Objective:
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Harry Brown (2009) Directed by Daniel Barber
Again this trailer has a male lead character and focuses the action and events directly around him, with lots of close ups of his face. Like with the other 2 films that I have looked at the importance of a large holly wood name seems vital in making the movie a success and immediately attracting attention and an audience as many people would be more reluctant to watch a film with unknown names as the leads. In this case the lead character is Michael Caine who has been in many other action and tough cutting edge films creating a genre association and giving indications to the themes that are running through 'Harry Brown'.
The lighting withing the sequence is minimal and the shots appear very dark. This is to mirror the setting of the inner city run down estate areas of East London which have a some what sinister feel to them. The use of spotlighting, fire and orange street lamps are used for effectiveness. The spotlighting is used when suspects are being interviewed as the lighting is harsh and bright and con notates the idea of interrogation. The use of the orange glow street lamps and the fire gives the audience the relatable aspect to be able to identify the location as the orange glow is associated with bustling cities that never sleep. The orange lights are also very depressing and bleak as many run down areas have the old lamps which glow very orange as opposed to the new replacement LED lights that glow white. The use of dark shots is also to reflect the darker sides to Harry Browns character as he takes things into his own hands, becoming a vigilante to bring justice to those who murdered his friend.
The use of accents creates a sense of local London identity to the characters and creates common stereotypes of youths being criminal, violent and anti social that is commonly fed through the media of our society. Micheal Caine is renowned for his East London accent which is rough and raw and gives the character a sense of 'Don't mess with me' about him due to his broad accent. The youths to show the generation gap between Harry Brown and them are speaking in the rap influence London accent that is becoming more prominent within our society amongst the gang cultures and youths of inner cities where a new form of language itself is being used and adapted to create a sense of identity. This contrast between the two ways of speaking of two sets of people from the same place shows a culture and generation conflict which is the spark for the conflicts and action that goes on to take place.
The use of props such as knifes, guns and numerous gunshots gives the sequence action and thrill enthralling the reader and highlighting some of the action scenes within the film. These props are also commonly associated with city gang and street crime committed by youths as the gun and knife problems appear to be getting worse and worse within the media as more and more youths are dying from gang wars. Brown states "to them out there its just entertainment" showing that the youths dont understand the consequences of there actions and see guns, knifes and gangs as game, much like the games they play on their game consoles where killing is seen as a sport.
This film is used as a social realist tool to bring to light the real problems faced by those trapped in the poverty ridden estates of London where opportunities are scarce. The film is meant to show the harsh struggles of life faced by the community of these London estates simply to survive in such a dog eat dog environment where young people turn to knife and gang crime as a way of feeling safe and giving them self a title and a sense of importance which they have never had before. The harsh reality of it is, is that most of these young boys have no choice in turning to crime, as they would be dead if they didn't conform to the stereotypes created and reinforced by the media of our society.
The police investigator offers a contrast to these characters, making them appear even more different to the norm as she is different from them in many way. Firstly most of the characters from the East London estate are male where as the police investigator is female. She also uses received pronunciation indicating that she is well educated and from a fairly well off background. The dress codes are also very important as she is well dressed in a black suit which con notates the idea of power and authority as well as wealth. This gives an indication that the police investigator is above the male characters on the social position ladder and therefore hold different views about society creating a class of ideas. The large contrast between her and Harry Brown also represents her lack of understanding of the area and prejudices against the more run down areas due to her lack of knowledge about how harsh life really is in these areas which is also shown through the fact that Lenard had stated in the first few seconds of the sequence that he had already told the police about what the youths had been doing, indicating that nothing had been done even so.
This makes it more acceptable for the audience when Harry Brown takes matters into his own hands as we as an audience can relate to the fact that the help that he should have been given has been withheld due to a lack of understanding due to class and social background difference between characters. This is also shown through the beat patrol officer who, much like Brown, has a broad East London accent who states "in my opinion Harry Brown is doing us a favour" as he can relate to the feelings and actions that Brown is doing due to his own experiences of these youths and the violence that they exert on the area as he is also from a similar class background to them, unlike the police investigator who is identified clearly as an outsider.
