Postmodernism

 

Post stands for after. Modern stands for present or recent time. When we combined these words which becomes postmodern means that after present time and how can we know what is going to happen after this modern life? Therefore this describes postmodernism, a complex term used with several meanings, usually involving self-reflexive contemporary culture and media or more widely, a set of attitudes to the contemporary world.

Postmodernism associated with deconstruction and post-structualism.

Deconstruction is when media is sliced, diced and stitched (chopped things off, break into pieces and create a new one).

Post-structualism is a variation of structuralism, often seen as a critique, emphasising plurality of meaning and instability of concepts that structuralism uses to define society, language, etc.

Postmodernists believe that artistic creativity and newness can no longer happen as in today’s society everything has been done. As mention above, media text is being deconstructed rather than newness being created which results in erosion of history and originality. There are several conventions of postmodernist films which include

• Intertextuality – describes the variety of ways in which media texts interact with other texts.
  • parody – also known as a spoof. A mockery of previous media text with comedic elements by means of satiric or ironic imitation.
  • pastiche – this is an imitation of previous media texts in positive sense that it celebrates rather than mocks the work it imitates.
  • homage – is more like a tribute to previous media text. It is a special honour or respect shown publicly to the producers, directors, or anyone who gives the inspiration.
  • satire – it is a technique in which a target is held up merciless ridicule. Satire often combines anger and humour it can be profoundly disturbing – because it is essentially ironic & sarcastic – it is often misunderstood. Purpose of satire is not primarily humour but criticism of an individual or a group in a witty manner.
• Self reflexivity – this is when a ‘text’ points out to the audience that it is a ‘text’. This level of self awareness points to how ‘texts’ are constructed. This can be negotiated reading depends on how the audience received the media text.
• Hyperreality – is an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality form simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced postmodern societies. Jean Baudrillard once said we live in a world where there is more and more information, less and less meaning.
• Generic hybridisation – this is when a text mixes the elements of two or more genres together. E.g – romance + comedy = romantic comedy
• Non-linear narratives – this is a technique used where a story is told out of order and can often disorientate the audience such as dream immersions.
• Juxtaposition – this is when two things contradict to each other are being placed together.
• Unknown Identities – this is where the character doesn’t have a name. The character’s name is blurred out and becomes unknown. This may be conveyed at the end of the film or it won’t be conveyed at all in order to give out the enigmatic codes as well as to disorientate the audience.

Codes & Conventions of Film Websites

Ghost Lover Official Trailer Final Version

This is how the timeline looks like for the final drafts:

I’ve included the full non-diegetic sound of my background music using the my own original soundtrack at the beginning of the trailer. I layered the background music and the voice over in audio section. Background music will play for the whole time. Whenever there is an audio for voice over, I selected the area of background music that is layered under the voice over. I used exponential fade on background music as the transition and slow down the volume of background music that is selected. At the end of the selected background music I used constant power to make the audio slowly get to high volume.

Click below link to listen to my original track:

 

Written codes:

I decided to change the written codes again. The written codes changed to anchor the character personality of Zoella. Pink would subverts her character therefore I changed the font colour to black. I also changed the font type to be simpler in order to emphasise the written codes better and easier for the audience to read. I used fade up by line and slowly fade out as the transitions for every written codes.

Below is the converted video of recent written codes that I used in my official trailer.

 

As for credits, I used Photoshop software to edit it and I exported it to image then I imported to After Effects software. As I’ve mentioned several times, I tried to use a variety of programmes so that it helps me to practice and familiarise myself with this advance technology. This is how the credit looks like after I edited in Photoshop software:

Then I layered the film ratings and the classifications systems of my film based on BBFC, MPAA and Hong Kong motion picture rating system on the timeline. I presented this rating horizontally at the bottom left of the screen and institutions’ logo at the bottom right of the screen. Not to forget I even put #GhostLover under the date of the film release to follow the contemporary trailers regardless the genre.

Below is the converted video of credits and date the film comes out:

There are mistakes that I would like to reflect even though this is my final version for official teaser trailer. There are parts where written codes are in between scenes. I tried to make the volume higher when written codes are showing and use cross fade and turn down the volume when the next scene is about to come. However, it sounds too bizarre because I turn the volume too much and it seems like the music comes in too sudden even though I put constant gain as the audio transition.

