACE AND TIME. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I STARTED SCREAMING AT ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WERENT BEING SCREAM, AFTER THAT I FELT BAD TOO , BUT I GUESS IT WAS NEEDED. BUT AFTER THE SHOOTING IVE REALISED THAT I SHOULDN’T REALLY OVER REACT TO SMALL THINGS AND BE PATIENT ABOUT EVERYTHING.

   HOW DID YOU INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGIES (HARDWARE,

SOFTWARE AND ONLINE) IN THIS PROJECT?THE HARDWARE WHICH I USED FOR MY MOVIE OPENING WAS :

1)MY CAMERA: CANON T5I (700D)

2) TRIPOD

3) A LAPTOP/IPAD (FOR EDITING)

I USED THE HELP OF GOOGLE A LOT. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO MAKE A LOGO. SO I GOOGLED THAT ON GOOGLE AND MADE IT THROUGH A ONLINE WEBSITE WWW.GRAPHICSPRING.COM I EDITED MY ENTIRE MOVIE OPENING ON WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER

WITH THE HELP OF WWW.8TRACK.COM I DOWNLOADED THE SOUNDTRACK OF EXPENDABLES 2 AND THE SOUND OF THE GUNSHOT.