Blogger
Since we were required to do a lot of research for our film in order for us to develop an understanding in what we had to do to create our film, we created a Blogger page. Here we were able to post all of our work to one page and post it neatly, this also meant that we could go back to what we had researched if we were unsure of something regarding our film. We decided to have our film poster as the background to distinguish what kind of work we have produced for our film. The fonts on the blog are red and white to stand out but to also match the poster, we included our initials as the title of the blog.
Research
Before producing our film we were required to research into genre, then when we had an idea of what genre of film we were going to produce we then researched into short films that have a similar genre and storyline to our current idea. This ensured we had a good knowledge of what will be expected in our film. I visited various short film websites produced from people all around the world, I also visited sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes to look at reviews and because they provide useful information about each film. When researching into the genre of films I came across theorists and complex discussions of why genre is or isn't important. One source of material I focused on in particular was the book Film/Genre by Rick Altman.
Here is a list of some of my research references:
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/
http://www.imdb.com/?ref_=nv_home
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Film_Genre.html?id=bZweM58eg48C
Celtx
To create the script for our film we used a software called Celtx which is a media pre-production software designed for creating and organizing media projects such as screenplays, films, stage plays and more. Celtx was simple to use and allowed us to create a script which was easy to follow as it looked like a professional script. When writing a script on this software, it requires a variety of features such as characters names, dialogue, location, scene number and stage directions designed to stand out from each other on the script so that it is easy to follow and understand whilst producing the film. I had previous experience with Celtx as I had used it for last years short film in media and also in my film studies class this year as I was required to produce a short screenplay as part of my coursework.
Photoshop
We used Photoshop for a variety of our creative media product, the first time being to create the production logo. It started with an image of a moon over the water, using the filter gallery and cut out feature we changed the appearance of the image to look more like a cartoon. Then using Da Font to search for a font we thought suited our production logo we added 'moonlight pictures' onto the image in Photoshop and then duplicated and inverted the text so that it became mirrored over the water as a reflection. We also used Photoshop to create the film poster. It started with an image of car headlights and a Ouija board because they are two key elements within our film. The image of the car was edited to black and white and then blended it with the black background. The exposure on the Ouija board was decreased to make it look old and dirty. Then using a similar font to the Ouija board font, the title and actors names were added in white as it contrasts against the black. Production details and logos were also added along with the reviews and film information. Final Cut Pro
Final cut pro is a film editing software which we used throughout the whole process of creating our film, we also used it to produce our radio trailer. We also used it when editing our Journey Exercise to get familiar with the software. Final Cut Pro has various features which we have applied to our film to make it look professional and effective. For the beginning of the film we used parallel editing to show the two characters travelling at the same time to meet each other, we also added in a fade out then a fade in to the new scene to show the passage of time in various scenes. For the opening sequence we included a spiral of the Ouija board and to create the Wr In the scene of Jake's death we added a vignette filter to make it dark and to show what happened in past tense. When using this software we were also able to use the text feature to add the title of the film and credits. To create our radio trailer using this
YouTube
We created a YouTube page to post and share our videos including a video of our audience feedback and rough cuts. By uploading various cuts of our film we could easily see how our film began to improve and it also allowed us to show various people the process of our film which allowed us to receive helpful feedback on what our film was missing. We have also used YouTube to research film trailers and radio trailers so that we knew what to include when producing our own radio trailer.Free Music Sites
Discovering free music download sites allowed us to include effective sounds and music in our film. These sites included a huge variety of sounds for us to choose from, when we found one we wanted to use it was simple to download and then insert to Final Cut Pro where we could then edit the sound or music into our film. Since the sounds within our film are from a free download site this means that there was no copyright therefore including the music and sounds from these sites into our film was legal. We were careful when choosing which sounds to include, we didn't want any of the sound effects to sound exaggerated or fake and we wanted the music to fit with the scene. Overall, the use of music and sound has had a huge impact on our film as the sounds we have used have made certain scenes in our film more effective. Here are some of the websites we used:
https://www.deezer.com/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search-obj_reg&utm_campaign=acq-sea&utm_term=generic&utm_content=generic
http://www.mp3juices.cc/
https://www.jamendo.com/search
Zoom Recorder
This piece of equipment was extremely useful and beneficial to the production of our film. A zoom recorder is to be held close to the character's speaking so that it can record what each person is saying, like a microphone on a smartphone. However, the speech is hear more clearly than on a camera because it is specifically designed for this purpose. A USB is then inserted to connect it to the computer and then we transferred the dialogue onto the computer, then transferred it into Final Cut Pro. Then we matched up the dialogue with the scene to edit it into the film. We also used this device for our radio trailer when recording the narrative since it records speech clearly. If it wasn't for this device the audience wouldn't have been able to hear the dialogue well, we also noticed that when recording dialogue on camera the wind dominates over the dialogue. Our Radio Trailer
Mobile Phones
We used our mobile phones to communicate with each other through social media but we also used them in our film. The three female characters used their phones to talk to each other and arrange plans. Mobile phones played an important part in our film as it distinguished that the film is set in the present, and it also meant the audience could relate since the majority of our target audience use mobile phones on a daily basis to communicate and access social media and entertainment whilst on the go. We also used our phones to take pre-production photos and to access our social media account where we had created a group chat to communicate with each other conveniently and quickly. 
Social Media
We created a group chat on Facebook in order to plan where we were meeting and at what time to film. This was extremely convenient for us as it meant we didn't have to wait until our lessons to discuss where and when to meet, it also meant that if one of use fell ill or were unable to film we could let each other know and rearrange instantly. Social media also helped us with our audience research as I had created a Twitter poll for our target audience to vote on whilst I was doing the audience research. Camera/Tripod
To film our short film we used a Canon Agria HD25 camera which was a lot better quality than the camera we used in AS year. This new camera was also easier to use, especially the focus compartment because there was manual focus and auto focus, depending on the scene depended on how we used the focus. To ensure the camera movements were still and smooth we used a tripod to place the camera on top of. The tripod can be changed to various lengths and angles in order to get the nest shots possible for films, it also ensured that our pan shots were smooth as the top of the tripod can turn up and down and side to side. To ensure the tripod was set up correctly and stood up straight we kept checking the small circle and bubble area, if the bubble fits into the centre of the circle it means the tripod is straight. Whenever the tripod was out of place the bubble would be at the left or right side of the circle. 
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