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Monday 27 September 2010
Film Trailer Research: Inception
Objective:
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Inception by Christopher Nolan (2010)
This trailer much like Shutter Island uses percussion instruments that gradually plays at a faster pace to build and keep tension. Again the first speech we hear is that of Leonardo DiCaprio, first off firmly establishing an audience of his mass fan base. The character is firmly established as a 'Security Officer' of some sort by both Leonardo's speech talking about security of dreams and also through the dress codes. He is smartly dressed in a black suit. This use of a suit con-notates importance and authority giving the character dominance within the frame and the trailer. The use of of a gun also gives an idea of power aswell as a sense of rogueness as we are unsure if the character is infact 'good' or 'bad'. This idea of dominance is also reinforced through the framing of the shots with DiCaprio being placed in the left third of the screen as this is where the eye is first drawn too as we read in this direction. His voice is also echoed and made a lot louder than other voices in the trailer.
We also can establish that there is a feel of secrecy and an underlying story as Leonardo shows on the screen a flash reel of the action packed life and job he leads when the female lead character asks him what work placement he has to offer her. This fast action packed jumpy sequence of shots mirrors the fast pace of the music and also builds tension for the viewer creating an air of excitement, keeping the thriller genre dominant within the trailer. As the music becomes more and more tense with drum base and more percussion instruments being added the shots interchange as the beats are dropped, the shots themselves becoming ever more unusual relying on CGI effects to create the dramatic images of the 'dream world' where buildings can fold and people freeze in mid air, defying gravity itself, keeping the enigma strongly flowing. The teaser trailer relies on a more conventional structure, jumping forward to shots of action and tension, enthralling the audience and making the viewer curious to find out more, hence the name teaser trailer.
I think that this trailer has a few faults in that we don't establish any of the characters names other than 'Mr Cobb' who is played by DiCaprio, however this is the most important character and therefore may be the only name that the audience need to associate with the film. The scene setting is also quite uncertain in the first few shots. From the yellow taxi's we can establish that the main setting is in New York City as the use of the iconic yellow cab is world known as the symbol of the City. However the other shots of the beaches and snow topped mountains and avalanches creates a sense of confusion and an abstract feel to the film. This use of various contrasting locations is acceptable however if they are used as part of the dream worlds created by DiCaprio, as anything is possible in a dream and the viewer can therefore relate to this, through the experience of their own abstract and unusual dreams, which tend to jump from place to place in erratic movements.
Six different locations across the world were used in the filming of 'Inception', beginning in Tokyo and ending in Canada. The budget for the film was around $160 million which was so high due to the dramatic and epic special effects required with the use of CGI filming which is a specialised skill. There was also an additional $100 million secured purely on advertising, showing that a lot of money went into the promotion of this film, including this action packed teaser trailer. A viral marketing campaign was used to raise awareness of the film in the spring of 2010 and was sent out to various companies containing bizarre images and text all related to the concept of inception. As the months went on the viral marketing grew across all kinds of media texts as posters, adverts, phone applications and strange websites were released and became more visible. In June 2010 a behind the scenes featurette was released on Yahoo!! Movies in HD.
All of these media texts drew massive attention to the film creating a mass awareness world wide, creating hype and mystery, making people itching to find out more and therefore when the film was officially released in cinemas on July 8 2010, there was an explosion of interest due to the massive hype that had been created. Overall this film produced a gross profit of $755,151,00 world wide and is said to be the third best film ever made by many critics, clearly showing that the promotion of this film was a massive success as the genre and hype was established early on and flourished with the media attention.
