Sunday 14 October 2012
Paragraph Re-Write
The following close-up two shot of the two siginifies the intensity and tension of the situation, highlighting the friction caused by the differences of the two opposing sexualities, and during this section, the camera follows the heterosexual man throughout, showing his power over her due to his more commonly accepted sexuality, presumably made stronger by his conformative masculine power and strength due to his heterosexuality.
Monday 8 October 2012
New Media Terminology
Analytical/Narrative/General/Mise en Scene
Censorship – Control over the content of a media text – sometimes by the government, but usually by a regulatory body like the British Board of Film censors. This can often cause a lot of tension and frustration when some films receive what the main audience of the product may assume to be unnecessary censorship or when films that people think require it do not receive it.
Consumer – purchaser, listener, viewer or reader of media products.
Conventions – the widely recognised way of doing things in particular genre.
Code – a sign or convention through which the media communicates meaning to us because we have learned to read it.
Technical codes – all to do with the way a text is technically constructed – camera angles, framing, typography, lighting etc.
Visual codes – codes that are decoded on a mainly connotational level – things that draw on our experience and understanding of other media texts, this includes Iconography.
Iconography – concerned with the use of visual images and how they trigger the audiences expectations of a particular genre, such as a knife in slasher horror films.
Indexical sign – a sign which has a direct relationship with something it signifies, such as smoke signifies fire.
Post Modernism – Anything that challenges the traditional way of doing things, rejecting boundaries between high and low forms of art, rejecting rigid genre distinctions, emphasizing pastiche, parody, intertextuality, irony, and playfulness. Postmodernism favours reflexivity and self-consciousness, fragmentation and discontinuity (especially in narrative structures), ambiguity, simultaneity, and an emphasis on the destructured, decentered, dehumanized subjects. There are many examples of this, such as post apocalyptic tales 'The Road', 'Dredd' or modern phycological dystopian 'Fight Club'.
Hegemony – Traditionally this describes the predominance of one social class over another, in media terms this is how the controllers of the media may use the media to pursue their own political interest (such as in the Hillsborough disaster, also used in the film 'Spartacus').
Catharsis – the idea that violent and and sexual content in media texts serves the function of releasing ‘pent up’ tension aggression/desire in audiences. eg. it could be argued that the later part of the Primeval clip we watched in class could contain elements of catharsis when the woman is victimised and thrown onto the floor.
Ideology – A set of ideas or beliefs which are held to be acceptable by the creators of the media text, maybe in line with those of the dominant ruling social groups in society, or alternative ideologies such as feminist ideology.
Preferred Reading - the interpretation of a media product that was intended by the maker or which is dictated by the ideology of the society in which it is viewed.
Oppositional Reading – an interpretation of a text by a reader whose social position puts them into direct conflict with its preferred reading.
Negotiated Reading – the ‘compromise’ that is reached between the preferred reading offered by a text and the reader’s own assumptions and interpretations
Hypodermic Needle Theory – the idea that the media can ‘inject’ ideas and messages straight into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. Used in advertising and propoganda, led to moral panics about effect of violent video and computer games.
Hypodermic Needle Theory – the idea that the media can ‘inject’ ideas and messages straight into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. Used in advertising and propoganda, led to moral panics about effect of violent video and computer games.
Enigma – A question in a text that is not immediately answered and creates interest for the audience – a puzzle that the audience has to solve.
Narrative code – The way a story is put together within a text, traditionally equilibrium- disequilibrium, new equilibrium, but some text are fractured or non liner, eg Pulp Fiction, 500 Days of Summer.
Gaze – the idea that the way we look at something, and the way somebody looks at you, is structured by the way we view the world. Feminists may view a film set in Elizabethan times differently to the way a Machist would view it.
Intertextuality – the idea that within popular culture producers borrow other texts to create interest to the audience who like to share the ‘in’ joke. Often used in shows like The Simpsons or Big Bang Theory.
Rule of Thirds - placing the subject of the shot on one of the 'thirds' of the frame.
Editing
Multi-media – computer technology that allows text, sound, graphic and video images to be combined into one programme.
Multi-media – computer technology that allows text, sound, graphic and video images to be combined into one programme.
SFX – special effects or devices to create visual illusions.
Montage – putting together of visual images to form a sequence.
Continuity Editing -creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.
Errors of Continuity - disruptions in the flow of a scene, such as a failure to match action or the placement of props across shots.
Cross Cutting - cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.
Eyeline Match - matching of eyelines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B.
Jump Cut - creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.
Matched Cut - joining two shots whose compositional elements match, helping to establish strong continuity of action.
Sequence Shot - a long take that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is composed of only one shot with no editing.
Shot Reverse Shot Cutting - usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the-shoulder shots showing each character speaking.
Sound/Sound Relationships
Ambient Audio - background noise present in a scene or recording location.
Sound Effects - added to film in post-production, they may be used to build up ambience or reinforce action.
Sound Effects - added to film in post-production, they may be used to build up ambience or reinforce action.
Empathetic sound - music or sound effects whose mood matches the mood of the action
Sound Bridge - Film and TV editing technique in which visual cuts are deliberately not matched with audio cuts. For example, the editor may cut to a completely new scene, but allow sound from the preceding scene to run on for a short time. Alternatively, we may hear the sound of the next scene before we see it.
Asynchronous Sound - does not appear to arise directly from the scene, such as soundtrack music or voiceover .
Synchronous Sound - directly matched to a moving image. The term is used in two ways in different sources:
Contrapuntal Sound - does not easily match the images they are accompanying, or even go against them. This can have a disorientating effect upon the audience and make them question what they are seeing.
Camera Shots/Camera Movement
Two Shot - a shot which includes two characters.
Extreme Close up - can sometimes be used to create discomfort in the audience or reflect this from the character. Can sometimes be a POV shot.
Tracking Shot - the camera moves backwards of forwards, towards or away from the subject of the shot.
Sideways Tracking Shot/Crab Shot - camera moves sideways, following the the subject.
Tilt Shot - up and down movement, can sometimes be POV of someone first seeing someone/something.
Zoom - the camera closes in on or zoom away from the subject, when used properly can be used to imitate a tracking shot.
Arc Shot - the camera moves in a full or semi-circle around the subject.
Crane Shot - the camera is lifted up on a crane in order to create vertical movement.
Panning - The camera, whilst in a locked position, turns left and right. Can sometimes be a POV shot also.