 

 

 

 

Ghost Lover Teaser Trailer Final Version

The video below is the final version of my teaser trailer. Although its final version, I still have a few mistakes which I will reflect on it and explain in detail below.

Since it is a teaser trailer, not much audience would actually look at it. Audience would watch official trailer rather than the teaser trailer. That is why I didn’t put the productions logo and made it through written code instead. The written codes that represent the production companies can be seen in the video above.

I changed from voice over to written codes (such as friends, boyfriends and intelligence) as it is will be conveyed better than voice over. This can be seen in the video above. I used After Effects to edit the written codes dynamically link to Premiere Pro. The typewriter was used as the transition effect for the written codes with font (Didot) that suits the effect.

I added some more clips at the end of the trailer to show the intimate relationship that the main characters will have. The titling also saying coming soon which means conforms to the codes and conventions of teaser trailer where there is no exact date since the editing or filming is still on going. I managed to set the duration within 1 minutes which will also signifies that it is a teaser trailer.

I managed to edit the sound by putting cross fade and constant gain as the transition to make the sound flows smoothly and not bizarre. This would help the audience to immerse more in the trailer.

However, I’ve realised that I made a mistake in this final teaser trailer where the narrator was talking, when she said ‘her life..’ her voice suddenly cut out without finishing the sentence. I need to pay more attention on the both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Another mistake I’ve made is I put on too much important information (e.g actors name) which makes my trailer looks like an official trailer and not a teaser trailer. This actually subverts the conventions of teaser trailer.

Ghost Lover Teaser Trailer V1

The video below is my teaser trailer for the very first version.

I have done quite a lot for this version. Here is my analysis for the first version:

• I accumulate all the footage that I wanted to use for my teaser trailer and arrange the sequence on timeline.
• The timeline already has disclaimer, productions company’s name written codes, actors’ name and significant scene to show bits of narrative cue of the film.
• I used mostly cross-dissolve transition at the last part of the video to show the characters spending their happy moments together.
• After Effects for written codes such as friends, boyfriends, and intelligence whereby I used typewriter animation with Didot font to make it suitable for with the transition effect.
• After Effects for written code such as Bobo productions, Universal Pictures were I used random fade up and fade out slow as the transition effects.
• The time duration exceeds 2 minutes which means I need to cut some more parts in order to make it within 1 minute and apply to the conventions of teaser trailer.
• Also I didn’t put any audio transitions in between voice over and non-diegetic background music which makes it bizarre and unusual. This may distract the audience. The background song that I used does not suit my trailer especially by hearing the lyrics.

 

Ghost Lover Version 5

This time I focused on the written codes still. In order to imply to a variety of programmes, I used Adobe After Effects to edit the written codes. This help me to get familiar with the functions of different programmes.

Adobe After Effects has numerous effects for the title. Just say how do you want you title to be appeared, what kind of transitions do you want, what fonts would you like to use everything is available. I decided to have the written codes similar to what I created in Adobe Premiere Pro CC using default still title. Therefore I used exactly the same font since the font I wanted to use is available.

This is the converted video of my written codes using the After Affects:

 

I also used After Effects to create the borderline between scenes in white in order to help the audience to distinguish the different scenes. I imported the borderline without exporting it to video or images since After Effects and Premiere Pro is under the same software company which is Adobe Systems. I used split screen editing technique to improve my skills in editing and to familiarise myself with different editing technique.

Ghost Lover Version 4

The trailer started of with disclaimer and followed by the ‘institutions presents’ at the same time. This is because I wanted to decrease the duration of the trailer as much as possible.

By cutting scenes not needed, I managed to include the written codes to drive the narrative forward. I used the same font as ‘presents’ and ‘starring’ but this time I used white background. The font I used is Snell Roundhand Regular. Below are the written codes inserted in my trailer for the 4th version. In this version I just focused on cutting bits of the clips and written codes that would prevail the audience to watch the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ghost Lover Version 3

For this version I’ve put the soundtrack at the beginning of the trailer in order to not have any boring feeling anymore when I watch the trailer. The pace of the music is slow and catchy which would help the trailer to have bright atmosphere. This helps to conform the and conventions of rom-com trailer by having light-hearted music background.

