Problems with the process of filming

There were very few problems with our filming however as our location was in the public domain it was out of our hands if someone walked in our shot, for example their is one section where ben (doug) walks through Ashton Park and he's meant to be alone however, unfortunately a woman enters the shot, and then in a later shot she reappears however this time she is in front of Ben clearly highlighting the time in different shots. (think she just wanted to be on tv :) Moreover we had a few movie mistakes as our tripod was visible in two of the shots used in the final production. This is not professional and would be ripped to pieces on (http://www.moviemistakes.com/ ) so we weren't very happy with this. Moreover as you will see in the film Doug drops his bottles in an attempt to shed weight to run away quicker, in the actual take all of the bottle smashed therfore it was very lucky that Liam managed to get it all in one shot; there was no room for practice or second takes as we had no other beers!

Overall it was a great experience and we are reasonably happy with the outcome.

Final Video Production

 This is the video of our production which has been uploaded to YouTube. We have collaborated well and managed to complete our video in good time. It took a long time for the editing process to be finished however we wanted the video to look succinct and sharp; we wanted the video to look as close to a "big 6" production as possible. This meant including the use of sound effects and saturation distortion as well as the fortunate inclusion of stunts.

We hope you enjoy it!

My Editing is Complete

I finally finished editing our production, and i'm very impressed how well it turned out; the shots are snappy and elaborate, i really think i have the hang of editing, i'm glad i chose to take on this part. It took a long time and i hope the group appreciates how imperative it was to make sure all the shots were coherent. I hope they finally agree with the editing choices i made.

What is synergy and Convergence???

Synergy simply means working together to achieve an objective that couldn’t be achieved independently. In media terms this is where media conglomerates incorporate smaller subsidiaries or other branded companies to promote their own product.  Cross-media convergence can help with synergy if companies are wise enough to take advantage of the links they have created. Walt Disney pioneered synergy as he allowed other companies to advertise and have the rights to use his famous Mickey Mouse character. A recent example would be the brand new Audi advert incorporating The Avengers (as seen below) 

It is obvious that Audi and The Avengers (Marvel) are have high market shares in their respective fields, therefore, they have chosen to join forces. This is very clever marketing by Audi as it widens its customer base whilst also providing The Avengers with a sneak peak trailer. 

New Time Line

All of these tasks have now been completed, the editing process took longer than was expected as the colourization process and the lighting took a lot of effort to get correct. However it does look good. We had all the filming complete by the end of March which was longer than we expected however the film looks excellent.


(This is they new version of events which actually took place, the original draft was what we desired to happen however complications and time meant that we had to rearrange the time table)

Completed By November 30th 2014

• Initial ideas for the two minute clip
• Story Boards
• Mood Board

Completed By December 16th 2014

• Actors Chosen
• Choose A Date For Filming
• Name Chosen

Completed By December 31st 2014

• Script Complete
• Costume and prop scouting
• Filming begins

Completed By January 16th

• Most of the filming complete
• Location Scouting

Completed By February 28th 2015

• All Filming Complete
• All media uploaded to a laptop
• Clip placement and organisation
• Editing process Begins

Completed By March 28th 2015

• Editing Complete
• New Filming to display the phycology behind the film
• Sound inputed on film
• New

Completed By April 20th 2015

• 2 minute clip exported
• Clip embeded onto Blogger.com

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audience in the media area you have studies?

    All media is owned by a company or conglomerate, a media conglomerate is a multinational firm that distributes media products in the industry, six conglomerates hold 90% of what we read, listen to and watch therefore the public is easily manipulated without them knowing through the use of the hypodermic needle theory. Moreover these conglomerates tend to provide a variety of products to audiences to promote their brand or film through synergy. Walt Disney pioneered synergy; it is the promotion of a media product through numerous media platforms in the hope of attracting audiences, therefore making a large profit.

Big six companies such as Time Warner produce media to make a profit therefore they are given large sums of start-up capital and in return they expect large profits. With the large market share they have they can force their product onto audiences without they realising.