Sunday 7 October 2012
Essay Re-write
The start of the clip has the audience following a group of four men as they follow behind whom appears to be a guard. The fact that the camera and therefore the narrative itself follows this entourage immediately picks them out as key roles in the story, meaning that we are therefore more likely to sympathise with these characters, and as they are shown in lesser clothing and following behind a guard, also immediately highlights them as being of a lower class.
When the shots of the upper and lower classes are edited together, there is a notable difference in camera shots. Low angle shots are used recurringly when in the presence of the mobility, showing them on a balcony over viewing the arena, placing them literally above everyone else. These shots differ to be oppositional high angle shots looking down on the lower class men, most often in the fight scene when high and low angle shots are used to a further degree to show who has the most power at that specific time in the fight and whom is more likely to win, most obvious when the man with the trident is shown through a low angle shot from the point of view of the protagonist, when he is pinned down. This shows a varying degree of power even within the classes. The audience react more emotionally to this as the small amount that we did spectate of the previous fight was simply focalised through the protagonist, intimate close ups that contrast to the mid shot of the other man helping us to identify with him, placing us on the same level as the protagonist, and helping us to sympathise with him as the lowest of even the lowest class, therefore making us also fear and hate the upper class nobility.
Also, their immediate surroundings at the beginning of the clip, although a dirty, common area in muted colours much as they are shown, does differ from them slightly as they wear simple green/grey rags, differentiating them from their fellow man, all of whom wear yellow/brown colours; even the guards, whom could be considered to mindless slaves wear these colours, again picking out the group to be considered lower than even the lowest classes. When we first see the upper class, the differences between them and the previously shown lower class become extremely obvious: not only are upper class dressed in light weight, bright and golden embroidered clothing, but are also surrounded by red and regal draping material, juxtaposed completely with the heavy dark imagery now associated with the men of the lowest class, now enclosed in a dank, rotting wooden enclosure like animals.
During the fight, the man with the trident, seemingly the current antagonist as he is the immediate danger/enemy that our protagonist must overcome, however he subverts the typical hero/villain archetype, showing us that the upper class are in fact the real enemy as they sit and eagerly await the death and bloodshed of our protagonist. This is shown most clearly when the man in white, a pure and noble colour often associated with kings and queens, kills the man at his feet, despite his tremendous amount of courage of determination still dying as any 'commoner' should; at the feet as those 'higher' than he. This man of whom was previously was shown at the top of the inner hierarchy of the lower class is now shown helplessly clinging to the edge of power, where the man in white sits easily above him, his 'armour' now simply degrading items in comparison to the power and viciousness of the upper class man.
As they entered the waiting chamber earlier on in the clip, we can hear deep music that slowly builds up, building the expectations of an imposing climax, also anaphorically referenced later during the fight, each exchanged blow accentuated with mini crescendo. This is most notably hinted at by the increasing recurrence of the rolling drum beat, which when played with the trumpets, as in the clip, also hint at a regal formality, alerting the audience to the fact that these are no mere prisoners, but part of something cold and calculated of the upper classes, this also added to by the sporadic and discorded sound of the piano, representing the fear and tension the men feel, knowing that they are going to their death sentences for the simple pleasure of those born into nobility.
The trumpets again appear in a later climax when the noble man kills the man with the trident, drawn out, deep tones emanating form the trumpets, seemingly a villainous leitmotif for the antagonist, picking him out specifically and placing him above everyone, placing him at the top of the hierarchy, even within the aristocracy in which he resides.
Earlier on in the clip, when they entered the waiting chamber before the fights, some voices of the upper class are edited over, the meagre troubles of the nobility starkly contrasting the life threatening predicament the men now face. There are also some shots edited in of the nobility, so the scene cuts back and forth between the two groups, contrasting shots paired together to show the complete opposition of the two classes. (insufficient notes to complete section.)
When the shots of the upper and lower classes are edited together, there is a notable difference in camera shots. Low angle shots are used recurringly when in the presence of the mobility, showing them on a balcony over viewing the arena, placing them literally above everyone else. These shots differ to be oppositional high angle shots looking down on the lower class men, most often in the fight scene when high and low angle shots are used to a further degree to show who has the most power at that specific time in the fight and whom is more likely to win, most obvious when the man with the trident is shown through a low angle shot from the point of view of the protagonist, when he is pinned down. This shows a varying degree of power even within the classes. The audience react more emotionally to this as the small amount that we did spectate of the previous fight was simply focalised through the protagonist, intimate close ups that contrast to the mid shot of the other man helping us to identify with him, placing us on the same level as the protagonist, and helping us to sympathise with him as the lowest of even the lowest class, therefore making us also fear and hate the upper class nobility.
Also, their immediate surroundings at the beginning of the clip, although a dirty, common area in muted colours much as they are shown, does differ from them slightly as they wear simple green/grey rags, differentiating them from their fellow man, all of whom wear yellow/brown colours; even the guards, whom could be considered to mindless slaves wear these colours, again picking out the group to be considered lower than even the lowest classes. When we first see the upper class, the differences between them and the previously shown lower class become extremely obvious: not only are upper class dressed in light weight, bright and golden embroidered clothing, but are also surrounded by red and regal draping material, juxtaposed completely with the heavy dark imagery now associated with the men of the lowest class, now enclosed in a dank, rotting wooden enclosure like animals.
During the fight, the man with the trident, seemingly the current antagonist as he is the immediate danger/enemy that our protagonist must overcome, however he subverts the typical hero/villain archetype, showing us that the upper class are in fact the real enemy as they sit and eagerly await the death and bloodshed of our protagonist. This is shown most clearly when the man in white, a pure and noble colour often associated with kings and queens, kills the man at his feet, despite his tremendous amount of courage of determination still dying as any 'commoner' should; at the feet as those 'higher' than he. This man of whom was previously was shown at the top of the inner hierarchy of the lower class is now shown helplessly clinging to the edge of power, where the man in white sits easily above him, his 'armour' now simply degrading items in comparison to the power and viciousness of the upper class man.
As they entered the waiting chamber earlier on in the clip, we can hear deep music that slowly builds up, building the expectations of an imposing climax, also anaphorically referenced later during the fight, each exchanged blow accentuated with mini crescendo. This is most notably hinted at by the increasing recurrence of the rolling drum beat, which when played with the trumpets, as in the clip, also hint at a regal formality, alerting the audience to the fact that these are no mere prisoners, but part of something cold and calculated of the upper classes, this also added to by the sporadic and discorded sound of the piano, representing the fear and tension the men feel, knowing that they are going to their death sentences for the simple pleasure of those born into nobility.