The trailer also uses the music to converge with the credits and lines of texts used to give information about director, actors and other information. With the movement of the text fitting in with the harsh beat of the non diegetic sounds. The mention of a previous successful film by the same director; 'The Dark Knight' (A Batman film) immediately gives the viewers an underlying knowledge of the quality of films produced by this Director and therefore makes them feel more impressed and the want to see the film is raised due to their knowledge of the Directors previous success.
Overall i think that this teaser trailer is so successful because it creates such an enigma from the beginning by keeping much of the story line hidden contrasting to showing so many scenes of action and tension. This makes the viewer want to find out the plot as to why so many locations are shown and to why so much action and unexplainable events are going on within the film.
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Inception by Christopher Nolan (2010)
This trailer much like Shutter Island uses percussion instruments that gradually plays at a faster pace to build and keep tension. Again the first speech we hear is that of Leonardo DiCaprio, first off firmly establishing an audience of his mass fan base. The character is firmly established as a 'Security Officer' of some sort by both Leonardo's speech talking about security of dreams and also through the dress codes. He is smartly dressed in a black suit. This use of a suit con-notates importance and authority giving the character dominance within the frame and the trailer. The use of of a gun also gives an idea of power aswell as a sense of rogueness as we are unsure if the character is infact 'good' or 'bad'. This idea of dominance is also reinforced through the framing of the shots with DiCaprio being placed in the left third of the screen as this is where the eye is first drawn too as we read in this direction. His voice is also echoed and made a lot louder than other voices in the trailer.
We also can establish that there is a feel of secrecy and an underlying story as Leonardo shows on the screen a flash reel of the action packed life and job he leads when the female lead character asks him what work placement he has to offer her. This fast action packed jumpy sequence of shots mirrors the fast pace of the music and also builds tension for the viewer creating an air of excitement, keeping the thriller genre dominant within the trailer. As the music becomes more and more tense with drum base and more percussion instruments being added the shots interchange as the beats are dropped, the shots themselves becoming ever more unusual relying on CGI effects to create the dramatic images of the 'dream world' where buildings can fold and people freeze in mid air, defying gravity itself, keeping the enigma strongly flowing. The teaser trailer relies on a more conventional structure, jumping forward to shots of action and tension, enthralling the audience and making the viewer curious to find out more, hence the name teaser trailer.
I think that this trailer has a few faults in that we don't establish any of the characters names other than 'Mr Cobb' who is played by DiCaprio, however this is the most important character and therefore may be the only name that the audience need to associate with the film. The scene setting is also quite uncertain in the first few shots. From the yellow taxi's we can establish that the main setting is in New York City as the use of the iconic yellow cab is world known as the symbol of the City. However the other shots of the beaches and snow topped mountains and avalanches creates a sense of confusion and an abstract feel to the film. This use of various contrasting locations is acceptable however if they are used as part of the dream worlds created by DiCaprio, as anything is possible in a dream and the viewer can therefore relate to this, through the experience of their own abstract and unusual dreams, which tend to jump from place to place in erratic movements.
Six different locations across the world were used in the filming of 'Inception', beginning in Tokyo and ending in Canada. The budget for the film was around $160 million which was so high due to the dramatic and epic special effects required with the use of CGI filming which is a specialised skill. There was also an additional $100 million secured purely on advertising, showing that a lot of money went into the promotion of this film, including this action packed teaser trailer. A viral marketing campaign was used to raise awareness of the film in the spring of 2010 and was sent out to various companies containing bizarre images and text all related to the concept of inception. As the months went on the viral marketing grew across all kinds of media texts as posters, adverts, phone applications and strange websites were released and became more visible. In June 2010 a behind the scenes featurette was released on Yahoo!! Movies in HD.
All of these media texts drew massive attention to the film creating a mass awareness world wide, creating hype and mystery, making people itching to find out more and therefore when the film was officially released in cinemas on July 8 2010, there was an explosion of interest due to the massive hype that had been created. Overall this film produced a gross profit of $755,151,00 world wide and is said to be the third best film ever made by many critics, clearly showing that the promotion of this film was a massive success as the genre and hype was established early on and flourished with the media attention.
