How our game show could be converged

Distribution-
To maximise the awareness and viewing of our gameshow it should be distributed through as many media as possible. Doing this would also allow a larger variety of audiences to view the show as people with different interests use different media predominantly. The original distribution of the television screening on at the evening slot restricts the viewing opportunity for the show and therefore restricts th number of people, and the type of audience that see it. There are many ways to overcome this and embrace didgital distribution. For example, the very popular BBC iPlayer presents a chance for people to view shows that were on at inconvinient times for them, and watch it multiple times within the allotted period explained on the website; it is possible to view programmes that have been broadcast witihin the last 7 days, after this time is up it is removed from the website. So that is a path our programme could take. Also, similarly to other popular gameshows such as The Cube, our gameshow could have it's own official website. This website could provide a multitude of features other than simply viewings of the show, for example, downloadable content for your computer or backstage interviews with contestants and the hosts, Jedward.


Finally, a very popular way of distributing gameshows are applications for smart phones and i-Pods. These not only act as a form of distribution but also presents itself as a marketing opportunity as people will share the game with their friends who then may get the application or be curious as to what the show is like and plan to watch it on television or the internet.


Marketing-
I think a successful way of marketing in the technological time we live in, would be to place advertisements on popular websites. Foe example, we could have them at the beginning of videos on Youtube. Also, accounts could be made on social networking sites with photos and news for people to see and gain their interest in the show.


Exhibition-
The gameshow would be shown in the prime time slot on weekdays when families are sitting down with their meal in front of the television. Although, as mentioned above, this is not the only method through which people could view the show, thanks to the convergence of various technologies, there would a wide range of opportunity to access the programme.

How has the film Avatar been converged?

Convergence is when different technologies come together to provide a wider range of uses/services. For example, a mobile phone is no longer used for the sole purpose of communication, they now serve as cameras and MP3 players, also, the vast majority are now able to access the internet. Convergence is also an aesthetic choice made by some filmmakers to create films that have visuals similar to that of video games e.g. 300 and Doom. This can also work in the other direction, with game designers attempting to incorporate features of films in games.

Media industries now produce and distribute across several media, for example, newspapers now have online versions and films now have games based around them. This is called diversification.

In this post I will be looking at features of the Avatar website. The website is converged with diverse products within it. By converging the film, it enhances the possibility of making money from people buying Avatar products but also increases peoples awareness and persuades them to just watch the film again after periods of disinterest. 

This screenshot shows the feature of the website that allows you to download and Avatar Interactive Desktop. This converges the film with computing, allowing film fans (or possibly game fans thanks to the convergence of film and gaming bringing us the Avatar Game) to enjoy this film whilst on their computer. As computers are such are big part of people's lives now, the desktop will be seen frequently, serving as a constant reminder of Avatar, this may provoke advertisement through word of mouth as it will be in people's minds after having been on their computer. This convergence is very useful to make the filmmakers further money as being reminded of the film may persuade the downloader to buy further products relating to Avatar. Also, friends of the owner of the interactive desktop may come across the film for the first time when seeing the desktop and be interested enough to go and buy Avatar products, be it cinema tickets, the game, the DVD etc.

By providing Apps for the iPhone and iPad, as shown in the screenshot, people can access Avatar features whilst on the move as opposed to only when at home on the computer or watching the film. As it is likely to be in use when out in public, it will act as an advert for those not familiar with the film and maybe entice them to buy the DVD or other Avatar related merchandise.

 By creating a game modelled on the film, many of the fans of the film with have further access to it and possibly learn more about it, increasing their interest in it at the time. This awareness and interest triggers the purchasing of other products related to the film. Also, online features available on games nowadays will entice more money expenditure. For example, weapons and maps can be bought. Furthermore, whilst interacting with people on this game, people may find out about other products that are available. Although there are many methods of advertisement used by filmmakers, most simplify down to the most effective form, word of mouth. 

 The Pandorama features allows people to 'Return to Pandora'. This feature involves using a webcam to be shown on screen. You can choose the background you have, from a selection of different Avatar locations and be immersed in the land as opposed to simply watching it. As an amusement, fans of the film, may pass on this feature to their friends if they find it interesting, thus increasing awareness and interest in the film. People made aware of this product may also be persuaded to look for and purchase other products, which can also go through the process of being passed around social circles and igniting peoples interest Avatar again.

Alike to the available Avatar Apps are the mobile games advertised on the website, as shown below. Being in a time when games are so popular, purchasing and playing this game may persuade another purchase of Avatar merchandise, 'Avatar: The Game', on PS3, Xbox and other consoles. This may then lead on to buying the products I mentioned in the section about Avatar: The Game. In addition, as it is a portable feature, if someone were to go travelling and play this game, it would spark interest across various locations as opposed to the area in which the buyer lived.  This may then stem the cycle of purchasing, raising awareness and further purchasing in the area the people travel to.

Finally, this is a screenshot of a toolbar that is visible at frequent points when navigating around the Avatar website. This provides buttons to share whatever the activity it is you are doing with your friends through social networking sites, such as Facebook. This is a very effective way of raising awareness of the film and therefore increasing the chances of the filmmakers making money from people purchasing Avatar related products. Also, it may just persuade people to watch the film if they already have it on DVD.

(Screenshots taken from www.avatar-movie.co.uk)

Script

We did not have a complete and in depth script before we shot the thriller but of course we had a good idea of how we wanted it to go. Looking back, there were some changes we had to make after having been to the location and noticing there were things we could not do that were planned. For example, the pool wasn't clean or prepared for use so Emily could not get in.