The trumpets again appear in a later climax when the noble man kills the man with the trident, drawn out, deep tones emanating form the trumpets, seemingly a villainous leitmotif for the antagonist, picking him out specifically and placing him above everyone, placing him at the top of the hierarchy, even within the aristocracy in which he resides.
Earlier on in the clip, when they entered the waiting chamber before the fights, some voices of the upper class are edited over, the meagre troubles of the nobility starkly contrasting the life threatening predicament the men now face. There are also some shots edited in of the nobility, so the scene cuts back and forth between the two groups, contrasting shots paired together to show the complete opposition of the two classes. (insufficient notes to complete section.)
Wednesday 3 October 2012
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Preliminary Feedback
1. Do you understand the story line?
18/19 Said Yes
However, the film was viewed twice and from the verbal feedback afterwards many people agreed that the second viewing helped them understand what was going on.
To improve understanding the first time around, we will add a statistic at the beginning about how many people hide behind fake identities online. We will also add in the scene where Alex walks into the cafe as we realised that it had been missed out and would help the story more.
2. Do you think the clips were edited together well and that the film runs smoothly?
13/19 people agreed 'yes' with no comments.
2/19 people agreed 'yes' but with a comment on improvement.
3/19 people said 'no' with comments on improvement.
1/19 people were unsure but gave us a comment.
The main issue everyone had with the editing was the part where Jacob walks up the ramp and into the cafe - the clip jolts almost and doesn't run smoothly. It is also blended weirdly with the clip before it. Another comment was that the part where Jacob's eyes move, after Rosy (that's me:D) leaves was too short.
To improve we will look at the section where Jacob walks in and see what's gone wrong there and make the 'moving eyes' section a bit longer - maybe from side to side instead of in a circle?
3. Do you feel the music fitted the clips?
14/19 people agreed 'yes.'
2/19 people agreed 'no'.
1/19 people said 'there needs to be more'
2/19 people agreed 'partly'
From this question there wasn't much feedback on how to improve. 2 people thought that the music didn't fit the surroundings and 1 person thought that the transitions were a little shaky.
To improve we will fade the music a bit more - we were thinking about this anyway! However, we're not sure about the comments that the type of music wasn't right as we feel it gave the eerie impression that something was going to happen.
4. Do you think the sound effects were effective?
19/19 people agreed 'yes'.
1 person gave us a suggestion - We were told it was very effective at the beginning but harder to decipher later.
To improve, we'll just watch it again and make sure the sound effects are clear but other than that we rocked this question!
5. Do you think the text idea was used appropriately?
18/19 people agreed 'yes.'
1/19 people agreed 'no'.
There were two slight problems with the text, one of which we had already considered and were planning changing. Someone commented that it was hard to read the light text on the against the background and another person suggested we don't make the text bounce as it makes it easier to concentrate if it's still.
To improve we will mess around some more with which colours stand out more on the background, we might make it slightly darker but not too dark. With the problem of the text bouncing, we are going to leave it. This is because the text doesn't bounce too much, it just pops up and it needs to pop up to make it more like an online conversation.
6. Overall, what did you think of our preliminary film?
2/19 people gave us 6/10
3/19 people gave us 7/10
9/19 people gave us 8/10
2/19 people gave us 9/10
2/19 people gave us 10/10
1/19 people gave us 11/10
We will improve by just going through the feedback and adjusting certain things, fine tuning the film.
Preliminary Group Roles
Tash Bentley : Project Manager
Alex Haley : Director
Rosy Armitage : Editor
Liberty Shaw : Camera Women
However, we all helped each other out with the roles and gave our contribution.
Alex Haley : Director
Rosy Armitage : Editor
Liberty Shaw : Camera Women
However, we all helped each other out with the roles and gave our contribution.
Preliminary Risk Asessement
In The Cafe:
Wet Floors - Make sure you don't step on wet flooring and if you see a wet floor, clean it up!
Hot Drinks - Be aware of hot drinks around you and if there are any, make sure you don't knock it over.
Tripping Hazards - Bags/chairs and tripods are tripping hazards. If anything is sticking out that could be a hazard, move it. If it can't be moved make sure everyone involved is aware of it.
Outside:
Wet Weather - Because of all the wet weather, outside will be very slippy so be careful not to trip or slip.
Wet Floors - Make sure you don't step on wet flooring and if you see a wet floor, clean it up!
Hot Drinks - Be aware of hot drinks around you and if there are any, make sure you don't knock it over.
Tripping Hazards - Bags/chairs and tripods are tripping hazards. If anything is sticking out that could be a hazard, move it. If it can't be moved make sure everyone involved is aware of it.
Outside:
Wet Weather - Because of all the wet weather, outside will be very slippy so be careful not to trip or slip.
Thursday 27 September 2012
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Preliminary Characters
The Old Guy.
In the online conversations the Old Guy is pretending to be a 16/17 year old boy because he is a pedophile and is wanting to "pick up" young girls. In the flashbacks the Old Guy's text is displayed in blue as that is stereo typically a 'boy's colour' and he would use this to get across the fact that he really is a boy.
The Old Guy is dressed in a blue suit so the audience match him with the blue text, that way there is no confusion. The red tie symbolises danger, as he is a pedophile, but it also creates tension as it's quite a threatening colour.
When the Old Guy texts it subverts stereotypes because we see he is educated with using a phone and can do smiley faces which many of the older generation get confused with.
The Homosexual Guy.
In the online conversations the Homosexual Guy is pretending to be a 16/17 year old girl because he is a guy and thinks pretending to be a girl will be an easier way of meeting a lot of boys. In the flashbacks the Homosexual Guy's text is pink because he is 'playing' a girl and feels that this will convince people that he is more likely to be a girl.
He dresses in pink to link himself with the text from his online conversations but also to adhere to the stereotype that gay people always wear pink.
As a teenager he is very apt at texting and when he speaks he has the intonations of someone who is homosexual.
The Girl Who Wears White
The Girl Who Wears White (GWW) is the only other character to have scripted dialogue so we may as well mention her.
She is wearing white as she is an innocent character; she doesn't have a intentional part in the Old Guy's/Homosexual Guy's meet up.
GWW is a very "girly-girl" and talks in the sarcastic way that teenage girls speak, she also storms out which is very dramatic and subverts the innocent stereotype but adheres to the teenage girl stereotype.
Propps' Character Types.
There are no official characters who fit in to the theory in specific spots, however they can be placed into groups, although somewhat vaguely.
HERO:
You could say that both the Old Guy and the Homosexual Guy are Heroes, or more appropriately "Quest Goers" as they are both on a "quest" too meet each other and are not actually going to save anything.
