Wednesday 24 September 2014

Editing

Today in class we went through the micro-features: Movement/editing. We learnt about the types of camera movements, such as:
  • Pan
  • Tilt up/Tilt down
  • Pedestal
  • Track (forward/back)
  • Crab (left/right)
  • Hand-held
  • Point-of-view shot
  • Stedicam
  • Zoom
We also went through what editing is:
  • Essential part of post-production.
  • Selection of film.
  • How shots come together.
  • Pace of editing.
  • Enhancing or improving an image.
  • Orders the narrative
  • Transitions.
  • Style of editing.
Editing is a post-production technique in which the fotage shot during production is cut up and reassembled in such a way as to tell the story.

The editor decides:
  • The order of the secenes.
  • The pace of the scenes.
  • Which scenes to include or discard.
Edititng includes:
  • The speed (shot duration).
  • The style (connection(s) of shots).
  • Transitions.
In class we were given the camera shots of:

  • Eye-line Match
  • Cross Cutting
We had to create a video in groups for each of there camera techniques and edit them together. This is the video:

Friday 19 September 2014

Cinematography


In class we were looking at the types of shots and what they are meant to  do and why they are used. We then went off in groups to complete the task of taking an image for each of the types of shots.



 Establishing Shot
 Figures seem small in the landscape. This shot is often used at the beginning of a film or sequence to allow the audience to know the time period and location that the scene is taking place. It is also used to make a figure appear small or maybe even isolated.

This is an establishing shot from one of the 007 films. 


Over the shoulder Shot
A character over another's shoulder, often used in interviews or dialogues.



This is an over-the-shoulder shot from the film: Scott Pilgrim vs the world.



Low angle Shot
This shot is taken from below while looking up. This is used to make the character or object appear grand or threatening.


This is a low angle shot from the film 'Seven'.



Birds eye Shot
Looks vertically down at the character or object. This shot may sometimes be used to make the character or object seem inferior.


This is a birds eye shot of a certain landscape. 



High angle Shot
The camera looks down on the character causing them to look vunerable or insignificant.


This is a high angle shot from one of the 007 films. 



Long Shot
This is a shot in which the figure/character is seen from head to toe. Generally used to establish space or when we need to see the surrounding action.



This is a long shot from one of the Harry potter films.



Mid Shot
Shows the figure from approximately the waist to head. Individuals are easily recognised and you may even be able to see what they're doing with their hands.  



This is a mid shot from the film Titanic.



Extreme close-up
This shot is usually of the head only, used when expressions are important. May be even closer; used to convey extreme emotion.


This is an extreme close up shot from the first Kill Bill film. 



Close-up
This shot involves only the head and shoulders being in view. This enables you to easily be able to see facial expressions so you can see what a character is thinking/feeling. Also used to show the audience key actions and props.


This is a close-up shot of The Joker.



Medium close-up
Taken from head to chest.


This is a medium close-up from the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption'.



Two-shot
Any shot, generally a medium shot, to show two people.



This is a two shot from the film 'Avatar'.



Point of view Shot
A shot of a characters point of view. This shot allows the film-maker to place the audience in the position of the character to evoke emotions and empathy.


This is point of view shot from the film 'Orphan' from when John first meets Esther. 



Wednesday 17 September 2014

Narrative Theory and character roles.

Narratology is a branch of structuralism that studies the nature of 'story' rather than individual tales in isolation. Structualists concern themselves with how meaning is established and maintained. Todorov spoke out about how the standard narrative/story has 3 main parts to it:

Beginning > Middle > End.
 
 
Todorov then went even further into this theory and decided that each of the main parts has a certain action that takes place in them:
 
 
Situation 1 > Problem > Resolution (Situation 2).
 
 
These parts can be broken down even further:
 
 
Equilibrium > Disruption > Disequilibrium > Attempt to repair the equilibrium > New equilibrium. 
 
Vladmir Propp was a Russian theorist who studied fairy tales and folklore. He identified plot elements (31 generis functions in total). Propp developed this into an 8 spheres of action narrative theory. The most easily understood application of this can be applied to many films including Mario Brother and the Star Wars films.
 
8 spheres of action (or character roles).
  • Hero - who seeks something.
  • Princess - acts as a reward for the hero and reason for villains scheming.
  • Dispatcher - sends the hero on their quest.
  • Helper - aids the hero.
  • Anti-hero - disrupts the hero's quest. Villain - opposes the hero and blocks his/her quest.
  • Donor - provides a magical object.
  • Rewarder - provides the hero with a reward.
There are many types of story narrative structures - the most usual being:
  • Linear - straightforward/traditional narrative.
  • Circular - a narrative that starts at the end then relives the past events on how the end occurred.
  • Episodic - a present event that in turn relates to a series of events that happened before (these past events are sometimes shown using flashback).
 


