Thursday, 23 November 2017

Evaluation of the Continuity sequence-The Video

              Evaluation of the Continuity sequence


Continuity sequence is a story line that always progresses forward in time  meaning that the point the story line starts at will be progressed continually to the end, so that the audience understand the plot. The importance of continuity is to create realism for the audience.

The aim of creating the continuity sequence was to understand how the continuity of the story line  had to be progressed throughout the whole story.

Before making the continuity sequence I had created a storyboard ,which included still images of how the story line was progressed from one still shot to another. The objective of making a storyboard  was to get an idea of what I will  be doing when filming and how the story line will look like when using different shots. This was also like a guide when filming as I knew what kind of shots to use when filming. When filming the continuity sequence my partner an I used a tripod to set up the first shot which was really helpful as the shot was still and not shaky. Overall my continuity sequence went well, as it was actually continuous and when each shot cut it was continuous and made sense to the audience of what is happening.
To improve my continuity sequence I would pre-record the audio as I had problems with it when filming as it was a public place and I had filmed unwanted audio that had ruined some of my footage. .


Tuesday, 14 November 2017

Essay



Sounds effects and music are the most important technical codes used in film to create a genre- Discuss in relation to 2 films of your choice giving examples of scenes to make your point

Hand in date: 31 October first Tuesday back

Tuesday Class: 10 am




Assessment criteria
  
The Media contexts = an understanding of the industries and how this has influenced the making of the product






Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Music Video




https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OA1RgKoMAgUnkdfwY8EmGZtRTYSQfChn-Editing Techniques and processes



https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V7fgz0m6ZpcakMNOQy91erealH0bKGLR



                    What is a music video?

Key words:
-Hyperconsiosness- Is when the performer is aware of their image.
-Inter-textuality- Is when one media form refers to another( Taylor Swift- Blank Space is playing a persona of a 1920's Vamp).
-Parody- Making a joke out of something.
-Pastiche- Is when you are referring something else to another genre.
-Narcissism-Is when someone is very vane.


What is a music video?
-Music video is a short, moving image product, shot for the express purpose of accompanying a pre-existing music track and usually in order to encourage sales of the music in another format.

Michel Jackson- Beat it
-It used parody as when the fight needed to start the people started dancing.
-It also refers to Inter-textuality as it could have had referred to gang members at that time.


Watch video:

Radiohead - Burn The Witch and Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy

 and answer these questions for homework for TUESDAY


1   Identify two camera shots used in the video. Explain why each was used. (10 marks)

2   Choose one character from the video. Explain how they are represented. (10 marks)

3   Give two ways that the video is typical of pop videos. Explain your choices. (10 marks) use Key Words of why is is a typical pop video.

4   Explain how camera work and editing are used to interest the audience in the video. (10 marks)

5   Briefly explain two more ways that singles are marketed by record companies. (10 marks)



stop frame animation      tracking shot/single continuous shot  parody of the wicke man  one long shot no cuts  inter textual reference to mean streets

Attack - Unfinished Sympathy


1) In the music video Massive  Attack- Unfinished Sympathy  tracking shot was used throughout the whole music video which followed the main character walking which at the end of the video leaves the shot. This technique was used through out the music video as it is a continuous shot which shows the story clearly without cutting the scenes.

2)The main character is presented as an innocent woman that is lost in herself which we can sees when she is walking she is unaware of her surroundings and just walks without stopping through the whole music video. The woman is also shown as sad and depressed as through the whole music video she doesn't make and eye contact with the camera(audience).

3)This music video is typical to the other as it is a inter-textual reference of the mean streets as it has the same theme of walking in LA streets.


4)The camera work that is used is the continuous tracking shot which tells the story and focuses on the main character shown in the shot. The audience only focus on the other characters for a short amount of time and only see things that the main character passes when she walks.

5)Singles are marketed through social media such as Twitter,Facebook where the is spreads to many people and attracts the audience to the single.