VILLAIN:
You could also say that both the Old Guy and the Homosexual Guy are Villains.
The Old Guy is a villain because he is in fact a pedophile and he is out to , most probably, kidnap the girl (boy).
The Homosexual Guy can also be classed as a villain because at the end of the video he claims to have worked out that the Old Guy is a pedophile and so the meeting could have been a trap but what happens next is up to the audience to work out.
PRINCESS:
The only other character type I can think of fitting someone into is putting the Homosexual Guy into the Princess category. He is placed here because he is actually in dreadful danger of being kidnapped and taken advantage of by a pedophile and so he needs "protecting" and "saving" although not by our two Heroes in this clip.
In the online conversations the Old Guy is pretending to be a 16/17 year old boy because he is a pedophile and is wanting to "pick up" young girls. In the flashbacks the Old Guy's text is displayed in blue as that is stereo typically a 'boy's colour' and he would use this to get across the fact that he really is a boy.
The Old Guy is dressed in a blue suit so the audience match him with the blue text, that way there is no confusion. The red tie symbolises danger, as he is a pedophile, but it also creates tension as it's quite a threatening colour.
When the Old Guy texts it subverts stereotypes because we see he is educated with using a phone and can do smiley faces which many of the older generation get confused with.
The Homosexual Guy.
In the online conversations the Homosexual Guy is pretending to be a 16/17 year old girl because he is a guy and thinks pretending to be a girl will be an easier way of meeting a lot of boys. In the flashbacks the Homosexual Guy's text is pink because he is 'playing' a girl and feels that this will convince people that he is more likely to be a girl.
He dresses in pink to link himself with the text from his online conversations but also to adhere to the stereotype that gay people always wear pink.
As a teenager he is very apt at texting and when he speaks he has the intonations of someone who is homosexual.
The Girl Who Wears White
The Girl Who Wears White (GWW) is the only other character to have scripted dialogue so we may as well mention her.
She is wearing white as she is an innocent character; she doesn't have a intentional part in the Old Guy's/Homosexual Guy's meet up.
GWW is a very "girly-girl" and talks in the sarcastic way that teenage girls speak, she also storms out which is very dramatic and subverts the innocent stereotype but adheres to the teenage girl stereotype.
Propps' Character Types.
There are no official characters who fit in to the theory in specific spots, however they can be placed into groups, although somewhat vaguely.
HERO:
You could say that both the Old Guy and the Homosexual Guy are Heroes, or more appropriately "Quest Goers" as they are both on a "quest" too meet each other and are not actually going to save anything.
VILLAIN:
You could also say that both the Old Guy and the Homosexual Guy are Villains.
The Old Guy is a villain because he is in fact a pedophile and he is out to , most probably, kidnap the girl (boy).
The Homosexual Guy can also be classed as a villain because at the end of the video he claims to have worked out that the Old Guy is a pedophile and so the meeting could have been a trap but what happens next is up to the audience to work out.
PRINCESS:
The only other character type I can think of fitting someone into is putting the Homosexual Guy into the Princess category. He is placed here because he is actually in dreadful danger of being kidnapped and taken advantage of by a pedophile and so he needs "protecting" and "saving" although not by our two Heroes in this clip.
Preliminary Script
Black screen.
Text appears:
3/8/12
Hey!
:)
hey
:D
I'm
Sophie, from halifax :L
no
way, I live just outside of fax! I'm Adam :) what do you do?
Cut
to in larger size (impact/importance)
Oh
cool! Year 12 student. You?
same
here ;) x
Fade to black
Fade up
Establishing
shot of a cafe interior.
Cut between
Various
close ups/mid shots of people within the cafe drinking tea/talking
etc.
Cut to
Someone
walking holding a phone. Red tie in shot.
Freeze
frame as text appears:
on my way ;) A x
Cut to
close
up of hand pushing open door, someone walks past the camera and we
see the door clos behind them.
Cut to
slight
pan on the cafe from the pov of whoever walked in/red tie.
Cut to
mid
shot/wide shot (so we can see her sat on the chair, prefrerably a
stool so we can see her outfit?) of a girl checking her phone from a
text sat on the far right hand side of the screen
freeze
frame as text appears to her left:
how will i recognise you?x
I
have brown hair and will be wearing PINK ;P x
Cut
to
close
up of girl sat at table with phone out, replying to/reading a text.
Shape passes the screen and we see a shoulder framing the girl
(someone has sat down, but we can only see their shoulder)
“Hey
Bitch.”
“What
the hell? Who are you?”
“Aren't
you The Plastic Bitch?”
“Get
away from me you freak!”
(same
shot) we see the girl get up from the table and walk off screen
Cut to
Wide
shot of girl storming out of door.
Cut to
(same previous shot) over should of empty chair (still can't see man)
Cut to
Extra wide shot of cafe (same as establishing shot at the beginning but now we can see someone looking around-ie red tie guy)
“I
translated your username.”
Cut
to black
Text
appears:
ThePlasticB1tchxXx:
What does 'ichleibekinder' mean?x
ichleibekinder:
it means young @ heart in german ;) x
Cut
to
mid shot/shoulder up shot of man (obviously now revelead to not be in year 12)
mid shot/shoulder up shot of man (obviously now revelead to not be in year 12)
“Plastic
Bitch?”
Cut
to
Guy
at table
“I
like kids?”
Cut
back to
mid
shot/shoulder up shot of man
“You're
not a girl!”
Cut back to
Guy
at table
“You're
not 17.”
Cut
back to
mid
shot/shoulder up shot of man
Cut back to
Guy
at table
Cut to
Wide
shot of the scene.
Fade to black.
Preliminary Genre and Target Audience
The genre of the opening sequence to our programme is based on comedy, which is juxtaposed with the actual serious topical issue shown in the clip. To add humour keeps the viewer's interest of the movie clip, as well as with the addition of tension to keep the viewer engaged. The target audience is teenagers, because the type of humour involved is fairly immature for adult humour, but humour more understood by people older than children. Also, the issue involved in the clip mostly affects the adolescent age group, and would be good to do from our point of view, considering we fit that group. The characters in the clip are also supposedly teenage age group, which the audience can relate to.
Preliminary
Preliminary Exercise
"Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he/she then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match an action, shot/reverse shot and the 180°rule."
NARRATIVE- My group came up with the idea of depicting a meeting in a cafe between two people that have met online but are pretending to be someone they're not...
Work will be uploaded as it is completed.
