The Hit Evaluation

The Hit

Past tense, flashbacks and reconstructing were the first few words to come up in our minds; Myself, Kaher and Kashmir, whilst choosing a theme or an idea to create our thriller upon. The thriller named ‘The Hit’ is based around a flashback or a reconstruction of something from the past. The storyline was of a hitman who is in sought of an item from the main character. Our film was based around the idea that we would give the audience the feel that they are watching something of the past and re-capping something unseen. This helped as something unknown or not heard have can create its own type of tension and build up of atmosphere. Our end product is seen as a short story in itself throughout a series of short clips including, point of view shots, several camera movements and the overall body language of the two characters.

Our film both challenges and develops real media conventions in a number of different ways throughout the film. At the start of the film we immediately see how the use of a quite location with a minimal number of people was effective in order to create atmosphere and set the scene for the storyline. Following on the 4^th and 5^th scenes show how the character is being followed by the hitman without knowing, however the hitman is yet not apparent to the viewers as it leaves them questioning the film with, who is following the boy? And why? This is appropriate as it enhances the film using techniques that are not visual to the viewers as they are automatically made to question themselves about what they see on screen. The location was key to the success of the films overall theme, the appearance of many bushes and the concrete layout of the park makes us understand that the setting is not modern or newly built and has its own history behind it.

(Above, The Film Hitman, Directed by Xavier Gens. An inspiration to my group throughout the production process. Some aspects of the film itself helped us to put together our own view and story.)

Also we have also applied the use of effects by using several software available on the Mac systems; with the editing by adjusting the colors and the lighting in the ending scenes as the hitman preys upon his target. By changing the lighting and set color from day to night as the film is slowed down and movements begin to look motion less it allows the build up of tension to create suspense just as the hit takes place on the target. This is an element of surprise for the audience, as they seem uneasy, tense and panicky just before the hitman takes his target down. This develops the use of these editing techniques as not only does it visually enhance the film or shot type but mentally creates a strange and curious feeling for the audience as they are un aware of what is to follow and who the hitman is as he is only spotted in the last scene.

Next our film represents two types of character or personality. The first being a student who is going about his everyday life, slightly stressed and going for a walk for some air. Secondly we have the hidden hitman who is not totally hidden as he can be seen on the film however his identity is protected being covered in black clothing and masked from top to bottom. This makes the audience feel mysterious or nervous by not knowing who or what this character is. The movements of both characters are very natural however the hitman is slightly stealth to fit his job role. The student however shows no signs of knowledge that he knows he is being followed. Together this makes the reader more suspicious and eerie of what the following few seconds will hold for them.

Furthermore the choice of characters alongside the location and body language helps to represent the key idea behind the story of a flashback moment or a reconstruction of the past. The signs of uneasiness startle the audience leaving them literally hanging onto their seats waiting for a few more seconds to go past. Costumes of the characters were very appropriate and respectful to their roles as the hitman comes across as a suspicious character that is influencing on telling the story of the film throughout and the student who was carrying a bag, the key objective for the hitman in our film. The student is on a journey, a walk, taking time out as he is on his own. It is not typical to see a student walking alone for no apparent reason and to go and sit in the park.

I think that a smaller film studio would distribute and work with our film as they have a less competitive market and a better chance of promoting and marketing the product well in comparison to larger and much finally stronger distributors who would have less time to spend on the film and making sure that they maximize the potential of each film they are given to work with. For distribution I think our film would be best to be distributed independently as it then focuses on the reader or customer who is being targeted by the team to leave attention drawn to the handouts or the adviser you talk to.

The target audience of our film is a young generation from 13 onwards and up to the age of 26. This covers the market chunk that holds a great number of different ages that may have experienced any crime or violence themselves and/or watch programmes such as ‘crime watch’ and ‘the bill’ where camera shots are so critical that one mistake can change a whole story. The film is appropriate for both male and females however it would be more appealing towards the male population as the film involves some minor violence scenes which is a favorable icon by men.

Without using dialogue or any form of language within our film except titles and credits our film leaves a questioning mind upon the viewers throughout the film which was key to the outcome of our film as it is a open storyline until the hitman makes his ‘hit. Our title of the film came from the idea of putting together an object, the bag the hitman is after and the word that describes the act of which a hitman performs. These words were ‘The’ which describes and specifies effect followed by the word ‘Hit’ to represent the act, which we see the hitman carry out in the film. Next by limiting the amount of footage in the film we left enough room to add effect and address the views of the audience through the soundtrack, location and storyline.

The soundtrack, which was created on soundtrack, was produced to keep a constant flow of adrenaline and tension throughout the film. This allowed the film to respond with the drama and storyline in order to complete the idea behind the view of the film. It overall creates a flashback like imagery, which grabs attention throughout the film with the mixture of on screen effects, sounds and movement. Our genre was simple but effective as it was a short thrill without any intense acting but a deep story that relates to real life situations and emphasizes on the truth behind a story that can be found over and over again in people’s lives.

After using camera equipment throughout the filming process I have found that there are many problems to filming such as weather, lighting conditions and external location problems. This has given me a better insight into the position of a camera operator who has many tasks to control under pressure and timed conditions. Next by learning to use the Mac software’s such as Final Cut Pro, Live type and Soundtrack I have found and achieved a new skill that I would have never thought id encounter. The media package is new to me and very interesting, all the terminology, industries and sectors to Media are fascinating as it all relates to our lives. After learning to use the software’s and applying them to our practice film and our film ‘The Hit’ I understand the several processes of film production, why a production schedule is used and how, and what skills are required to create and edit a film.

Since starting this film project I have gained a clearer view of how a film is made from the minute you think of a storyline or a genre to base the film on to editing the footage till you see the film on screen. From keeping to a timed schedule and progressing slowly with some defects such as weather conditions I now understand what else could be added in the future for other projects. The planning was crucial to be able to know what to look for whilst preparing the film, the key camera shots or the repetition of costume, characters and settings throughout the film without having any changes. This has been an educative experience for myself as it has been a challenge and an achievement at the same time. I have learnt that a project like this is an achievement and s thing to be proud of, as are I and my fellow partners of our film ‘The Hit’.