Radiohead - Burn The Witch


1) In the music video Radiohead-Burn the Witch stop frame animation is used throughout the whole video which is a technique used to make things and object appear to be moving 

2) The main character the man in a black coat is presented as an innocent character that is shocked at the style of life people are living in the town. This character seems to be different from others as he doesn't like how the people act and what traditions they have like killing people. 

3)This video is typical like other music videos as it is inter-textuality  and parody of the film Wicker Man as is has the same element when the people want to burn the man is a giant wooden statue.

4)The stop frame animation and haw it is edited together to make objects and things move makes the audience really interested as stop frame animation is not used a lot in music videos and is is kind of unusual as it is mostly used in films.

5) Singles are marketed through social media such as Instagram, Facebook and twitter where people can see everything about the music video by the use of hashtag.  






































Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Understanding the Media Industries-'Old Media' and 'New Media'

Definition of Media- form of expression
                                -form of communication
                                -mass media(reaches millions of people) Media is thought of a term of new                                           media and old media.
                               
Old media could reach hundreds, thousands and maybe million people whereas new media via the internet (mobile phones etc.) can reach even a billion people so the idea of the mass media is that is reaches a huge mass of people.


-Early Newspapers were illustrated
-1878 mass produced photography began, by 1900 the famous brownie camera costing 1 dollar was released.
-Magazines and newspapers were now accompanied by photographs rather than hand drawn images.
-Early film and photograph stock were the same.


Radio: Gugliemo Marconi made hi historic foray into broadcasting in 1901. When his wireless transmitted the first radio waves across the curvature of the earth. The Italian entrepreneur broadcast, from the isle of white to Cornwall.



                   Old media and its new media equivalent

Old Media                                                                   New Media
-TV                                                                              -Netflix which a TV streaming channel an                                                                                              app  that runs on phones and laptops,                                                                                                    computers mobile devices. Amazon Studios,                                                                                        Amazon Prime                                                                              
-Radio                                                                         -Apple Music
-Cinema                                                                      -Online streaming, youtube, cinema streaming                                                                                           sites Netflix, MUBI,  BFI Player,  

-Newspapers                                                              -Online version of Newspapers, Onlineversion 
                                                                                   of The Daily Mirror, The Daily Mail, The                                                                                                Guardian, news site such as Mashable,                                                                                                      Facebook  sharing of news article on Twitter ,                                                                                          news apps on phones, BT email news items and                                                                                      articles from newspapers   . Snapchat


-Magazine                                                                   -Indie Wire , Mashable,  


-Photography                                                             -Snapchat.  Instagram, Pinterest,  Tumblr













                                                                             


Thursday, 19 October 2017

Narrative Theory

      Key Terms

Narrative- A narrative is the relation between a series of events it is the way the story is told.
Story- The story is the strict chronological order in which the events occur.
Plot- Plot is the order in which the charters find out about these events.

Roland Barthes- Media texts are constructed using a series of codes. These codes help the audience to understand what is going on.

Action code- When we see an action in a text we anticipate what consequences will follow. For example: Dirty Ol' 'Arry

Enigma Code- When we encounter plot elements that raise questions on the part of the reader of a text.

Claude Levi-Strauss- constant creation of conflict/opposition propels narrative and narrative can only end on resolution of conflict.

Tzvetan Todorov- narratives follow a typical form of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.

His theory:
- A state of equilibrium ( all is as should be)
-A disruption of that order by an event
-A recognition that the disorder has occurred
-An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
-A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

Vladimir Propp Character Types

1. The villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4. The princess and her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father can not be clearly distinguished.
5. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
6. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.

7. [False hero] — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess







Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Textual Analysis- Jungle Book


The film  Jungle book is mainly based on action animated genre which you can tell from the plot of the story and also on 0:30 second and 0:35 it tells us that it is brought from the same studio that created Pirates of the Caribbean and the same director of Iron Man which were action based films. It is also targeted on younger people as it is made by Disney which tells us it is not going to be a horror film.
The media institution of the film Jungle Book is Disney  which is shown at the beginning of the trailer. The music builds up dramatically creating suspense throughout the trailer by stopping when the snake starts to talk and playing again when he doesn't.