“The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug” was produced by Warner Brothers a subsidiary of Time Warner and is owned by Wingnut Films and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer two giants in the media ownership market, therefore it was expected that their product would make a large profit ($735.4 million) with the pre-existing fan base from the previous Lord of The Rings Trilogy. “The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug” commits audiences to continue to watch the films as they have made it into a three part trilogy therefore making large profits and completing a successful synergistic production. Gratification Theory, realising that the audience is much more complex in modern times, the audience selects media products that best suits their needs and ambitions; “The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug” entices the audience as they too desire treks across ancient lands and battles with bloodthirsty orcs and enchanting elves. This captivation bodes well with Warner Brothers as with their games division they can produce videogames which further the experience viewers witness in cinemas.

On the other hand “12 Years A Slave,” produced by Fox Search Light, PlanB, River Roads Entertainment and Film4, does not have the funds that a Big 6 company would, it had $22 million to make the film, moreover it was originally made for a small film festival where viewers would pay to watch a screening of a film which they knew nothing about. Despite its content, the film's critical success has assisted its domestic distribution by Fox Searchlight that began with a limited released aimed primarily towards art house and African-American patrons. The film's release was slowly widened in subsequent weeks, similarly to how films such as Black Swan and The Descendants had done in previous years. In a clever marketing stunt the international release dates for 12 Years a Slave were largely delayed to early 2014 in order to take advantage of the attention created by awards seasons. This paid off as 12 Years made an astonishing $187.7 million at the box office. This is due to the actors and producers who evolved the production as Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch (actors) played key roles in advertising through the use of trailers therefore grasping the audience’s attention as they are ‘A listers.’ Furthermore the influence of Kanye West and Chris Rock proved imperative as 12 Years A Slave made it to the big screen eventually.

Big 6 companies tend to use over the line promotion stunts for example “The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug” released the trailers 3 month before the film was released therefore allowing fans to anticipate the release. Moreover a face book page was established allowing fans to communicate before the big release whilst adverts trolled the webpage promoting the film. The Cinema release promoted the film in 3D and widescreen HD creating an experience for cinema goers. Moreover using synergy to their advantage Time Warner made a deal with Lego allowing their characters to be present in the new release therefore the production was promoted and Lego receives greater revenue. Moreover synergy played a part in the production of a Lego Hobbit game. A tie in game was also made further promoting the film. As the Hobbit was originally a book the companies decided to renew the cover of the book and create an audiobook giving the rights to the audio book to ITunes and Amazon Prime. This creates problems such as Piracy as with media conglomerates they overprice products to create the greatest profits possible therefore hackers manage to publish online illegal versions of the film meaning revenue is lost by the larger companies. The producers decided to burn the tape to Blue Ray, Blue Ray 3D and then created a new cover once it received an Oscar.



On the other hand as 12 years a Slave had little range of products as it was originally a novel. This novel was reproduced after 12 Years won numerous awards, the book was branded with the same images as on the DvD’s which were distributed. Moreover with the new title the book was concentrated into an audiobook where the dates of the release of the film were imprinted on the title. This continued before the release of the film in national cinemas. Moreover the film was advertised online through social networks and in trailer form displaying sneak peeks and interviews with the characters. Therefore attracting fans. The film rights where given to Amazon Prime where piracy was a threat. Small figurines were released after the film’s success however its main products where the dvd with multiple covers after awards season and the audio book. 



Audiences were given every opportunity to receive products from both cases, some other products from other productions such as Battle ship failed in the promotion with a tie in game however the small production costs and minimum advertising has worked in 12 years favour as it was promoted as a work of art rather than a multimillion explosive Peter Jackson production. Products attract audiences and small children however many people now see big 6 companies as producing media products for the sake of profit.

Last Day of Filming!!!

Today we filmed for the last time which was a great achievement because we have all worked really hard. We had some trouble as the batteries ran out therefore i made a quick trip to the local shop and we were back on track. All I need to do is edit now!!!

Beverages on Set!!!

None of the actors are older than 17 years of age therefore we had to remove the alcohol from their drinks and wash the beer bottles out vigorously and then filled it up with Appleaid as this was the closest to the original beer colour.

