Feedback and Revisions

Most of the feedback I received were for audio quality. It was certainly less polished than other aspects of the film due to my actor's volume and the equipment used to shoot the film. A few individuals were unable to comprehend the meaning of my film opening, this is likely due to the dialogue. The dialogue was difficult to listen to, and the lines could have been written to be more genuine. The lines could also be delivered with greater cadence in some portions, where it is necessary. To improve the dialogue, I expect to have a  revision of some of the lines the actor will deliver and an improvement to the audio quality. I also expect to shoot much more varied repeated lines of dialogue to have a greater pool to choose from in post-production. A less major problem was occasional shaky shots. In some instances, it was appropriate for conveying some of the unstable situations the characters are in, but it was frequent enough to warrant multiple criticism. This can be improved with more careful re-shooting and the use of a steady-cam. The problem with the quality of acting is slightly related to the issues with dialogue, but it could be improved with directing the actors to produce a more specific effect. My film opening had what was considered to be good shots, lighting, and font choice throughout the film

Use of Conventions

My media project challenges a few conventions. The film opening is intended to promote a feeling of bleakness. Unlike other film openings, where there is some action and intriguing elements, this opening attempts to depict ordinary living, which is often attributed as bland. This is achieved in order to establish the story accurately and promote a stark contrast to the rest of the story as the plot of it progresses. Young adults are represented in this product, more specifically, eccentric and nihilistic individuals who are adept in the technological world. The ties with technology and current young adults is seen in the emotional attachment one of the character has towards a flash drive. The underlying issue seen here is individuals inability to cope with boredom in a safe way. From the opening alone, the issue is represented as simply boredom, which is already affecting the productivity of one of the characters.
High and low angle shots were used to establish a power dynamic and to indicate situations of inner though for the characters. Unwanted detailed that were revealed have an over-the-shoulder shot, masking the character's face to imply that they are keeping something hidden. A single insert was utilized to be the unique object of interest in the beginning of the film. This flash drive acts as a symbol and a repeated prop for future events in the film. This was the only insert in the opening to ensure it is a memorable quality of the opening. I chose to edit with mostly short takes and longer takes in the beginning. This style of timing for the shots in an opening is similar to the openings of other films, and this occasionally has more of an impact in psychological thrillers. The font for my credits have a font that I visualized on my storyboard and utilized because it is more fitting to psychological thriller and horror films. The editing attempted to layer a conversation between two individuals over the phone. There were sometimes cuts for when the characters respond to each other. The sound was additionally minimal, the ambient noise added realism to the film and the dialogue would sound different depending on the perspective (over the phone or in person). I added sound effects to the scene where Alex picks up the flash drive to imply to the audience that this object has some value and an ambiguous past. The mise-en-scène of the extract included shooting on location for a library and an office. These locations are normal and realistic, which is the effect many other psychological thrillers utilize. The costumes for these characters simple, everyday attire. This continues to support the effect of realism on the opening. Alex was given props, such as books and papers, to show how he is usually trying to ponder.