The trailer also uses the music to converge with the credits and lines of texts used to give information about director, actors and other information. With the movement of the text fitting in with the harsh beat of the non diegetic sounds. The mention of a previous successful film by the same director; 'The Dark Knight' (A Batman film) immediately gives the viewers an underlying knowledge of the quality of films produced by this Director and therefore makes them feel more impressed and the want to see the film is raised due to their knowledge of the Directors previous success.
Overall i think that this teaser trailer is so successful because it creates such an enigma from the beginning by keeping much of the story line hidden contrasting to showing so many scenes of action and tension. This makes the viewer want to find out the plot as to why so many locations are shown and to why so much action and unexplainable events are going on within the film.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Film Trailer Research: Shutter Island
Objective:
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Shutter Island (2010) Directed by Martin Scorsese
This trailer is captivating from the start, where the use of chilling non-diegetic music is slowly brought in with the image of a steam boat appearing from the mist. The mist itself con-notates ideas of coldness and creates an Erie feel, therefore setting the scene in the first camera shot for the rest of the trailer, making it obvious to the audience that the film is going to be from the thriller genre and have a plot with enigma. The first dialogue heard in the trailer, is the memorable voice of Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio, this is to broaden the target audience as much as possible as for those people who may not be particularly interested in thrillers, they may simply be attracted to watch due to the fact it has Leonardo DiCaprio as lead character. This famous name also is vital in advertising and promotion of the film as the film will get lots of publicity from magazine and television interviews of DiCaprio, that will not add to the costs of producing the film and therefore maximize profit as well as awareness, being advertised on both magazine, trailer and Internet levels.
The marketing, which used an above the line marketing scheme in a platform release of the film was actually postponed from October 2009 and pushed forward to February 2010, due to a lack of funding for the marketing which required a $50-$60 million marketing budget for such a large motion picture. This shows that the producers had confidence in the film being a success and spent a lot of time on their trailer and promotion. Another reason for postponing the release of Shutter Island was due to the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was unable to market and promote the film internationally during the months leading up to October and so they waited to release it until he was available for interviews and marketing campaigns, reinforcing this idea that big Hollywood names are important when creating a successful blockbuster.
The non-diegetic music increases in pitch and pace throughout the trailer along with the sharp hits of the increasing beats on particularly tense moments and shots is used throughout to keep and build tension. The camera movements themselves are actually very slow in the first minute of the trailer. For example the pans across the grounds and of the letters falling to floor as well as the movements of Leonardo himself and the other characters. This then begins to speed up as the shots also become more jumpy and in an irregular sequence after the shot of the gates being locked, indicating DiCaprio has been locked in, with the patients. This is to build tension and show that the sequence of action events are about to take place. The titles that have also been added in between shots are set on very dark backgrounds of what looks like ink or some form of thick liquid, in some cases may be blood or dirt, this use of black connotates the idea of darkness and cold, representing the feel of the film which is also reflected in the dark and gloomy shots of the grounds and the rooms and cells themselves.
From the first few lines of speech we also learn what 'Shutter Island' is, " a mental hospital" which helps to set the scene and allow the narrative to begin to flow, allowing the audience to begin to relate to whats about to be shown to them. The edits between the shots get faster and more jumpy, again reinforcing this concept of Thriller genre. The frames are also dark and the music becomes more shrill as the shots become more unsettling and it sounds almost like screaming in the background, which helps to create the sense of unpleasantness that a mental hospital would have. We then see DiCaprio's Court Marshall's badge in a close up shot which firmly establishes character, status and immediately allows the viewer to create an assumption that he is the 'good guy' as Marshall's and police men are stereotyped to fight crime and 'save the day' in most thriller films. The use of the word Marshall and also the badge and clothes of the characters themselves also gives a clear indication of time period, allowing the viewer to immediately recognise that the film is set in the past due to props, dress codes, accent and speech as well as language used. However the only criticism i would have of this is that a specific year or decade is not immediately evident as the film could be anywhere between the late 1890's to the early 1940's, however a date may not have been set in stone on purpose to keep a sense of mystery and to keep the enigma flowing.
