Centre Number: 10006427
Candidate Name: Chi-Yin Wong
Project Proposal Title: The Apex Predator
Pathway: Film, Photography and Animation (Media)
This trailer is my final Major Project titled The Apex Predator for the UCA Epsom Foundation course I am studying.
This trailer for the 'film' The Apex Predator, which looks at the struggle between vampires who have a personal vendetta against humans (for almost wiping out their species) and the dragons (who were the creators of the world in this film's universe) once worshipped by the humans. Whilst some dragons fight alongside the humans that worship them, some have their own intentions. The time period the story is set is in the far future at a point where vampires have regained vastly in strength and numbers, they have spread their population across the planet and set up different outposts around the Earth in hopes of rebuilding a new civilisation. The dragons of the East once thought to be dormant have returned with vengeance against the vampires who once slayed their species to extinction. As the battle wages between the different species, a new threat arises: human/dragon hybrids. Those with the blood and abilities of a dragon but the body of a human. Their intentions are unknown but like the rest they want to tip the balance of the hierarchy and compete for who is on top. This battle is more than about power, land and faction rivalry, but about survival. The only way for them to remain at the top is to wipe out extinguish the enemy species. Only one can remain the Apex Predator..
Some of the sound effects such as music used are copyrighted material, which has not been specifically authorised by the copyright owner. I am not making profit by using it, and it is only being used for academic and studying purposes. This constitutes as ‘fair use’ of any copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
University for the Creative Arts
School of Further Education
Epsom
UALAB Foundation Diploma in Art & Design – Foundation Studies 2014/2015
Foundation
Art & Design Project Proposal & Realisation
Art & Design Project Proposal & Realisation
Section 1: A review of progress and achievement through parts 1 and 2 of the course
I joined the course with the intention of understanding the different disciplines of art and design and to conclude with a portfolio that would lead me to either higher education or a career. I am now on the media pathway because of my interest in film and interactive design. For my FMP I have chosen to make a film/animation. Initially I had planned to create a solely 3D CGI film. In order to achieve my goal I planned to learn different software and techniques. I also enrolled in an evening class in the local adult education centre to study Photoshop. I then decided on the new film as it was a reflection of the current briefs that I had been doing and a topic relatable to the current affairs. So far the project progression has been successful. I could have met deadlines faster, planned earlier, improved organisation, review progression of my project more frequently and contact to tutors more. I am very pleased with my progression and how I have matured into the course.
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Section 2: Project concept
Section 3: Evaluation
Outcomes are measured by evaluation tools e.g. at tutorials, advice was sought from the tutors to bounce ideas off and obtain their critique before producing and letting them assess the final outcome. For peer assessments a selective audience will review parts of the project and another selection will view the whole in order to gain opinions on certain parts of the film and as also the film as a whole. At the end of the film, they will be given questionnaires with an section to give a qualitative opinion on the project. A reflective journal will be kept of successful and unsuccessful works (how ideas have been adapted through reflection on what test outcomes were and how negative outcomes were corrected), making it an effective method of self-evaluation. As well as producing a final outcome, I would like the project to affect change/development in me.
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APPENDIX 1: Bibliography (Harvard Format):
30 Days of Night (2007), film, directed by David Slade. United States. 109 minutes.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov. United States. 105 minutes
Blade II (2002), film, directed by Guillermo del Toro. United States. 116 minutes.
Blade (1998), film, directed by Stephen Norrington. United States. 120 minutes.
Blade: Trinity (2004), film, directed by David S. Goyer. United States. 113 minutes.
Bram Stoker. (1897), Dracula, London: Archibald Constable and Company (UK). 400.
Byzantium (2013), film, directed by Neil Jordan. Ireland, United Kingdom, United States. 118 minutes.
Castlevania (1986), game [Family Computer Disk System]. Konami: Tokyo, Japan.
Day Watch (2006), film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Russia, Uzbek. 131 minutes.
Daybreakers (2009), film, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig. Australia, United States. 98 minutes.
Dragonheart ()1996), film, directed by Rob Cohen. United States, Slovakia, United Kingdom. 103 minutes.
Dungeons & Dragons (2000), film directed by Courtney Solomon. United States, Czech Republic. 107 minutes.
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005). 105 minutes.
D-War (디워) (2007), film, directed by Shim Hyung-rae. South Korea. 90 minutes.