Monday 24 September 2012
'Captain America'
'Captain America: The First Avenger'
I watched 'Captian America' the other night. I don't usually like really 'righteous' and overly 'good' characters (and the whole idea of Captain America to me is just a bit 'eeshk') as I feel they have no depth, however, I couldn't help but adore the main character! I think this was most due to three main factors; a suprising amount of the film actually shows the character before he attains his powers, much more so than in most films of it's style. This scrawny little man with the big heart is very likeable, and he doesn't lose these important qualities even after the experiment. Secondly, he's actually pretty cool, I mean, I just love the whole 'armyness' of his character, and that the costume actually has some context in the narrative, which was all very interesting in itself as a sub-plot, it really showed the characters growth and the time that the story is set in. This was a brilliant aspect of the film, the whole World War II era stuff was just AMAZING! The third and final thing that made him likeable was his friends. I mean, his friend from the army was pretty cool and when I first saw that he was friends with someone with the surname 'Stark', I immidiately saw the connection to Iron Man and got very very very excited! A guy with cool friends has got to be pretty cool himself, right?
I also thought the ending really was very sad. When I first saw 'Avengers Assemble' I did not care for the Captain in the slightest. But, having seen his back story, I can really see the sadness of his past and understand that he is just a man out of his time, and his views and opinions are just a little old for modern day.
Next on the list of Marvel films is 'Iron Man', followed by 'Iron Man 2' (which I've never seen!) and 'Thor' (again, never seen) and tehn the grand finale of the amazing Joss Whedon's incredible 'Avengers Assemble'!
Friday 21 September 2012
Misfits Feedback
Feedback on Misfits Analysis
"The detail is v. good and you have included most things, however, not much music mentioned."
"Very good introduction with video but not enough reference to theories and maybe more detail on equilibrium?"
"Good notes on individual characters."
"Good Gifs, fab descriptions, loads of info without being boring. Seperated well, good ratio of text to pics/giffage. Good layout and good inclusion of stereotypes. Breif narratove structure? Maybe more info needed? Fields' 3 Act Structure not mentioned?"
"The Gifs make it instantly eye catching and keep attention throughout. Terminology, descriptions and explanations are detailed and relevent, giving all necessary info! Could change text colour."
"Good analysis of characters and clear understanding of representations and stereotypes. Gifs keep us interested and make the heavy text less intimidating. Good use of colour and detailed evaluation."
"Good explanations of stereotypes. Keeps you interested with the video and images. Could explain theories more."
Overall, our main strengths were the analysis itself, and the use of terminology and relevent information within it, and the layout ie. use of text, images, Gifs, video.
Our main weakness is not linking our findings to the original theories of which they are based, and there is also no description of these anywhere. There also wasn't enough on the use of music.
To improve, I plan to upload a photocopy of the descriptions of the different theories as a reminder to refer to when analysing other clips. I will also try to keep an equal amount of detail/information on all of the four main areas, instead of focussing mise en scene and camera shots mostly by incorporating more analytical ideas about editing and sound.
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Misfits
Analysing an episode of a TV Drama: Misfits
Narrative Structure-Character Representation-Character Roles
Misfits is a British comedy/science fiction drama show, following the results of a freak storm in which five youngsters, working in a community service program after commiting various crimes, are struck by lightning and begin to develop strange powers. These powers appear to be caricatures of each individual's personalities:
Curtis- Curtis can turn back time during moments of regret and remorse. This reflects his grief and guilt over his past and his feeling of being burdened by this past.
All of the characters wear the same brigth orange jumpsuit. The denotations of this including the humiliation of the garish colour and the attempt to make them all look the same, some of the deeper connotations including the possibility of trying to seperate the youngsters from the rest of society, 'highlighting' their difference to it. Each character, however, wears the jumpsuit differently, carrying across their various personalitiies. Curtis wears his with the arms tied around his waist, and he wears sports trainers (ex-sports star) with it. He often leans or sits sprawlingly, his body language carrying an air of relaxation, also extended by his slouchy clothing.
He conforms to the stereotype of a young, black male: not only is he athletic, but he is/was a professional runner, a sport often assossiated with black people.
Despite his casual attitude, Curtis carries an air of arrogance, and that he is above the others, often commenting how he doesn't belong there, or "shouldn't be there", added to by his clear, middle class voice. He is also shown to be thoughtful of women, possibly due to what we can assume was a rich and easy upbringing. When not in his jumpsuit, he wears a sporty tracksuit, clear illustrating his desire to be a sportsman once again.
Overall, the portrayal of Curtis is fairly nuetral, most camera shots being straight on mid level shots, although some high angle is used, but only when it is used on the other protagonists together. The only notable use of camera shots is after he has turned back time: we get to see the same scene beginning again, but from a new perspective, as Curtis now sees it, now using a slight low angle looking up at him now, in light of his new knowledge.
Kelly- Kelly develops the use of telepathy, connected to her insecurites and fears of other peoples's perception of her.
She wears her jumpsuit with copious amounts of goldon jewellery inlcuding a pair of large hoop earrings, heavy make-up, tightly scraped back hair and a pair of bright white trainers, conforming to the role of a common 'chav'. Throough this, she also adopts a fairly aggressive masculine stance, subverting her role as one of the female protagonists. This is most visible during the argument/figth that Kelly has with her boyfriend, in which she is portrayed as having all the power. Not only does she hit him, but there are also many low angle shots looking up at her, the binary opposite of the high angle shots of him. She also has a fairly typical 'chav' accent.
Kelly- Kelly develops the use of telepathy, connected to her insecurites and fears of other peoples's perception of her.
She wears her jumpsuit with copious amounts of goldon jewellery inlcuding a pair of large hoop earrings, heavy make-up, tightly scraped back hair and a pair of bright white trainers, conforming to the role of a common 'chav'. Throough this, she also adopts a fairly aggressive masculine stance, subverting her role as one of the female protagonists. This is most visible during the argument/figth that Kelly has with her boyfriend, in which she is portrayed as having all the power. Not only does she hit him, but there are also many low angle shots looking up at her, the binary opposite of the high angle shots of him. She also has a fairly typical 'chav' accent.
Simon- Simon gains the ability to turn invisible when feeling isolated. This is due to his constant feeling of being alone and ignored.
His jumpsuit is always entirely buttoned up straight, and his hair formally slicked down. His normal, everyday clothes are also very uniformed, the buttons always done up to the collar. As Simon is the outcast of the group, he neither conforms nor subverts the roles of either gender. His voice is very quiet and clear, and occasionally wavers when he speaks, clearly showing his fear and displacement within the group.