From Royden to Ashton

We are going to film additional shots in Royden park in Irby, it has the same environment and themes which we need to compliment our movie. Moreover it conveniently offers parking facilities, it is a popular park however it does boast the space we need to shoot our car stunts. The vast amounts of space are ridden with trees therefore reducing the light which imperative to our theme and movie. Despite it being a public place we think this is the best option.

New Prop

We have a new prop in the movie! My car we thought that we could use it because I have a driving license so could use the car and a shot of Doug/Ben getting to it. We are picturing Doug struggling to open it due to him being drunk. Once he gets in the car we would need a shot of him driving so we decided I would wear Bens coat and glasses whilst driving. I needed a large area to recklessly drive as if i was drunk, so the right location for these shots is very important.

Location! Location! Location!

Macadana Drive West Kirby

We have been location scouting using google maps to find the perfect location for our flashbacks to happen. We're looking for a place with a lack of natural light, unfortunately this setting in the image is to open and prone to a lot of wind therefore filming here would reduce the sound quality as well as disrupting the actors, moreover it is a very public place and as our two actors are quite shy when in the company of strangers amongst the set. Also as we are going to be using beer bottles as props there may be some confusion with the public as both of our actors are under the age limit.

                                                                                    

Location 2: Kings Drive West Kirby

 This is Kings Drive on the left as you can see it would be the perfect place for a couple of friends to hang out as there is a picnic bench a place to park your car and a nice view, however it is to light for a horror story to take place in, it juxtaposes the whole theme of our film, despite its locality and surreality it will not work in our film. We have finally come up with an answer... we are going to film in Royden park, it has the same atmosphere and features as Ashton park except it actually has a car park, moreover it isn't open and it is covered with trees therefore reducing the light exposure. Despite it being a public place we think this is the best option.

Filming Re-shoots

Yesterday we went out filming our re-shoots for our new plot. Here are some photographs displaying our shooting techniques. First we scouted some areas where we wanted to film in which was 



Inside the Car

Trying to keep the natural light at a minimum



Convergence - How the world is changing to the Digital Age

Convergence is...
...the word we use to describe the process of different technologies coming together in one device: a modern mobile phone – comprising a camera, an MP3 player, a web browser, a games console and even voice calls – is one obvious example. The ‘one box solution’ has been the main focus of much thinking about convergence, and technology companies continue to deliver products that do more. However, to simply restrict your thinking about convergence to hardware would be a mistake; the principle of convergence is affecting all media texts.

New Ideas for Phycology of Clip

Ben and I have been brainstorming this morning in our free period to find a solution to our storyline. We needed to produce more of a psychological element to our film.

Finished Filming (Or so we thought)

Yesterday we finished all of the separate shots of Kirsty which we have been waiting to do for numerous weeks. I edited all the shots and merged them into the pre edited storyline and watched as our previous three months of work unravelled, as a two minute clip, on screen. On reflection we all agreed that there wasn't enough physcology there was too much physicality involved in our story line, therefore we now need to re-mould our storyline and create an actual plot (Instead of a continuous chase scene) We have a few ideas at the moment but hopefully once we sit down and brainstorm we should have a great story.

Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of media to audiences “to what extent do you agree with this statement (50 Marks)

Media convergence is the combination of two or more media platforms; it can happen in any of the three stages (production, distribution and exhibition), for example using a movie to promote its merchandise eg “Battleship”. Synergy on the other hand is the simultaneous release of different products, in the hope that they promote one another. It describes the promotion and sales of a product or media text through numerous subsidiaries one common option is social media as trailers can appear on blogs and websites such as Facebook. Due to the increase in technology, especially in the film industry, it has become easier for different companies to work together to
create a successful product or brand, therefore I believe cross-media convergence and synergy are important (but not a vital) processes in the marketing of a product and I shall further explain the reason why in this response.