Delivery boy bikes down the driveway
Sees the girl laying in the pool looking as though she is dead
Boy runs over but when he gets there the body is gone
The boy then makes his way to the house, on the way, he sees a girl in the top window
Knocks on the door and mentions to the man who answers the door that his daughter is awake and thought perhaps she should be in bed
The father then says that his daughter has been dead for 9 years
The camera then shows the girl behind her father

As you can see in the rough edit and the final edit there were a few differences but it still has the same outline and has the same and hopefully successful effect

Thriller Opening Shot List

The first shot was planned to be a low angle shot of the driveway which would then show me from behind as I cycle towards the house. We successfully incorporated this into our rough edit and final edit. I think it does well in establishing the location and it's size. Also, the camera is slightly faced towards the fence, this shows that as I cycle past, I am trapped in the location.

We then planned to do a point of view shot as I see the pool and the girl, this was done but not with Emily in the pool, instead, she was standing beside it and could be seen through the window. I don't think this alters the quality of the choice of shot. Then, differing with the plan, we done a wide shot showing me as I get off the bike and see something in the pool house. The transition then brings us to a wide shot showing me walk past and seeing the girl in the pool house. It then pans back and forth showing the window empty with the girl mysteriously gone.

Along with quite a few others, these are examples of how we differed our filming to the original storyboard. But we knew that this would be likely to happen, as shown at the top of the storyboard 'All shots subject to change.' Although, we have also used many shots that we planned to, for example, the over-the-shoulder shot  we planned to used during the conversation at the end, which we then reversed to use over both the characters shoulders to show the opposite view.

Shotlist
* D&F Productions
Home-video (many varying shots that quickly change, using shots that are difficult to recognise)
* In association with Warp Films
Very Wide Shot
Wide Shot-
Wide Shot
Wide Shot
Panning Shot
Panning Shot
Wide Shot
Panning Shot
Cutaway
Wide Shot
Wide Shot
Cutaway
Sideways Track
Close Up with Tracking Shot
Sideways Track
Wide Shot
Point-of-View Shot
Wide Shot
Tilt Shot
Close Up
Zoom In
Mid-Shot
Point-of-View Shot
Close Up with Tracking Shot
Over-the-Shoulder Shot
(Reverse Shot) Over-the-Shoulder
Medium Close Up

Thriller Opening- Location

Click here to see the location post on Jack's blog..

I think this location will be very good in creating suspense via many factors. For example, the long drive helps to give time for audience to imagine what may happen to this vulnerable character as they see the overwhelming building at the end of it. Also, there are many trees surrounding the house, many of them without leaves. This makes the place quite unapproachable with the sharp and ragged shapes of the trees with no friendly green covering them. Also, the fence that runs along the drive gives a feeling of confinement once somebody has entered. Also, the building has pillars at the front, these connote power and strength, suggesting the superiority of the character(s) living there over the boy.

An example of a similar location is in the film 'The Others', amongst other thrillers. Within this film the family the audience follows is trapped inside this building. The ventures they take outside into the misty gardens, that have similar features to ours, end up unsuccessful and there seems to be no way out. With stories like this surrounding locations such as this, some of the audience will expect something to be lurking inside the building in our thriller. This is helped with the sighting and flashes of the girl. So, with the story not surrounding the characters inside, instead following the pizza delivery boy, they are in suspense as they hope he does not go near or inside the house due to threats that they suspect.

Thriller Questionnaire

Click here to see the questionnaire on Emily's blog

By giving people this questionnaire and showing them our thriller opening rough edit, we hope to gain better understanding of our audience. So, Emily made one which we handed out at a viewing.

We have asked questions, amongst others, referring to their feelings during the film and whether certain bits should be altered. We hope the answers will help us to make effective improvements in our final edit. We were successful in gaining some constructive criticism from most of the audience who gave sensible answers. For example, the majority of the audience said that the bit where I see Emily standing in the window should be sped up; previously, we had quite a slow panning shot. Because of this feedback, we changed it in our final edit.

Audience Feedback

'?' means that the person did not answer that question.

This is our feedback to our questionnaire given to people at a viewing of our rough edit. The feedback was very useful in helping us to understand what changes could be made to it to improve it. For example, we were not sure about the bit at the swimming pool with the slow motion panning, the feedback told us that it should be sped up, which we did. Also, many people thought that the transitions could be improved. We have done this for the final edit through methods such as making them more consistent. Due to the feedback we have also made the effects more consistent, for example, when we see flashes of the girl, they are all the same colour.

Although we received constructive criticism, we also had positive comments about things already in the rough edit. Many people liked the use of the home video at the beginning, the colours used and the effects.

Thriller Opening Final Edit

Thriller Opening Effect Pt. 2

This is a picture showing how we added the effect 'Dream' on to the beginning clips of our opening. Click on to the clip then click on clip adjustments.

Then, using the video effect tool, choose 'Dream.

This screen-shot shows one of the clips but without the effect. As you can see there is quite a big difference. Although, there are other colour edits we done to make the red come out a bit more as it works well with 'Dream' and the red holds connotations of danger and blood.

Having the 'Dream' effect I think is useful in giving a sense of age to this part of the film, this is also why we chose to do it in a home video style.

Magazine Deconstruction

The magazine is called Radio Times. The colour is one of the things that calls for analysis first due to its three main bold contrasting colours. Due to the simplicity in the colour the audience may prefer things that are straight to the point but still aesthetically pleasing. The audience will be very interested in television and radio in that the magazine contains not only listings but news on the people involved in television and radio aswell. Conclusions can be drawn from the person used on the front. Gary Barlow is a very respectable and established artist, this suggests the audience take it may take it quite seriously and want to read about people higher up. The way Gary Barlow is dressed in the picture also implies the audience may take it seriously and want quality in the news in that he is dressed very smartly and respectably. These things are usually associated with older people.