When Simon first becomes invisible, the audience can immediately sense the build up of tension. This is due to the music that begins in this scene and progresses with it. The long, drawn out and deep tones create this tension and fear and builds up as the scene becomes inter-cut with the growing aggression of the probation worker.
Alisha- As a wild, crude and flirtatious party girl, Alisha becomes able to create sexual arousal in anyone that she touches.
Alisha's jumpsuit is constantly buttoned low down to reveal a bright pink(feminine) bra. She accentuates her curves by adding a fashion belt around the waist, and also wears a fair amount of girly jewellery as well as lacing her trainers with bright pink laces. Her body language is of a fairly sexual nature, as she constantly throws her chest forwards and plays with her hair. Her casual clothes are also very girly as well as revealing. Alisha easily conforms to the stereotype of a modern day young female.
When she is telling the story of how she was committed to community service, is starts off with a simple straight on shot of her, paired with tilted shots of the boys, exaggerating their lack of interest. However, as the sexual tension of the room grows, it switches to low angle shots of her, and straight on close ups of the boy's shocked faces. This shows how she has all of the power in this situation, and that she is very aware of it, here subverting her otherwise submissive feminine role in which she is treated more as an object than a person.
Alisha also has a very laid back attitude, reflected in her speech. She uses lots of swear words and will make only a minor attempt at properly pronouncing words, making her seem unintelligent.
Nathan- Despite his overriding cockiness and loud nature, Nathan is seemingly the only one without a power.
With a non-chalant attitude and a sarcastic use of wit, Nathan appears uncaring about most things. His jumpsuit is always only half done up and covered in grime and he is often seen with a cigarette. He conforms to not only his stereotype as a male, objectifying women and often creating sexual innuendos, but also his role as a young Irish-man, his loud personality and sarcasm two largely contributing factors. His large use of bold gestures also adds to the feeling of a big personality.
However, when pleading with his mum, he is shown through the letter box, dehumanising him as a character. Also, when trying to find a place to stay, the montage is of him crossing a bridge-a very small bridge- showing that despite his big character, he has hardly any real friends, and those that he may consider friends are in fact very quick to turn him away. Despite this, Nathan remains the upbeat, comedy character of the bunch, especially shown via his use of over exaggerated facial expressions and of peculiar props (wheelchair etc.).
This band of five misfits creates the heroes of the story (despite their lack of conformity anit-heroic nature). As a band of young people, the producers are immediately drawing in the target audience of older teens/young adults, and the us of music is also very fitting of this audience, further helping them to identify with, and therefore watch, the program.
Despite their roles as the protagonists/heroes, they are still victimised in some parts, eg. when the probation officer reprimands them of their mobile phones, it uses high angle shots of them over the shoulder of their suppressor, and as he is in the foreground, he takes up a fairly large portion of the screen in comparison, showing his power in the situation. He is later represented as the 'villain', his personality having become cruel and sadistic after the storm.
The overall structure of the first episode is non linear due to the time travel, and fits fairly well with Todorov's theory of narrative equilibrium:
Equilibrium Into- Disruption Storm- Recognition of Disruption Discovery of Powers- Attempts to Repair Disruption Time Travel/Death of Probation Officer/Burial- New State of Equilibrium Aftermath
Some Binary Opposites are used in the show:
Predator and Prey are contrasted during the chase scene in which it cuts between the crazed probation worker (predator) and Kelly (prey. Also being cut with the scene of Alisha's story, highlighting the opposing tension of sexuality, not fear as the sound of Kelly and the man running are extracted, the sound of them breathing being reminiscent of sexual noises.
Most of the shots are generally standard shots, leaving the viewer as an individual to make up their own mind about the characters, however, high and low angle are also used most notably during the scene after the chase in which Simon and Kelly (shown in low angle shots due to their new knowledge of the situation) try to tell the others (shown using high angle shots) about their powers.
Then, as the entourage try to escape, Nathan slips in some blood. When he realises this, the camera becomes very shaky and uses a lot of hand held close ups to highlight his sense of panic and fear, reminiscent of similar shots used in the prior chase scene. After a while, this subsides to longer lasting shots, showing how everything is calmer in a literal sense as they all silently deal with the discovery of the body, and Nathan even makes a humorous comment. This is then contrasted quickly to the probation worker bursting through the glass door to attack them, shocking the audience after putting them in a false sense of brief security. This is the catalyst for the camera returning to quick frantic shots, up until Kelly's killing blow, when it subsides back to longer, still shots.
The following scene of the burial has notably blurred edges, giving it an other-worldy feel, much like a dream. There is also a part in which the main cast look down on the now alone and worried worker, highlighting her loneliness and lack of knowledge of what's going on.
In the last scene, the music swells and builds up, reminiscent of the themes for superheroes, the cumulating drums and deep, bassy undertones remaining with the audience, even after the ending fade-out.
His jumpsuit is always entirely buttoned up straight, and his hair formally slicked down. His normal, everyday clothes are also very uniformed, the buttons always done up to the collar. As Simon is the outcast of the group, he neither conforms nor subverts the roles of either gender. His voice is very quiet and clear, and occasionally wavers when he speaks, clearly showing his fear and displacement within the group.
When Simon first becomes invisible, the audience can immediately sense the build up of tension. This is due to the music that begins in this scene and progresses with it. The long, drawn out and deep tones create this tension and fear and builds up as the scene becomes inter-cut with the growing aggression of the probation worker.
Alisha- As a wild, crude and flirtatious party girl, Alisha becomes able to create sexual arousal in anyone that she touches.
Alisha's jumpsuit is constantly buttoned low down to reveal a bright pink(feminine) bra. She accentuates her curves by adding a fashion belt around the waist, and also wears a fair amount of girly jewellery as well as lacing her trainers with bright pink laces. Her body language is of a fairly sexual nature, as she constantly throws her chest forwards and plays with her hair. Her casual clothes are also very girly as well as revealing. Alisha easily conforms to the stereotype of a modern day young female.
When she is telling the story of how she was committed to community service, is starts off with a simple straight on shot of her, paired with tilted shots of the boys, exaggerating their lack of interest. However, as the sexual tension of the room grows, it switches to low angle shots of her, and straight on close ups of the boy's shocked faces. This shows how she has all of the power in this situation, and that she is very aware of it, here subverting her otherwise submissive feminine role in which she is treated more as an object than a person.
Alisha also has a very laid back attitude, reflected in her speech. She uses lots of swear words and will make only a minor attempt at properly pronouncing words, making her seem unintelligent.