Cross media convergence and synergy are important marketing practices necessary for the front loading of film marketing campaigns. Pioneered by Walt Disney, allowing other subsidiaries the right to use his famous Mickey Mouse character to promote products and gain profit. These rights enabled him to advertise all Disney films and thus help to increase the films sales. By using synergetic techniques Walt was able to build a whole franchise and multimillion dollar theme park in California and then expanded across the globe. Not only did he make profit but he enticed his target audience children at the same time by using the hypodermic syringe model.

I believe that cross media convergence and synergy can help any media product in the promotion stage, however I believe to an extent that it depends on the budget of the piece and how much capital will go towards this marketing process. A prime example of this is The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, due to th
e pre-existing fan base of the successful Lord of The Rings Trilogy it was no shock that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug made a profit of $134.1 million. It is the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film and the 24th highest-grossing film of all time. It grossed $209 million worldwide on its opening weekend. This returning fan base meant that The Desolation of Smaug was in first place at the box office for three consecutive weekends during winter. As The Hobbit is made and produced by a media giant Time Warner’s subsidiaries whereas 12 Year’s A Slave is seen to be made and produced through film4 © a smaller media firm however it was actually produced by Regency Films a subsidiary of Fox Searchlight. As Time Warner is a media conglomerate it was able to successfully advertise through the synergetic system. It is apparent that The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug’s budget was at $250 million whereas 12 Year’s A Slave’s budget was at $22 million; this clearly highlights the difference between the big six and smaller media firms. The convergence from these big six conglomerates allows them to use wider ranges of synergy which cost higher fees for example: video games, play figures and soundtracks. All these objects attract children.

As Time Warner has a greater market share of 26.3% it is a powerhouse within the media conglomerates beating competition in Disney and Paramount. However 12 Year’s A Slave had to have numerous companies offer capital and investments to even advertise through traditional methods such as bill boards and within small cinema companies. They had less synergetic strategies displayed as it was only expected to premier in art houses and small cinemas, despite this it managed to gross $56 million highlighting how synergy isn’t always needed to promote films, word of mouth is just as successful.

Through the use of social media Time warner was able to successfully advertise The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer therefore enticing the target audience to watch the film as well as informing them of the opening weekend date. As the film production seemed so massive, Tolkien Estate gave permission for the original book of The Hobbit to be remastered but only the front cover as this advertised the new cinema release as on all the new books it stated “in cinemas soon.” Moreover as the book cover had been remastered an audiobook was produced therefore allowing fanatics to remind themselves of the storyline before actually watching the film. This allowed the Tolkien Estate to gain revenue as well as advertise the cinematic release. The fact that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was filmed in New Zealand meant that the population of 4.5 million had a special connection with the film therefore creating more of a response. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was on every poster and every billboard in every major city trying to attract as many people as possible. As the movie was ‘coming soon’ this attracted more customers but mainly due to the fact that it was the second of a trilogy. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was an expected huge success due to the pre-existing fan base however this expectation was capitalised upon as opening night meant cinemas were packed resulting in a $73.5 million turnover in the first weekend therefore displaying how synergy is a huge player within the business, this is highlighted as Twelve years a slave which did not use as much synergy only made $ 187.7 million all together whereas The Hobbit made almost 1/3 of that on opening night.

It is apparent how desperate 12 Year’s A Slave was as it struggled to despatch the release of their film as it took four distribution companies whereas the Hobbit only used one. However the unexpected happened as During its opening limited release in the United States, 12 Years a Slave debute
d with a weekend total of $923,715 on 19 screens for a $48,617 per-screen average. The following weekend, the film entered the top ten after expanding to 123 theatres and grossing an additional $2.1 million. It continued to improve into its third weekend, grossing $4.6 million at 410 locations. The film release was expanded to over 1,100 locations on November 8, 2013.

Therefore synergy is not needed for small companies as Twelve years a slave shows as it was a success despite the use of major synergy.

Genre Box Office results 2012

This is the box office results of 2012 displaying that Horror has a high number of releases and grosses about £62,000,000

Fake Injuries and Specialised Wound Kits

We spent time before filming ensuring that we were equipped in the skill of make up, fortunately on of our group took really well to it; Luke, therefore he received the title of make up artist. Its a really tricky skill to create the correct gradient which matches with the skin and Luke did it really well taking into account that the tools we were using were very basic: Vaseline, Make-up and Thinned Clay.