There is nothing much going on in this version. I just added some more page title such as ‘starring’. I used the same style as ‘presents’ in order to standardise the written codes and it won’t disorientate the audience since this is not a film full of enigmatic codes.

I also added come more honour credits to the main characters in the film:

 

Ghost Lover Version 2

In this version, I changed the disclaimer to this:

I didn’t state the rating system for the film this time but just use the disclaimer to show the audience that this is an official trailer.

This time, I inserted the instituitions’ logo in split screen editing (above image) in order to save up time since my the previous version my trailer exceeded 3 minutes for just the clips and transitions without any written codes.I managed to reduce the time to within 2 minutes but it is still too long for an official trailer.

I also included titling says ‘presents’ after I showed the institutions’ logo with slide in and push as the transitions. This will bring up more rom-com atmosphere in the trailer with bright colours.

I cut some more parts that is not necessary to be in the trailer. For example, the part where Zoella, Laura and Dylan is having a conversation at school talking about Zoella’s dates is insignificant scene. This is because before that scene comes out, I already showed that Zoella is having a lot of dates which is enough for the narrative cue that I tried to convey to the audience. Also, because I filmed it wrong, I did not have time to re-film back the scene thus I decided to cut it out

Scene that I cut out.

I made some scenes longer especially below clip where the duration is too short and audience can barely read it.

I managed to re-film this scene (see images below) back since it is significant to drive the narrative cue further. The first camera position can be seen in the left images then I re-filmed back and move it to the right side of the female character (right image). Therefore I managed to film at the right position.

In this version, I’ve put the credits for the main characters and it looks like this:

However I only put Penny Leung and not other main characters yet. I purposely make it looks like a direct mode of dress as if the characters are looking at the audience in order to engage well with the  audience.

 

 

 

 

Ghost Lover Version 1

This is the first version of my official Trailer.

Analysis:

For the first draft I fully followed the storyline and sequences based on my updated script.

The trailer started off with disclaimer. This helps to connote the codes and conventions of an official trailer. However, I’ve already made a huge mistake at the start of the trailer. I chose the wrong disclaimer from Google Images. This makes me realise that I shouldn’t simply take other people pictures from google and not viewing the photo in detail. The disclaimer looks like this:

I wanted to have a PG-13 disclaimer and I saw this in Google and I simply took it until then I realised that the information says that ‘for some disturbing thematic material, violence, sexuality and brief drug use’ and this totally subverts my narrative cue of my production.

For this version, I accumulate all the scene that I wanted to use, trim the parts that I don’t need and arrange it in the right sequence based on my script. So this is how my timeline looks like:

For some clips that are supposed to have non-diegetic background music, I cut the audio for those clips and just drag the video to the timeline. These scenes is actually boring to watch when there is no sound. The video will have a big different once the background music is use. I didn’t create my original sound yet. Therefore, I couldn’t put it on my timeline.

The female character (Zoella) is the first to show up in the trailer to conform the conventions of film trailer where the main character always be the first one to show up.

Even when I cut the parts I don’t need, the video is in 3 minutes which means there are more parts that I need to cut in order to make it within 2 minutes.

There are several mistakes I’ve made during the filming. In this video I used the original footage that contains the mistakes I’ve made. The first mistake was the camera placement when Zoella, Laura and Dylan were having a conversation in front of the locker. The camera was positioned like this when Zoella is talking, to look at Zoella’s face expression.

When Laura and Dylan were talking, the camera was placed like this:

It turns out to be bizarre.

Same problem for the below scene where I subvert the guidelines for 180 degree rule. The lighting is also unbalanced therefore I need to adjust the lighting and makes it brighter.

I inserted the transition as well to smooth up the video such as cross dissolve, film dissolve, additive resolve and fade to black.

Above image shows the the split screen editing in this sequence as well where I layered the clips on top of each other and make the size smaller and adjusted the position so that there will be a collage of 4 clips at the same time. I played the video one by one in order sequence. After one clip finished showing, I replaced that with screenshot of the last part of the scene and show it for the whole time when other scenes are showing. I used linear wipe in video effects for the each scenes to appear one by one from right to left.