From Dusk till Dawn (1996), film, directed by Robert Rodriguez. United States. 108 minutes.
John Carpenter's Vampires (1998), film directed by John Carpenter. United States 108 minutes.
Mr Vampire (1985), film, directed by Ricky Lau. Hong King. 96 minutes.
Night Watch (2004), film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Russia. 114 minutes.
Reign of Fire (2002), film, directed by Rob Bowman. United Kingdom, United States. 102 minutes.
Supernatural (2005), television series, created by Erik Kripke. United States, Canada. 38-45 minutes.
The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard DLC (2012), game, Bethesda Game Studios: Rockville, United States.
The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn DLC (2013), game, Bethesda Game Studios: Rockville, United States.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), game [Xbox 360], Bethesda Game Studios: Rockville, United States.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), film, directed by Peter Jackson. New Zealand, United States. 169 minutes.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), film, directed by Peter Jackson. New Zealand, United States. 161 minutes.
The Lost Boys (1987), film, directed by Joel Schumacher. United States. 93 minutes.
Underworld (2002), film, directed by Les Wiseman. United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary, United States. 121 minutes.
Underworld: Awakening (2012), film, directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein. United States. 88 minutes.
Underworld: Evolution (2006), film, directed by Len Wiseman. United States. 106 minutes.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), film, directed by Patrick Tatopoulos. United States. 92 minutes.
Van Helsing (2004), film, directed by Stephen Sommers. United States. 131 minutes.
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APPENDIX 2: Project action plan and timetable
Gantt Chart:
Filming days.
Risk = A source of danger ;a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune;
Hazard = Dangerous, perilous, uncertain.
“drinking alcohol is a health hazard’.
You Should make a list of potential things that may have the potential to cause harm i.e. electricity, hazardous substances, work at height etc.
1. How severe is any injury or health effect likely to be?
Tick one box
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Minor o
1
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Moderate o
2
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Major/Fatal o
3
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2. How is exposure to the hazard for you or someone else likely to be bad?
Tick one box
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Unlikely o
1
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Likely o
2
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Very Likely o
3
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3. Calculate the risk score by multiplying the 2 scores in Q1 & Q2
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Low o
1-2
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Medium o
3-4
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High o
6-9
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Risk category (including supervision) tick box:
HIGH Work must not be started without consultation with your Pathway tutors or Technicians. Direct supervision by one of your pathway lecturers or technician must be arranged.
MEDIUM Work must not be started without the advice and approval of those named above.
LOW Work may proceed because there are no significant risks and no special supervision is required.
Pre-Assessment Review of Project Proposal Realisation
Context
Project Proposal
1.1 How are you using a range of critical and contextual perspectives within the development of your personal proposal? Give examples
I used a range of critical and contextual perspectives within the development of my personal proposal by looking at the influences from the bigger picture. I started conceiving my project idea by combining what I did for my projects in Stage 2 of the pathway. One project looked at the theme of mythical creatures. I explored dragons in particular. In the other project I explored the 'Gothic' theme and looked at Gothic horror such as literature and films. I ended up researching into one of the most famous novels of Gothic horror: Dracula which in turn led me to look at vampires. I already had an idea of combining two themes and creating conflict between them. For inspiration I looked at what was currently on the television. Seeing the current affairs with constant wars against countries made think about the conflict between two factions or groups. I was influenced for the idea of East vs West especially due to a lot of the conflicts in the news being between those from the West vs those of the East. I also looked at nature for inspiration as the East vs West conflict reminded me of how animals fight for power and territory. This led me to the idea of the Apex Predator (the top predator at the top of the food chain which no other creatures predate) and I could use it as an analogy for the power struggle between countries in the contemporary context. Discussing with my tutors during tutorials gave me examples into other contextual perspectives and bigger pictures to look at. I also received critical perspectives from fellow classmates which I used their criticism to improve my project. Bigger pictures I looked at were done through research by watching films and looking at the perspective of different filmmakers and films. I also looked at books with a wider context on the topic of vampires/dragons.
1.2 How are you using detailed analysis and evaluation to clarify the development of your person project proposal? Where is it evidenced? Give examples.
Techniques and processes that I explored were doing visual analysis of images such as drawing examples of the dragons or vampires I was researching. I also made a thaumatrope which had a basic dragon animation. A presentation of my ideas and a storyboard were also made. Visual observations of images were also acquired. I also did modelling of figures of dragons and vampires to understand their anatomy/movement further. I evaluated what I did by doing a reflective blog which would document what I had done during the day and the tasks I wanted to complete and have completed.