Throughout the sequences there are a lot of frames of large iron gates and small enclosed cell hallways. This again is to reinforce setting and makes the viewer feel uneasy, as if they themselves are trapped in the mental hospital with the criminally insane patients which looks much like a prison. The patients that are shown in the trailer are very pale, gaunt less and the sky rooms and surrounding areas of forest, cliffs and the sky itself are all very grey and cold looking to keep the enigma and make the island look unwelcoming. As the camera movements become more sharp and jumpy with flashing lights and unusual camera angles to create a sense of confusion and uncertainty, the music becomes more shrill as we learn the plot of the story and discover that there is a secret being hidden from DiCaprio not just about the missing patient but also about Shutter Island itself. They create this idea that DiCaprio, who at the beginning had status and power becomes alone, helpless and the victim in the plot. This adds to the enigma and makes the viewer curious at to what the conspiracy with the mental hospital is and to why DiCaprio is suddenly starting to show signs of insanity himself.
I think that this trailer is really successful in establishing the genre of thriller, as well as providing enough information to interest the viewers but revealing that there are still many secrets left uncovered, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats, making the marketing campaign and advertising very successful as, i myself went to watch this film purely based on the trailer. It is also successful because it is fast moving, creating a sense of panic and showing that the film contains action sequences as well as psychological aspects. The use of a famous Hollywood star like DiCaprio also dramatically improves the films quality as it automatically attracts a large target audience before advertising has even taken place, based purely on Leonardo DiCaprio's enormous and thriving fan base.
The final line is also very important as it will be the last thing that the viewers here and therefore the last thing they remember. In this trailer it is the words "you'll never leave this island" and a close up of DiCaprio hanging by one hand off of a cliff, shot from floor level looking at his hand slipping. This is to keep the suspense and the enigma and to subconsciously encourage people to want to go and watch the film to find out whether DiCaprio dies at the end. The film internationally has produced a $293,796,367 profit on box office sales alone, making it Martin Scorsese's highest-grossing film worldwide, therefore proving the excellence of their trailer and how it created suspense and mystery. This is also the fourth time that director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked on a film together, previously working on: Gangs of New York in 2002, The Aviator in 2004 and The Departed in 2006, which have all also been very successful, showing that these two big names in Hollywood were enough to get the film its status and the build up of enigma it required to be a success.
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Shutter Island (2010) Directed by Martin Scorsese
This trailer is captivating from the start, where the use of chilling non-diegetic music is slowly brought in with the image of a steam boat appearing from the mist. The mist itself con-notates ideas of coldness and creates an Erie feel, therefore setting the scene in the first camera shot for the rest of the trailer, making it obvious to the audience that the film is going to be from the thriller genre and have a plot with enigma. The first dialogue heard in the trailer, is the memorable voice of Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio, this is to broaden the target audience as much as possible as for those people who may not be particularly interested in thrillers, they may simply be attracted to watch due to the fact it has Leonardo DiCaprio as lead character. This famous name also is vital in advertising and promotion of the film as the film will get lots of publicity from magazine and television interviews of DiCaprio, that will not add to the costs of producing the film and therefore maximize profit as well as awareness, being advertised on both magazine, trailer and Internet levels.
The marketing, which used an above the line marketing scheme in a platform release of the film was actually postponed from October 2009 and pushed forward to February 2010, due to a lack of funding for the marketing which required a $50-$60 million marketing budget for such a large motion picture. This shows that the producers had confidence in the film being a success and spent a lot of time on their trailer and promotion. Another reason for postponing the release of Shutter Island was due to the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was unable to market and promote the film internationally during the months leading up to October and so they waited to release it until he was available for interviews and marketing campaigns, reinforcing this idea that big Hollywood names are important when creating a successful blockbuster.