Reception theory powerpoint

In class we had to create a presentation in groups on a particular audience theory we were given. The theories were:
Hypodermic needle theory.
Two-step flow.
Uses and Gratifications theory.
Reception theory.
Culmination theory.
My group was given the reception theory to look into and create and present our PowerPoint on. We found out some information above which we presented to the class. We also had to talk about encoding/decoding. We then filled in a sheet as we listened to each groups presentation. We had to write about what the theory is and what is wrong with it. The sheet is below:

Narrative Homework


·         Hero: Veronica Harington- Author

·         Anti-Hero: Rico Coope – Nurse

·         Villain: Jackson Nobel- General Surgeon

·         The Donor: Granddad Bill- Deceased

·         Dispatcher/Helper: Vivienne Harington – General Surgeon

Story: Episodic.

Told in Veronica’s POV.

Equilibrium: 26 year old Veronica is on a plane to New York to attend a meeting, she coincidentally finds herself sat next to Cameron Quinn, an old friend from High School. She pulls out an old pocket watch belonging to her grandfather- stares at it fondly. Cameron comments on the watch, Veronica begin to tell him a story told in flashbacks.

Flashback begins.                                        

Equilibrium:  Begins with five year old Veronica with her granddad in his arm chair- tubes connected to his nose with an oxygen tank sitting next to him- telling her about his pocket watch then about a ‘cure’ he invented that could save him.

Flash forward to the year before present day: Veronica’s grandmother gives her grandfather’s pocket watch- she finds a date engraved on the back of the watch- 2805- but convinces her the date is a code. This marks the beginning of her journey to find a ‘cure’.

Disruption: Jackson Nobel introduced as the general surgeon who disapproves of this ‘cure’ because it doesn’t exist but Veronica believes it does. Rico Coope is a resident at the hospital who is trying to help Jackson.

Disequilibrium: Enlists her sister, Vivienne, to help her find the ‘cure’. Veronica tries to prove Jackson and Rico wrong by ‘finding’ it- goes all around her home town searching for answers belonging to ‘cure’.

Attempt to repair the disruption: Vivienne, sick of playing along to Veronica’s mission on finding the ‘cure’ her grandfather told her about when she was five, takes her to the hospital where Jackson, Rico and Vivienne all detain her in isolation.

New equilibrium: Three months later of seeking psychiatric help, Veronica is released and has accepted her grandfather’s death that died when she was 7 years old.

Veronica begins to use writing as a therapeutic emotional release, suggested by her sister. Once finished with the book she becomes determined to get the book published. After months of sending manuscripts she gets the attention of a publisher in New York.

Back to present day on the plane:  Plane begins to descend as she Veronica finishes her story. She then looks down at the pocket watch she’s holding and she places it around her neck. She stares at the manuscript on her lap titled: Untitled 2805.

Monday 15 September 2014


My Summer Task.
 
New Media technologies have completely changed the ways in which audiences interact with media texts”

Many different sources of media affect multiple lives daily. Over the years sources of media have improved, changed and developed. During the 19th century media texts such as newspapers and books were extremely popular and part of the few media texts around during that period of time whereas nowadays in the 21st century, adverts in games and television are more up-to-date and popular. Television adverts nowadays are just as important to us as a nation as the newspaper was in the 19th century. Just because our society is more technologic doesn’t mean that we have disposed of basic but important media texts – we still use the newspaper but most people have it online instead of an actual paper copy.

Years ago people had less of a chance to give their own opinion regarding things in the media, but that has changed greatly. There seems to be more freedom of speech in the 21st century - meaning you can give your opinion on anything said in a media text. When giving your opinion on media texts, people may not always agree with you but you still have the right to give your honest opinion on it. Something that has developed greatly is the way film reviews are done. Yes, there are still the original reviews in newspapers and magazines but now there are also videos. Many amateur film reviewers like to watch a movie and create a video, giving their own ideologies and thoughts on the finished product they had viewed. There are also more bloggers who have a huge freedom of speech, allowing them to say whatever they want about a film, person or product as long as they have knowledge and reasons behind their opinion.

The ‘Hypodermic Needle Theory’ (also commonly known as the ‘Magic Bullet Theory’) is a theory in which the audience is hypothetically injected with a needle (shot with a bullet) of mass media. It is implied that mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a large group of people by ‘shooting’ or ‘injecting’ them with a certain message which is hoped to create a desired response. The mass media of the 1940’s and 1950’s was perceived as a powerful and great influence on behavioural changes. Propaganda, which was greatly used during the years of the Second World War (1939-1945), was used by a series of different countries on a massive scale to have a certain image or idea comprehended by their audiences. Propaganda continued to spread across the world, not only being used during the war, but also after, for many different reasons. It is used in a form of media in which the creator influences the attitude of a population or community towards a certain idea or some cause or position. Over the years propaganda has improved throughout the media. It is now featured in a multitude of ways throughout most types of media (newspaper ads, television commercials, radio, billboards ect).  

The Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) is an approach to understanding why and how people use certain media to satisfy certain needs. The theory assumes that the audience has power over their media intake – it also assumes that the audience should be able to actively interpret media into their own lives. Most theories, such as the Hypodermic Needle Theory, all question ‘What does media do to people?’ while UGT questions ‘What do people do with the media?’ People seem to believe that the media only affects the people but that isn’t 100% true as people can affect the media too – they can even affect the way it is interpreted. For example, in Britain and many other countries throughout the world, buying a newspaper is an almost, if not, daily occurrence. Newspapers tend to focus on celebrity gossip, sport, or the daily lives of people. The purpose of a newspaper is to inform people of the news around them, whether it is good or bad, a credit crunch or a death; newspapers are there to inform the public of it all. People really affect the newspaper and the information received from it. If people do not agree with the information they have received from a newspaper most the time, but not all the time, readers can write in to the media text and give their view on the written text – this can sometimes be positive but other times not so much.     

Furthermore, another massively important and greatly used mass media source is the internet. There is a lot of controversy on what you can say and view on the internet. You can see almost anything you’d wish to online and many people do not agree with this way of media. As the Hypodermic Needle Theory questions ‘what does the media do to people? ’the internet is a great way for it to work it’s magic. Many people believe that you have no control over what you view online, but that’s a lie. The media doesn’t affect the people but rather it’s about what the people do with the media they have viewed. If you do not wish to view something on the internet then you do not have to. People are the main reason media and information gets spread around so quickly. On an internet website such as YouTube, videos can become viral. This is when people all the world watch this certain video. This can happen when people talk about the video and the information spreads around like wild fire. Like the Hypodermic Needle Theory says – it is like the audience, in this case a few people, is injected with a needle, the videos that they have just watched, and it has a direct effect on them, in this case the viewer/audience talks about the videos either via the internet in a blog or video or to another person.

Overall, new media technologies have changed the way that audiences react with media texts. The internet is the main and most used new media text that has changed the way people view the media and the world.  Being able to access almost anything you want to on this source of media helps to change most people’s views on the media – especially on celebrities who are always in there spotlight, and can now have photos taken of them and uploaded for the world to see within seconds. Posting something on the internet means it will stay there forever, even after it is deleted. It is a permanent source of media that will permanently store information. Many people do not agree with the way new media technologies have changed media texts but without these new technologies available to us our society would not be the way it is today.

Today I learnt about what an active audience is and the different audience theories.

Active audience
Different audiences can understand a media messages but can have different responses to it. Some people believe and accept the message, others reject it using knowledge from their own experience or can use processes of logic or other rationales to criticise what is being said.

Audience Theories

  • Hypodermic Needle Theory - This theory states that a media message is literally injected into the audiences brain to make them believe in a certain idea or image that the publisher wants the audience to perceive. Problem - This theory isn't 100% true, not everyone is the same and not everyone interprets things the same way.
  • Culmination Theory - This theory basically states that if a person watches something for a long length of time then they will believe/be convinced that this is an appropriate thing to do and that it is acceptable. For example, if a person was to play a violent video game for a long length of time then they will go on to participate in the same actions represented in the game and will believe it is acceptable is a normal thing to do in society.  Problem - Children desensitized to violence become more tolerant towards it.
  • Two-Step Flow Model - This theory states that the media will represent a certain item/idea, someone will gain an opinion on it and pass their opinion on which will cause another member of the public to witness this item of media and will believe the opinion that they have heard or create their own opinion on this media text they have viewed. Problem - An opinion leader is not needed as information from the media will make it's way to most people anyway.
  • Uses and Gratifications Theory - This theory states that audiences consume media texts for different reasons. These reasons may include: personal relations, personal identity, enjoyment, surveillance or personal experiences. Problem - This theory is difficult to measure.
  • Reception Analysis (Reception Theory. This theory was focused on mainly by Stuart Hall in the 1970's. This theory provides a mean of understanding media texts and how the media encode it and the audience decodes it. We may decode media texts based on personal identity or even personal experiences. An active audience is needed for this. Problem - Audiences may not decode the message media has given/portrayed and will believe whatever the media encodes.
In the first lesson for media I found out what is to come in the media AS subject and what is expected to be done for both the coursework side of the course and the exam area.
 
 
 
In lesson I also learned about psychographics. I learned that most students are either 'explorers' or expirers' and the older generation are mainly 'mainstreamers'.

I also discovered about Demographics. I was taught that people are put into blocks on what their class is and their jobs. These blocks are used to help find out the target audience for a product would be and that, for example, an upper-class adult would most likely be in Block A. B or C1 and are mostly targeted as they have money while people in group C2, D and E are less like to be the target audience as they earn less money or no money, such as a student or someone who is unemployed.