Research
Primary and secondary
2.1 How are you using wide-ranging and in-depth research to support the development of your personal project? Give examples
In-depth research was done to understand the background information on both Dragons and Vampires, the traits of vampires and dragons, historical backgrounds, cultural influences and theories behind Dragons and vampires. Using this information was vital for helping me understand more of what I was writing about when I began to write the story for my project idea and also the background knowledge helped me further develops my concepts. I used a wide range a resources including research from the internet with websites and articles containing information, books with a wider bigger picture and context of the topic of vampires and dragons, watching films/tv shows not just for information on vampires and dragons but also for influence on how I would film and approach my film, documentaries and games that had vampires and dragons.
2.2 How are you using analytical and evaluative skills to develop a range of creative solutions? Give examples
Evaluating and analysing what I have explored and researched helped support my intentions of the project as not only did it give me in-depth background knowledge to help kick-start my idea, it also helped me decide how I would approach my work for instance where the location of filming would be. Using location filming (outdoors) is more natural as well as the story being set outside. It gives a sense of realism to the fantasy story such as the location provided by a natural lighting source. It also made me think about using what I had learnt about vampires and dragons, their traits and behaviour and add a twist to it: Vampires would be day walkers and their enemies are human-dragon hybrids.
When filming certain scenes, especially fights or dramatic scenes, I used a GoPro Hero 2 head camera which I derived from a first person point of view that is particularly common in horror films such as the film Blair Witch Project, Troll Hunter, Cloverfield and Halloween where it is either to be shown in ‘found footage’ manner or to immerse the audience by showing them the ‘killer/antagonists’ point of view. Slow motion was used in the fight scenes which I took influence from the films 300, Sherlock Holmes movies and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter which really emphasised the dramatic movement of the moves during the fight sequences and build up suspension for the audience. These influences show how the bigger picture has helped me approach my project. It also allows me to add to my Harvard Format bibliography.
Problem Solving
Theory and Practice
3.1 What complex practical and technical problems are you solving within your project? Give examples
Practical and technical problems involved were based on the filming and the actual editing process of it. I had to cut the film down as there were a lot of imperfections from my film due to either bad acting or filming (extraneous variable such as time of day or weather affected the acting and filming quality a lot). I had to face the lack of actors available at certain times and the reliability issues of certain actors as many could not turn up on the days I required them for help. I solved this issue by using friends and people around on the day. Although this did help me to get certain shots done, I did result in some scenes which did not work mainly due to bad acting. As I had to act myself in some of the scenes it was difficult to direct the camerawork as I envisioned as someone else had to operate the camera. One of the problems I had was that I didn’t instruct my actors on the first day of filming. The next days of filming had significantly improved as I planned what I needed to do and provided clearer instructions to the actors assigning them roles and switching roles (acting and then cameraman). I found that the editing was successful and improved parts of the film adding effects and removing imperfections. Problems that were found with editing were due to my slow home laptop which meant my programs such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premier and Windows Live Movie Maker did not perform faster or at a sufficient speed to work with ease at. The problem was solved by going to the UCA Library which computers could perform faster and made it easier to work with.
3.2 How are you solving complex theoretical problems within your project? Give examples
Complex theoretical problems I had to solve within my project are that I found that I had to cut out a lot of imperfections from my film due to either bad acting or filming (also affected by extraneous variable such as time of day or weather). This left me with the parts which I was pleased with but together they couldn’t tell a narrative therefore after tutorials and discussions with my tutors I decided a trailer would be best. It would allow me to cut the clips in such a way and add writing in it to portray some of the basic narrative and if not I could create a teaser trailer instead. As my project is now in a trailer format, it’s harder to show my message of the East and West conflict because of shorter clips and less action is portrayed due to the short length of the trailer. As the trailer allows writing it still allows me to explain some basic narrative and the title gives away the concept of the ‘Apex Predator’. I also had problems with being new to Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premier Pro therefore I solved this problem by using YouTube and online video tutorials to help me understand how to get to grips with the basics, show me and allow me to understand different techniques which I found extremely useful.