The non-diegetic music increases in pitch and pace throughout the trailer along with the sharp hits of the increasing beats on particularly tense moments and shots is used throughout to keep and build tension. The camera movements themselves are actually very slow in the first minute of the trailer. For example the pans across the grounds and of the letters falling to floor as well as the movements of Leonardo himself and the other characters. This then begins to speed up as the shots also become more jumpy and in an irregular sequence after the shot of the gates being locked, indicating DiCaprio has been locked in, with the patients. This is to build tension and show that the sequence of action events are about to take place. The titles that have also been added in between shots are set on very dark backgrounds of what looks like ink or some form of thick liquid, in some cases may be blood or dirt, this use of black connotates the idea of darkness and cold, representing the feel of the film which is also reflected in the dark and gloomy shots of the grounds and the rooms and cells themselves.
From the first few lines of speech we also learn what 'Shutter Island' is, " a mental hospital" which helps to set the scene and allow the narrative to begin to flow, allowing the audience to begin to relate to whats about to be shown to them. The edits between the shots get faster and more jumpy, again reinforcing this concept of Thriller genre. The frames are also dark and the music becomes more shrill as the shots become more unsettling and it sounds almost like screaming in the background, which helps to create the sense of unpleasantness that a mental hospital would have. We then see DiCaprio's Court Marshall's badge in a close up shot which firmly establishes character, status and immediately allows the viewer to create an assumption that he is the 'good guy' as Marshall's and police men are stereotyped to fight crime and 'save the day' in most thriller films. The use of the word Marshall and also the badge and clothes of the characters themselves also gives a clear indication of time period, allowing the viewer to immediately recognise that the film is set in the past due to props, dress codes, accent and speech as well as language used. However the only criticism i would have of this is that a specific year or decade is not immediately evident as the film could be anywhere between the late 1890's to the early 1940's, however a date may not have been set in stone on purpose to keep a sense of mystery and to keep the enigma flowing.
Throughout the sequences there are a lot of frames of large iron gates and small enclosed cell hallways. This again is to reinforce setting and makes the viewer feel uneasy, as if they themselves are trapped in the mental hospital with the criminally insane patients which looks much like a prison. The patients that are shown in the trailer are very pale, gaunt less and the sky rooms and surrounding areas of forest, cliffs and the sky itself are all very grey and cold looking to keep the enigma and make the island look unwelcoming. As the camera movements become more sharp and jumpy with flashing lights and unusual camera angles to create a sense of confusion and uncertainty, the music becomes more shrill as we learn the plot of the story and discover that there is a secret being hidden from DiCaprio not just about the missing patient but also about Shutter Island itself. They create this idea that DiCaprio, who at the beginning had status and power becomes alone, helpless and the victim in the plot. This adds to the enigma and makes the viewer curious at to what the conspiracy with the mental hospital is and to why DiCaprio is suddenly starting to show signs of insanity himself.
I think that this trailer is really successful in establishing the genre of thriller, as well as providing enough information to interest the viewers but revealing that there are still many secrets left uncovered, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats, making the marketing campaign and advertising very successful as, i myself went to watch this film purely based on the trailer. It is also successful because it is fast moving, creating a sense of panic and showing that the film contains action sequences as well as psychological aspects. The use of a famous Hollywood star like DiCaprio also dramatically improves the films quality as it automatically attracts a large target audience before advertising has even taken place, based purely on Leonardo DiCaprio's enormous and thriving fan base.