Kirsty Wardrobe and Make up

We decided to go with the classic white ghost like gown, and splatter with fake blood which was red food dye and Tomato Ketchup, it looked very effective, the only problem was because it was liquid we were dealing with it wouldn't have dried for about 10 minute so we had to use a hairdryer. this looked all well and good however for Kirsty is wasn't very comfortable as it was quite cold out and the costume wasn't very warm. She looked really creepy as we purposely put her hair in strewed side pony tails. She also put eye liner and a dark foundation around her eyes to give a demonic topping to her costume.

Film Postponed Again

Unfortunately we are unable to film today as Kirsty is unwell, I tried to motivate her to go into school so that we could film later as other groups are beginning to build up steam in their filming and we keep stumbling. Unfortunately my mum overruled as it would be unfair to here to film and wait in the cold while she is ill. I have spoken to here and she thinks she will be well enough to film in Thursday.  

Broadchurch Season 1 Review

Broadchurch is a small town riddled in a murder mystery; many people may see this as another "who done it" crime drama, however it has dark secrets hidden within the ever evolving plot. 

Broadchurch is  the town itself. Its natural beauty of the everlasting Jurassic coastline juxtaposes with the ghastly crime and investigation that takes place by its shores. The people that populate the majestic area now have a dark incident they need to solve. 

We feel the Latimer's pain as they have to deal with the death of their 11-year-old son, Danny. The mother, Beth (Jodie Whittaker), is the first to realise the horror, losing control as she spots a familiar pair of trainers peaking out from underneath the pall that covers her son’s body on the beach. Danny's father, Mark Latimer (Andrew Buchan) is stoic and strong for his wife and daughter when talking to the police, but in the morgue, he is a gentle quiver as he talks to Danny one last time, telling him, “I love you zillions, superstar.” The intimacy that circles the family is well-scripted and impeccably delivered. It is difficult to imagine that Mark Latimer the mourning father could ever be a suspect or an adulterer, but then, when he is suspected and we find out that he lied to the police (DI Hardy and Miller)about his alibi, you can’t imagine that Danny’s murderer could be anyone else. This is an intriguing echo recurring over and over again; some viewers may think there are tow many suspects however if you are investigating a death of a young boy you have to get it right! Some of the suspects seem incomprehensible however once the truth is told no one is what they seemed: The Vicar (Arthur Darvill), Mark’s friend Nigel (Joe Sims), the owner of the local newspaper stand Jack Marshall (David Bradley), and others throughout the 8-episode run, as the search for the killer begins heighten the paranoid detectives inside us all.

Season 1 
4.7/ 5

Creator - Chris Chibnall
Actors Below 

	David Tennant	...	Alec Hardy (13 episodes, 2013-2015)
	Olivia Colman	...	Ellie Miller (13 episodes, 2013-2015)
	Jodie Whittaker	...	Beth Latimer (13 episodes, 2013-2015)
	Andrew Buchan	...	Mark Latimer (13 episodes, 2013-2015)

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service
4.5 *
Director: Matthew Vaughn

 Starring: Colin Firth, S.J Jackson 

Running time: 129 mins 

Certification: 15

 Matthew Vaughn once again exceeds all expectations as the dubbed 'copy-cat Bond' by many critics surprisingly contained wit action and romance. Many believed no one could ever create a spy thriller that could compete with the likes of 007, moreover the genre has been monotonised in recent times with the likes of: 'Bourne Legacy', 'Mission Impossible'  and failures such as 'Red' however this witty thriller and beginning of a new franchise offers new gadgets and gismos as well as the arrogance and dashing males. Moreover there has been a movement to introduce women spies in recent times with the likes of 'Veronica Mars' and yes, Kingsman incorporated this too, offering a recent twist on ageing stereotypes.

 The film is riddled with big names, helping promote the film, eg Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson in particular, playing an evil megalomaniac with a lisp affiliated on world domination. There is the classic cliches with some ambiguous sexual references which take away the professionalism of the film however it is all in good spirit. A good film, with a few tweaks there could be a promising sequel.