In the first long shot we see the boy which is surrounded by trees and all alone suggesting to us that he is the main character. At the end

The editing of the scenes is longer at the beginning and as the tension rises the shots get shorter and also when the shots cut the music cut is well creating tension.

The targeted audience are younger people as it is made by Disney, also the main character is a small boy which an refer which may connect to the audience. This trailer also has talking animals which shows that is targeted at young audience.

-To answer this question I will be looking at camera shots, the use of sound and music and the use of editing.
-Other important technical codes include: Special effect (CGI-Computer Generated Imagery), pyrotechnics (technical ways to make explosions), lighting, props and clothing.
-Mise- en scene- is a term which means everything inside the camera frame.


How important are the technical codes in this scene for creating genre?
1)-Music is very important to creating the genre of action adventure. In this sequence as the music gets more dramatic the scene builds up more tension, as the scene starts the music is low and sad, and describes the feeling of the bear's character. Also the boy's character as he is sad to go, however the music also builds up tension as we know something may happen if Mowgli is alone in the jungle. The music is really important in keeping the suspense of the action adventure genre moving forward. As the boy runs away and climbs on the tree, taking himself into more danger, the music builds and starts to get faster. Before Mowgli is about to get captured the music stops. This also increases tension. Joel Silver, an action film producer  explains how he creates action film using what he calls 'whammos' every 10 minutes, in between the action he says he uses a 'zinger' which is a short joke or humor. In this scene we see the use of humor as the monkey mocks the human boy, before an action sequence starts up, suddenly the music strikes a loud chord and starts up again as Mowgli is picked up and thrown through the trees. The pace of the music is fast and is timed to a heart beat, during an action sequence the audiences 'hear' will eat at the same time as the music.

-The sequence starts with a mid close up shot on the main character washing himself in the river. We can tell from the props and the location that this film is in a jungle or an unfamiliar place the action adventure film is usually st in an charters undertaking journeys and quests in unusual locations.Then we have a shot reverse sequence of Mowgli and the bear talking. This shot reverse shot is used for conversations in  films and TV. When the bear tells Mowgli he has to leave the jungle the action adventure theme is pushed forward. The camera shot changes to high angle shot on Mowgli when he finds out that he must leave the safety of living with the bear the high angle shot which makes Mowgli looks vulnerable and small. The high angle tells the audience that some action/adventure sequence is about to start again. We have a sot reverse shot again but now the bear is shown in close up getting more and more annoyed with Mowgli to push him to leave and Mowgli is shot in a hang angle shot pleading with the bear to stay . This sequence is building up tension again? Will Mowgli stay? Will he have to leave?

Enigma Code: The enigma is a puzzle or mystery that has to be in every story

-At the point in the scene where the bear is pushing Mowgli to leave- there is another enigma code or puzzle now- because the audience is thinking what will happen to Mowgli? So the shot reverse shot sequence builds up tension and also pushes the mystery of the action adventure story forward. The next shot is a long shot of Mowgli running away, and we know the next part of the adventure is about to begin, We see Mowgli in long shot climbing a huge tree the location of the jungle is important in this sequence and the location is the most important part of the action adventure genre. This shot is from the POV of the bear and the panther. They watch Mowgli as he climbs up the tree. Then we see Mowgli's POV (point of view shot from high up the tree as he sits along in CU. So the CU shot shows us that he is alone). Typical adventure character.