Nathan- Despite his overriding cockiness and loud nature, Nathan is seemingly the only one without a power.
With a non-chalant attitude and a sarcastic use of wit, Nathan appears uncaring about most things. His jumpsuit is always only half done up and covered in grime and he is often seen with a cigarette. He conforms to not only his stereotype as a male, objectifying women and often creating sexual innuendos, but also his role as a young Irish-man, his loud personality and sarcasm two largely contributing factors. His large use of bold gestures also adds to the feeling of a big personality.
However, when pleading with his mum, he is shown through the letter box, dehumanising him as a character. Also, when trying to find a place to stay, the montage is of him crossing a bridge-a very small bridge- showing that despite his big character, he has hardly any real friends, and those that he may consider friends are in fact very quick to turn him away. Despite this, Nathan remains the upbeat, comedy character of the bunch, especially shown via his use of over exaggerated facial expressions and of peculiar props (wheelchair etc.).
This band of five misfits creates the heroes of the story (despite their lack of conformity anit-heroic nature). As a band of young people, the producers are immediately drawing in the target audience of older teens/young adults, and the us of music is also very fitting of this audience, further helping them to identify with, and therefore watch, the program.
Despite their roles as the protagonists/heroes, they are still victimised in some parts, eg. when the probation officer reprimands them of their mobile phones, it uses high angle shots of them over the shoulder of their suppressor, and as he is in the foreground, he takes up a fairly large portion of the screen in comparison, showing his power in the situation. He is later represented as the 'villain', his personality having become cruel and sadistic after the storm.
The overall structure of the first episode is non linear due to the time travel, and fits fairly well with Todorov's theory of narrative equilibrium:
Equilibrium Into- Disruption Storm- Recognition of Disruption Discovery of Powers- Attempts to Repair Disruption Time Travel/Death of Probation Officer/Burial- New State of Equilibrium Aftermath
Some Binary Opposites are used in the show:
Predator and Prey are contrasted during the chase scene in which it cuts between the crazed probation worker (predator) and Kelly (prey. Also being cut with the scene of Alisha's story, highlighting the opposing tension of sexuality, not fear as the sound of Kelly and the man running are extracted, the sound of them breathing being reminiscent of sexual noises.
Most of the shots are generally standard shots, leaving the viewer as an individual to make up their own mind about the characters, however, high and low angle are also used most notably during the scene after the chase in which Simon and Kelly (shown in low angle shots due to their new knowledge of the situation) try to tell the others (shown using high angle shots) about their powers.
Then, as the entourage try to escape, Nathan slips in some blood. When he realises this, the camera becomes very shaky and uses a lot of hand held close ups to highlight his sense of panic and fear, reminiscent of similar shots used in the prior chase scene. After a while, this subsides to longer lasting shots, showing how everything is calmer in a literal sense as they all silently deal with the discovery of the body, and Nathan even makes a humorous comment. This is then contrasted quickly to the probation worker bursting through the glass door to attack them, shocking the audience after putting them in a false sense of brief security. This is the catalyst for the camera returning to quick frantic shots, up until Kelly's killing blow, when it subsides back to longer, still shots.
The following scene of the burial has notably blurred edges, giving it an other-worldy feel, much like a dream. There is also a part in which the main cast look down on the now alone and worried worker, highlighting her loneliness and lack of knowledge of what's going on.
In the last scene, the music swells and builds up, reminiscent of the themes for superheroes, the cumulating drums and deep, bassy undertones remaining with the audience, even after the ending fade-out.
Sunday 16 September 2012
The Hillsborough Disaster
The Hillsborough Disaster and the power of the Media.
After watching a news clip about the resent revelations of the Hillsborough Disaster, the class discussed just how powerful the media can be.
Whatever the papers or the news tell us, we believe, and they can use this to show things in a certain light so that we feel a particular way about something. I am in complete awe and shock as to how much this can actually influence a large body of people. It is truly amazing, but also truly terrifying.
Review of Blogs
Reviews and Feedback of Blogs
We started the lesson off by looking at everyone's blogs, and discussing some areas for improvement/ideas for what to do next.
I have begun incorporating digitally drawn tables and scanned in mind maps straight from lessons. I have also briefly begun writing up about my own personal thoughts on my own personal media interests (eg. 'The Road' post). I would now like to consider using a voice recording or video clip to document some of the lesson when it seems fitting with the topic to do so.
Gender Representation through Sound
How the Roles of Different Genders are Represented in the Media via the use of Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound
WIP
Music and sound have a massive impact on the media, and the use of different instruments in accompaniment can change the emotions of a scene/clip:
Piano- Romantic, love, sadness, melancholy.
Trumpets- Heroic, triumph, when slow can be associated with remembrance.
Saxophone(Blues)- Lonely, solitary, soulful.
Drums- Danger, drama, excitement, purpose, creates pace, can sometimes represent a heartbeat.
Violin (Slow/Legato)- Calm, serenity, peace, love, sadness, melancholy.
Violin (Fast/Staccato)- Fear, drama, panic, tension.
Bells- Celebratory associations.
Leitmotif- A musical motif or phrase that is often repeated to represent/symbolise a character and/or their role, mostly distinguishable via the use of instruments.
eg.
In 'Batman', we recognise the deep drums and trumpets to signify the presence of the protagonist, Batman. The music is powerful and heroic, as well as grungey and dark, much like the main character:
Contrastingly, when Selina Kyle, also referred to as 'Catwoman' is on screen, a delicate piano and dramatic and deep violin can be heard, a gentle feminine tune, but with a dark and cunning edge, again reflecting her character. This is first heard in her personal 'theme song', however it appears repeatedly throughout 'The Dark Knight Rises' due to her presence:
Trumpets- Heroic, triumph, when slow can be associated with remembrance.
Saxophone(Blues)- Lonely, solitary, soulful.
Drums- Danger, drama, excitement, purpose, creates pace, can sometimes represent a heartbeat.
Violin (Slow/Legato)- Calm, serenity, peace, love, sadness, melancholy.
Violin (Fast/Staccato)- Fear, drama, panic, tension.
Bells- Celebratory associations.
Leitmotif- A musical motif or phrase that is often repeated to represent/symbolise a character and/or their role, mostly distinguishable via the use of instruments.
eg.