Equipment Used in Filming: Dolly

 

The Dolly 



Dolly systems are very expensive. Which is why we had to borrow one from the school, unfortunately we did not have the track you see in the picture meaning our film was shaky in some takes. The idea of the dolly is to accommodate all DV & HDV cameras, tripod and rigs. The swift dolly is skilfully made and the set up is quick and easy. Our swift dolly track can also work with other dolly systems because the outer diameter of this track is the same as of the standard.



The dolly provided dynamic shots and aided in tracking shots as we were able to move the camera mounted on the tripod. This helped as it made our filming diverse as were not just using match on action.








Unused footage!

This is footage from our final task which was filmed on my iPhone 6 as our cameras were unable to zoom when in the video preset! This caused a major problem as the continuity was less fluid. However to keep the quality of the film it is sensible to leave this footage out at it would be visible in the difference between quality on screen. 

Decisions with Editing

The Professional Software 

Yesterday our cameraman Liam took our first shots just with me on screen, although when we were out shooting, we realised that we were speaking about ways in which we could portray the macabre theme we were going for e.g manipulating the lighting or desaturation of the clips, when editing. So we decided that i would edit as we took the shots. I have already started editing our most of the shots that we have taken, this was helped by the use of two cameras giving different angles to increase the professionalism feel which we are trying to replicate from the actual industry, At the moment it is looking great, and we are already looking for copyright free audio soundtracks to include in it. To edit we are using a software called ' Final Cut Pro' on an Apple Macbook Pro.

Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of media to audiences “to what extent do you agree with this statement (50 Marks)

Media convergence is the combination of two or more media platforms; it can happen in any of the three stages (production, distribution and exhibition), for example using a movie to promote its merchandise eg “Battleship”. Synergy on the other hand is the simultaneous release of different products, in the hope that they promote one another. It describes the promotion and sales of a product or media text through numerous subsidiaries one common option is social media as trailers can appear on blogs and websites such as Facebook. Due to the increase in technology, especially in the film industry, it has become easier for different companies to work together to create a successful product or brand, therefore I believe cross-media convergence and synergy are important (but not a vital) processes in the marketing of a product and I shall further explain the reason why in this response.

Cross media convergence and synergy are important marketing practices necessary for the front loading of film marketing campaigns. Pioneered by Walt Disney, allowing other subsidiaries the right to use his famous Mickey Mouse character to promote products and gain profit. These rights enabled him to advertise all Disney films and thus help to increase the films sales. By using synergetic techniques Walt was able to build a whole franchise and multimillion dollar theme park in California and then expanded across the globe. Not only did he make profit but he enticed his target audience children at the same time by using the hypodermic syringe model.

I believe that cross media convergence and synergy can help any media product in the promotion stage, however I believe to an extent that it depends on the budget of the piece and how much capital will go towards this marketing process. A prime example of this is The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, due to the pre-existing fan base of the successful Lord of The Rings Trilogy it was no shock that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug made a profit of $134.1 million. It is the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film and the 24th highest-grossing film of all time. It grossed $209 million worldwide on its opening weekend. This returning fan base meant that The Desolation of Smaug was in first place at the box office for three consecutive weekends during winter. As The Hobbit is made and produced by a media giant Time Warner’s subsidiaries whereas 12 Year’s A Slave is seen to be made and produced through film4 © a smaller media firm however it was actually produced by Regency Films a subsidiary of Fox Searchlight. As Time Warner is a media conglomerate it was able to successfully advertise through the synergetic system. It is apparent that The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug’s budget was at $250 million whereas 12 Year’s A Slave’s budget was at $22 million; this clearly highlights the difference between the big six and smaller media firms. The convergence from these big six conglomerates allows them to use wider ranges of synergy which cost higher fees for example: video games, play figures and soundtracks. All these objects attract children.