Humor/ pause sequence
- While Mowgli is up on the tree there is the humor/joke pause filmed in a two shot with the monkey's character.
-An action film has an action sequence every 10 minutes and a humorous sequence in between the action sequences in this case the two shot between Mowgli and the monkey which is a joke for he audience before the next action sequence begins.
-As the action sequences begin- we see Mowgli from a POV ( pint of view shot) from the panther and the bear as they try to run after him to save him. 






































Narrative

                       Typical Story of an Action Adventure
-A hero heroine is usually on a journey or quest in search of someone or something.
-She/He has to complete and face a range of challenges.
-The narrative is a mixture of action sequences and sequences of suspense and/or humor.
-The end of the film the here/heroine is victorious.
-The story is told in a linear narrative.
-Clear beginning-Middle and End.

Iconography(symbols and images) of Action Films                   Iconography of Adventure Films
-Chase                                                                       -Exotic locations
-Hero/Heroine                                                           -Maps
-Fighting                                                                   -Animals
-Explosions                                                               -Treasure
-Weapons                                                                  -Element of Danger
-Killing


Action Adventure hybrid Genre- are combination of the two genres.
-Emphasis on travels
-conquests
-Explorations
-Struggles
-Situations that confront the main characters or actual historical figures

Evaluating my first continuity sequence-



Media Storyboard- Click to view the Link


-The objective of this practice was to get an idea of what we will  be doing when filming and what the storyboard will look like when using different shots. This also helped me to get used to the equipment we have uses such as camera.
-It is important to use  range of shots when making continuity sequence as it makes the audience see the perspective of the character which makes them understand what is going on in the story. Each shows the perspective of the character  where he is looking.
-Eye line shot is really important as  it shows  where the character is looking which  makes the audience feel as if they are the character in the story and are looking through their eyes.
-From this exercise I have learned that every shot is important as it show the  continuity sequence of the whole film and that if something is missing the audience could be confused on what is happening.
-Making a story board before filming a live action is really important as you understand what you have to do and what kind of shots you have to use when filming that


Complete story board for your continuity sequence
Create a new post on your blog entitled: Evaluating my first continuity sequence
Answer these questions:
            Explain what the objective was in this practical exercise
2       How important is using a range of shots to making a continuity sequence the audience /viewer can understand?
3       Explain the importance of ‘eye line’ to making a continuity sequence
4       Explain what you have learnt from this exercise
5       How important is making a story board before filming a live action/moving image sequence?  

Upload your story board/stills sequence to your blog (either by creating a link or photograph your storyboard and upload the jpeg to the blog 

Creating continuity Sequences

                                         What is continuity sequence?

-Most films are constructed through a LINEAR NARRATIVE.
-Which is a story line that always progresses forward in time (Monday, Tue, Weds) starts in the morning, end in the evening etc.
-Linear narratives also use a style of filming and editing that is known as CONTINUITY EDITING.


Cinematography

Cinematography-Camera Shots

Framing- is an art of selection. The edges of the image creates a frame that includes oe excludes aspects of what occurs in front of the camera.

Canted Frame- is a view in which the frame is not level.

Camera Distance or Scale- Extreme long shot a framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small: a building, landscape, or crowd of people will fill the screen.
Long Shot- a framing which the scale of the object shown is small: a standing human figure would appear nearly the height of the screen. It can show a character and her/his surroundings in a single frame.

Medium Long Shot- Framing such an an object four or five feet high would fill most of the screen vertically. Also called plain americain, given its recurrence in he Western genre.

Medium Close-up- A framing in which the scale of the object shown is fairly large; a human figure from the chest up would fill most of the screen.

Close-up- A framing in which the scale of the object shown is relatively large, in a close-up a person's head, or soem other similarity sized object would fill the frame.

Extreme close-up- A framing in which the scale of the object shown in very large, most commonly, a small object or part of the body usually shot with a zoom lens.

Crane Shot- A shot with the camera above the ground and moving through the air. The camera is placed on a crane (basically, a large cantilevered arm) or similar device. Crane shots are often or extreme long shots.

Steady Cam- can create a long  steady shot.

Making a Nordic Noir short scene

                                                           Planning Scene 1: A cloudy night sky. The dark silhouettes of the trees. A w...