In 'Batman', we recognise the deep drums and trumpets to signify the presence of the protagonist, Batman. The music is powerful and heroic, as well as grungey and dark, much like the main character:
Contrastingly, when Selina Kyle, also referred to as 'Catwoman' is on screen, a delicate piano and dramatic and deep violin can be heard, a gentle feminine tune, but with a dark and cunning edge, again reflecting her character. This is first heard in her personal 'theme song', however it appears repeatedly throughout 'The Dark Knight Rises' due to her presence:
On the third watch of the clip, we took notes on and discussed diegetic and non-diegetic sound:
Again, we had ten minutes to write a paragraph based on some of the ideas from our mind map:
"During the last section of the clip...
My feedback:
Explanation and Argument- 3/5
Examples- 4/5
Terminology- 5/5
"Very good examples of how each sound creates emotion. Focus more on the masculinity and femininity."
Overall feedback:
Explanation and Argument- 12/15
Examples- 11/15
Terminology- 13/15
My strength seems to lie in my use of terminology. To make my writing better, I will focus more using more and better examples whilst simultaneously linking these with the overall argument.
Explanation and Argument- 3/5
Examples- 4/5
Terminology- 5/5
"Very good examples of how each sound creates emotion. Focus more on the masculinity and femininity."
Overall feedback:
Explanation and Argument- 12/15
Examples- 11/15
Terminology- 13/15
My strength seems to lie in my use of terminology. To make my writing better, I will focus more using more and better examples whilst simultaneously linking these with the overall argument.
Gender Representation through Editing
How the Roles of Different Genders are Represented in the Media via the use of Editing
We watched the clip a second time and in our groups discussed out ideas on the use of editing in correlation to the portrayal of gender:
Again, we had ten minutes to write a few paragraphs based on some of the ideas from our mind maps:
"Masculinity and Femininity feature dominantly throughout the clip, and is shown resoundingly through the use of editing. Throughout the clip, juxtaposition is used to highlight the differences of many characters. At the beginning, the denotation is of two characters one male, the other female, both conforming to their gender's stereotypes. The connotations derived of the contrast of placing shots of the two characters together are multi-puposeful; the audience can not only more easily see the superiority of the seemingly reasonable man over the emotional woman through the editors choosing to juxtapose high angle shots looking down on her with low angle shots looking up at him.
The latter scene of the man and woman in the forest is reminiscent of this, however, as their roles are subverted, so is the effect on the audience via the use of editing. Again, we see who is inferior to those with power, although this time it is the surprising contrast comparison of a strong willful woma, successfully carrying out masculine tasks (also echoed in the purposeful camera shots of action) to a victimised weak man."
The latter scene of the man and woman in the forest is reminiscent of this, however, as their roles are subverted, so is the effect on the audience via the use of editing. Again, we see who is inferior to those with power, although this time it is the surprising contrast comparison of a strong willful woma, successfully carrying out masculine tasks (also echoed in the purposeful camera shots of action) to a victimised weak man."
My feedback:
Explanation and Argument- 4/5
Examples- 4/5
Terminology- 4/5
"You understood really well and used lots of terminology, but maybe have a few more examples?"
Explanation and Argument- 4/5
Examples- 4/5
Terminology- 4/5
"You understood really well and used lots of terminology, but maybe have a few more examples?"
Gender Representation through Camera Shots and Mise en Scene
How the Roles of Different Genders are Represented in the Media via the use of Camera Shots and Mise en Scene
After watcing the new clip, in groups, we discussed some of the ways in which camera shots and mise en scene are used to portray gender:
We then had to use these mind maps to devise a quick passage explaining some of these ideas:
"Throughout the clip, the majority of the female characters are shown as minor characters as opposed to the more dominant males. The use of high angle shots is used regularly to this effect, highlighting the highly emotional and unreliable state of the woman in the opening scene and, more notably, the victimisation of the woman in the barn. The only female that subverts this role is the blonde woman in the leather jacket.
Her short, bleached hair and dark leather clothing, reminiscent of many popular and iconic male figures and stereotypes (action heroes/ bikers etc.), portrays the connotations of what the audience will now assume to be her 'masculine' personality and attitude of strength, arrogance (stubborn) and willpower.
This is also greatly added to by her gestures and movements; every action is clear and purposeful, giving her a 'get the job done' attitude, often portrayed in conformative male characters. She is also shown in settings of masculine power: she is the one operating the digger, not her male companion of whom later becomes a victim and required her to become his saviour, she then conforms to the idea of a male hero, a 'knight in shining armour', as well as later wielding a gun along with a male protagonist, leaving another man unarmed in comparison."
Her short, bleached hair and dark leather clothing, reminiscent of many popular and iconic male figures and stereotypes (action heroes/ bikers etc.), portrays the connotations of what the audience will now assume to be her 'masculine' personality and attitude of strength, arrogance (stubborn) and willpower.
This is also greatly added to by her gestures and movements; every action is clear and purposeful, giving her a 'get the job done' attitude, often portrayed in conformative male characters. She is also shown in settings of masculine power: she is the one operating the digger, not her male companion of whom later becomes a victim and required her to become his saviour, she then conforms to the idea of a male hero, a 'knight in shining armour', as well as later wielding a gun along with a male protagonist, leaving another man unarmed in comparison."
We swapped with someone in the group and then marked each others work.
My feedback:
Explanations and Argument- 5/5
Examples- 3/5
Terminology- 4/5
"Good argument, could use more quotes."
Explanations and Argument- 5/5
Examples- 3/5
Terminology- 4/5
"Good argument, could use more quotes."
Friday 14 September 2012
'The Road'
One thing that I kept noticing throughout the film was the use of grading. The colours are all extremely washed out, adding to the already drastically bleak setting. Mid greys and browns are used recurringly throughout, meaning that when fire or blood is shown in shot, it is a sudden and surprising contrast to what we have become used to as the colour palette, shocking the audience of whom would have considered any warm colours to be a welcome change, but the darker meaning and reason for their presence seemingly much darker than the original colours themselves.
The soundtrack is also absolutely stunning and fits amazingly with the film itself:
Class and Social Standing
The use of Class and Social Standing in the Media
After discussing the various stereotypical features of the different classes, we then, in our pairs, discussed how we might portray a 'typical' working class male using mise en scene and camera shots.
Me and Rosie decided to further specify our character's personality by basing him on what is often referred to in the media as a 'common chav'. To depict this, we thought we would first set the scene with an establishing shot of a crime-stricken and generally grim looking estate. We would then cut to either a wide shot or a mid shot to show the characters clothing- tracksuit, trainers, cap etc. and mix this with close ups of various nody parts (hands, mouth...) to show him drinking, smoking, littering and other acts 'frowned upon' in public.
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