In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In my A2 media trailers productions we decided to base it on
a post-apocalyptic horror. We used a lot of the codes and conventions of the
genre. We tried to create a real post-apocalyptic feel to the trailers but
certain things like not damaging school property came in to play. We trashed
the rooms where necessary to create a distressed feel in the area that is used
to create fear and tension that coincides with the horror genre. We challenged
the conventions of typical heroes as almost all are heroic or have more weapons
than one shotgun although in the back story the supply guy has the ability to
craft melee weapons. We developped the codes and conventions of trashed rooms
we also made the lights flicker and use bodies for body parts all over the
place that is foreshadowing the fact there is danger ahead.
How effective is the combination of your main products and
ancillary texts?
The combination of the main products and ancillary texts
gives the effect of a real product as it shows various aspects which are
required in a media product such as you can’t have a game without the front
cover on a case unless it is a digital download the cover is actually on the
screen. There are always reviews and various texts on a media product that
either promotes or evaluates the product. The cover and article can get across
different views and aspects that the trailers fail to get across such as the
abilities that the three have. The article can also generate the interest of
the reader so that they will want to play the game. The front cover can also
have that effect as people could think this looks interesting and decide to get
the game and have a go at the game.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
From my audience feedback I learned that the horror genre is
a likeable genre for its tense and shocking style as a human race over the
years we have been entertained by shocking violent moments and video games are a way of experiencing this
without harming people as in the past such things were the case. This was
enforced as a point when my questionnaire result came back and showed horror
games were very popular and was the most played out of the genres that are
available. I also learned that it is expected of horror games to take place in
remote derelict places which seem to be abandoned. I also learned that the
concept of an all online co-op story mode would appeal to most of the views of
the public as the results show that all prefer to play survival
post-apocalyptic horrors as part of an online team. The audience also stated
that they rather avoid the conflict when there are loads around as it creates a
more realistic vibe to the game. This is partly why we decided to only make one
of the characters as one with a weapon as this leads to a limited recourse of
ammo to deal with the hordes of zombies/ Infected.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?
For most of the media production i used dell computer, an
OptiPlex 390. A lot of the research, planning and construction used a computer.
We also used a MacBook pro, iMovie, Photoshop, Microsoft publisher and a Nikon
Coolpix S2600.
Construction
Main products
We used a Nikon Coolpix S2600 camera in the filming and also
a Sony Experia M2 as we needed a different one on the 1st person camera shots,
and in the third person view this was the phone that was shown as the one
filming what was unfolding.
My partner and I learned the stresses of the filming
industry rather quickly, we dedicated a full day to filming in which costumes
were designed and the make-up was applied to the zombies and the protagonists.
We searched various infected/zombies make-up techniques on YouTube before
putting them in to action. The filming process offered lots of issues in
personnel in terms of people begging to be in the trailer and people purposely
getting in the way, it was frustrating. We used the camera for various shots
and angles to create different affects. We showed close ups for tense moment
and long shots and pans for the tension builders and to give the audience
information about where the action is taking place. We had to use sound effect
in the software in order to create tension and suspense but also for simple
thing like footsteps as the camera didn’t pick up the sounds very well but it
is also what professional film crews have to use a lot of the time. In the
editing process for the trailers we used a MacBook pro and iMovie. In iMovie we
were able to add sound effects such as heartbeats to create tension and
suspense for the viewers. We were also able to do various things to make the
trailers, such as the desaturation of the picture so it's gloomier which
conforms to the codes and conventions of the horror genre. In iMovie we were
able to trim, chop and change the clips and alter the speed, the order and the
sound.
Ancillary texts
To design the front cover we used Photoshop. We took several images as the main image for our front cover. We used Photoshop to edit the image to how we wanted it. We also designed a company logo to place in the bottom right hand corner as this is the case with most of the game front covers that you will see we also placed an age rating on as this is customary on a media product of this nature. For the title of the game we used 1001 fonts to get a font that fit the genre of the game. We placed it where we wanted it and used FX to create certain affects that we required. The effects gave the title an effect of blood splatters and germ infections like an infection that turned the world to cannibal freaks. For the article we used publisher and used a background picture that is a room that looks dark and damp and trashed. We also used a column system that fits to the codes and conventions of an article. We used a different colour for our twitter names that fits with the colour scheme of twitter but also highlights the names of the people who created the article.
Research: Main Products
I used so many
different media technologies for my media research in to main products. I used
the computer to watch trailers on YouTube. I also used word to analyse a
variety of trailers for the genre that we decided to base our product on. I
also used my Samsung Galaxy tab 3 at home to research various reports about the
codes and conventions of a trailer and in particular a horror game trailer. I
also embedded a couple of the trailers that I watched in my blog.
Ancillary texts
My research into two game front covers involved the use of
the internet to search images of the survival horror games front covers as this
is the genre we based our product on. I used PowerPoint to analyse the
qualities of the covers. I analysed the similarities and differences that the
covers had to offer. Then i put the analysis on blogger. I analysed the evil
within, outlast, Alien isolation and The Last of Us. I researched articles
online that I could analyse and use the codes and conventions of the article to
produce my own article. I researched the articles about The Evil Within as it
was the latest game out of the genre. I looked at others but they were the ones
i decided to use in my research.
Planning
Main products
In the planning process, I and my partner created a
storyline that we could agree on and used the computer to create mood boards,
ideas for characters, dialogue, shot types, camera angles etc. We used word and
publisher to create documents on the ideas for the name, the characters
profiles and the aspects that will make it unique and those that would conform
to the codes and conventions of survival horror game. We also used story boards
to plan the order of the scenes that we designed, the storyboards was helpful
as we was able to creatively construct the plan for the trailers that we
producing. In the planning for the characters we planned the appearance of the
infected/zombies by watching movies and using games that we had so we played
The Last of Us etc. Which helped us plan the appearance as we were able to look
how others have done there’s so we were
able to plan how to do it similar and how we could alter the appearance to
place our own stamp on it as it were.
Ancillary texts
In the planning of my ancillary texts we discussed what the
aspects of a good front cover and article are and we discussed how we should go
about creating the products. We went old fashioned and drew the layout of the
front cover. We designed several concepts and wrote how we would portray this
media product. We discussed how to present this and all the details that would
go in to making the perfect media product. Then we arranged the priority of
topics that would go in to the article as we discussed the direction and
purpose of this media product. Then in terms of technology we scanned in all of
the paper that we used from the printer in to the hard drives of our computer
systems and turned them into JPEG's to use on our blogs.
Evaluation
For my Evaluation I
used a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 at home to write up my evaluation but in lessons i
used the OptiPlex 390 as this is the computer system that schools have. I use
chrome for the addition of pictures on to my blog. I also used my phone which
is a Sony experia M2 to take pictures. Then to apply them i uploaded them on to
my Google + account through the app on my phone and then when it came to adding
the pictures via blogger on my computer I press the little picture icon and
then pressed from your phone to apply the images that I took.