Planning and Production
4.1 How are you demonstrating the ability to efficiently plan organize and produce a personal project within the agreed time frame? Give examples
The decision-making to produce a personal project was planned and organised using a timetable created from an initial list of tasks I needed to complete. I then planned the length of time it would take me to complete the tasks into a Gantt Chart (which I created in Excel). On the Y axis above the chart I put in the two months of which I would spend time doing the remainder of the project (March and April) and in the X axis below, I put in the list of the tasks I needed to complete. I then plotted in weeks how long each task may take me and also the period of time across the months. I assigned each task a colour therefore it was colour coded and easier to distinguish each task and the length of time required when displayed on a chart. For certain tasks such as making the trailer I would create a timeline or a mind map/spider diagram of the list of things I needed to put in or do and I would be able to cross them off and go in any order I wanted. The FMP reflective journal post allows me to also write out and reflect on what I have or will achieve task wise and also write down the problems or the changes that I have occurred or encountered so I could learn and reflect on it to help me later on in the project. It is almost like an diary update.
Practical Skills
Refinement and Realization of Ideas
5.1 How are you exploring, adapting and applying a range of practical methods and skills in the realization of your personal project? Give examples
When it came to filming I used a steady-cam for stable shots due to it being easier to hold. Live actors were used and not models as actors are easier to instruct what to do. For the editing software I used Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premier Pro and Windows Moviemaker. This is mainly due to the fact the Adobe programmes are Industry standard software so when I leave I have knowledge of this software when I enter the industry and Windows Moviemaker is something I have ease of using quickly.
Reflection and Evaluation
Project Development
6.1 How are you maintaining detailed critically evaluative and reflective records of the development of your project? Give examples
Development of my project is maintained by the outcomes being measured by evaluation tools for example: using tutorials, peer assessments to gain detailed critical evaluations, a reflective journal to keep reflective records to look back upon and for self-evaluation so I am able to improve further in the project.
6.2 How are you demonstrating that you are using evaluative and reflective skills to make perceptive decisions in support of your project? Give examples
Demonstration of using evaluative and reflective skills to make perceptive decisions are by the evaluation tools I’m using: at tutorials, advice was sought from the tutors to bounce ideas off and obtain their critique before producing and letting them assess the final outcome. For peer assessments a selective audience will review parts of the project and another selection will view the whole in order to gain opinions on certain parts of the film and as also the film as a whole. At the end of the film, they will be given questionnaires with an section to give a qualitative opinion on the project. A reflective journal will be kept of successful and unsuccessful works (how ideas have been adapted through reflection on what test outcomes were and how negative outcomes were corrected), making it an effective method of self-evaluation.
Final Presentation
and Audience Consideration
7.1 What strategies are you considering to use to present your project?
The presentation of the project would be through a projection and show on a large screen or projected very largely on to a wall similar to in a cinema. I would use large speakers (maybe surround sound) to immerse the audience and provide a cinematic feel. If I cannot find a large screen to project it on, I could use a large blank clean wall instead to project the film onto to it.
7.2 How will you present your work in a skillful and proficient manner?
Give examples
I will present my work in a skillful and proficient manner by presenting the project through a projection and show on a large screen. This would make it bigger and mean more people can view it. Not only does a large screen/projection make it cinematic but also more intimidating due to the size which fits well with the theme of the film being about Dragons and Vampires which themselves are intimidating. I would also make sure it is proficient by warning anyone if there were fast flashing/bright scenes in case anyone with epilepsy maybe in risk and also warning how loud the film maybe as I will be playing it loudly through the speakers.
Who is your specified audience and how will you engage them with your work?
My specific audience would span a wide range but due to the themes and content of my film it would be specifically from around teenagers to adult onwards for example age fifteen and onwards. If I was to have given age ratings for my film/trailer, I would have given my trailer a 12A but if my actual film was properly made and finished, I would have given an 15/18 age rating as more action would have been shown. The themes of the film being about vampires and dragons and the idea of conflict between two opposing forces is a topic that really attracts teenagers as it really reflects what teenagers within our modern day context go through, dealing with not just with the conflict against the world and fitting in with society finding their place but also within themselves, the emotional conflict. A lot of modern films involving vampires in conflict with a rival group is a common favorite for teenagers nowadays with trends such as the Twilight series. This also attracts older audiences for the similar reason with movies such as Underworld having a similar theme but also the message of the conflict of the film which is a symbolic analogy of the wars for power over each other or territory in our current affairs which provides deeper intrigue into the idea of the film and engages the viewer more.