As Time Warner has a greater market share of 26.3% it is a powerhouse within the media conglomerates beating competition in Disney and Paramount. However 12 Year’s A Slave had to have numerous companies offer capital and investments to even advertise through traditional methods such as bill boards and within small cinema companies. They had less synergetic strategies displayed as it was only expected to premier in art houses and small cinemas, despite this it managed to gross $56 million highlighting how synergy isn’t always needed to promote films, word of mouth is just as successful.

Through the use of social media Time warner was able to successfully advertise The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer therefore enticing the target audience to watch the film as well as informing them of the opening weekend date. As the film production seemed so massive, Tolkien Estate gave permission for the original book of The Hobbit to be remastered but only the front cover as this advertised the new cinema release as on all the new books it stated “in cinemas soon.” Moreover as the book cover had been remastered an audiobook was produced therefore allowing fanatics to remind themselves of the storyline before actually watching the film. This allowed the Tolkien Estate to gain revenue as well as advertise the cinematic release. The fact that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was filmed in New Zealand meant that the population of 4.5 million had a special connection with the film therefore creating more of a response. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was on every poster and every billboard in every major city trying to attract as many people as possible. As the movie was ‘coming soon’ this attracted more customers but mainly due to the fact that it was the second of a trilogy. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was an expected huge success due to the pre-existing fan base however this expectation was capitalised upon as opening night meant cinemas were packed resulting in a $73.5 million turnover in the first weekend therefore displaying how synergy is a huge player within the business, this is highlighted as Twelve years a slave which did not use as much synergy only made $ 187.7 million all together whereas The Hobbit made almost 1/3 of that on opening night.

It is apparent how desperate 12 Year’s A Slave was as it struggled to despatch the release of their film as it took four distribution companies whereas the Hobbit only used one. However the unexpected happened as During its opening limited release in the United States, 12 Years a Slave debuted with a weekend total of $923,715 on 19 screens for a $48,617 per-screen average. The following weekend, the film entered the top ten after expanding to 123 theatres and grossing an additional $2.1 million. It continued to improve into its third weekend, grossing $4.6 million at 410 locations. The film release was expanded to over 1,100 locations on November 8, 2013.



Therefore synergy is not needed for small companies as Twelve years a slave shows as it was a success despite the use of major synergy.

Editing progresses

Im really enjoying the editing on Final Cut Pro, it didnt take me long to pick up the skill set which allowed me to make some good cuts, i think i have definatly improved from our last extract which we all made. There are some problems that others in the group didnt like the title card animation as it seemed out of place which in hindsight i agree with. Unfortunately the amount of clips we took means that our screenplay is too long reaching limits of 1 minute 45 seconds; the problem is that we havent embeded kirstys shots yet leaving us with 15 seconds to work with. I may have to make a descision to remove the head turn section as it is a bit out of place and comical. Unfortunately others in the groupd dont understand the value of a couple of seconds. However i am very happy with how it is looking so far. 

Third Day of Filming! Weather Warning!

We were all prepared to complete our last day of filming; we made sure we had the: props, warm clothing, batteries etc but today unfortunately the weather is forecast to rain and it has been raining all day, to keep with the continuity of our film opening; we made a group agreement that it wouldn't be right to continue today also the actors and rest of the crew would be wet through!! Better luck next time.

Second day of filming final task!

This afternoon we were given time to do more filming, it started in disaster as we had left some major props at home and we had cameras loosing battery quickly, luckily I managed to retrieve these and we made some good progress as our male actor began to understand his role in the film and how serious the film was; we had some good takes and bad takes however it all worked out in the end, one more day of filming to go! 

First day of filming! Help

We had our first day of filming today and it didn't go very well, our actor wasn't taking it as serious as we had hoped for, moreover the cold temperatures we were in while filming didn't help the actor as we were to pre occupied with keeping warm. Lets hope it goes better tommorow

Hmmm... I don't think that will be in the edited version

Preparation for Final Task: Location Location Location

After we had completed our animatics and completed our plan we realised and knew which locations we would like to film in, we were given the chance to go out and take photographs of these specific locations. Our scenes are based in a park area and in a forest as these seem malicious and chilling places at night, we have edited the photos below, giving them a desaturated look which we hope will be replicated in our film, this gives a macabre atmosphere which adds to the horror.