The final line is also very important as it will be the last thing that the viewers here and therefore the last thing they remember. In this trailer it is the words "you'll never leave this island" and a close up of DiCaprio hanging by one hand off of a cliff, shot from floor level looking at his hand slipping. This is to keep the suspense and the enigma and to subconsciously encourage people to want to go and watch the film to find out whether DiCaprio dies at the end. The film internationally has produced a $293,796,367 profit on box office sales alone, making it Martin Scorsese's highest-grossing film worldwide, therefore proving the excellence of their trailer and how it created suspense and mystery. This is also the fourth time that director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked on a film together, previously working on: Gangs of New York in 2002, The Aviator in 2004 and The Departed in 2006, which have all also been very successful, showing that these two big names in Hollywood were enough to get the film its status and the build up of enigma it required to be a success.
Monday 20 September 2010
Personal Skills Review
How has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions?
As we have learnt from last years course that the media is becoming more and more proliferated amongst our society, enabling virtually anyone to become a media producer. The use of these new media technologies; such as Web 2.0, editing software and hand held, digital filming equipment, as Media students, were and still are vital and a key elements in both creating and editing productions and media texts as well as publishing and reviewing them.
My creativity was able to be more widely shown and expressed through the use of a small handheld camera (with the option of a tripod) which was provided as part of the course by the college. This small but yet still professional piece of equipment meant that as a group we had no limits on where the scenes from our film could be shot, as the equipment was light and easy to carry and this therefore improved our creativity as a group as we were not held back by ideas that required unusual or difficult to reach locations. The preliminary and Main exercise also gave me more confidence in using a camera and also in using the editing software; Windows Movie Maker and Premier Pro, meaning that as my confidence built I was more willing to be experimental with camera shots and more complicated camera movements such as tilts and pans, which require a smooth hand movement to keep the shot looking professional. I also became more experimental with the tools on the editing programs, as I gained more skills in this area, enabling a tighter and more professional edit.
With the easy and fast access to the Internet at both college and home, I was also able to distribute my finished product easily as Web 2.0 enabled me to compress my preliminary and main exercise into a small file that could be uploaded onto the Internet on sites such as YouTube and therefore enabled me to embed my films in Blogger and other websites, giving my target audience as well as all Internet users easy access to my productions. Due to the fact that all work is also produced digitally and via an Internet blog, this has also enhanced my computer skills and enabled me to be more creative in my presentation and production. This also makes evaluation and feedback commenting more productive and easier, as sites such as YouTube and Blogger enable other users to leave comments and posts, saying what they feel or think about your post or production, meaning the learning process is therefore even more advance and enabling you to receive more widespread feedback.
Give 5 detailed examples of a paper based/ research skill acquired/ developed for your AS Coursework that will directly be used in your A2 coursework:
As we have learnt from last years course that the media is becoming more and more proliferated amongst our society, enabling virtually anyone to become a media producer. The use of these new media technologies; such as Web 2.0, editing software and hand held, digital filming equipment, as Media students, were and still are vital and a key elements in both creating and editing productions and media texts as well as publishing and reviewing them.
My creativity was able to be more widely shown and expressed through the use of a small handheld camera (with the option of a tripod) which was provided as part of the course by the college. This small but yet still professional piece of equipment meant that as a group we had no limits on where the scenes from our film could be shot, as the equipment was light and easy to carry and this therefore improved our creativity as a group as we were not held back by ideas that required unusual or difficult to reach locations. The preliminary and Main exercise also gave me more confidence in using a camera and also in using the editing software; Windows Movie Maker and Premier Pro, meaning that as my confidence built I was more willing to be experimental with camera shots and more complicated camera movements such as tilts and pans, which require a smooth hand movement to keep the shot looking professional. I also became more experimental with the tools on the editing programs, as I gained more skills in this area, enabling a tighter and more professional edit.
With the easy and fast access to the Internet at both college and home, I was also able to distribute my finished product easily as Web 2.0 enabled me to compress my preliminary and main exercise into a small file that could be uploaded onto the Internet on sites such as YouTube and therefore enabled me to embed my films in Blogger and other websites, giving my target audience as well as all Internet users easy access to my productions. Due to the fact that all work is also produced digitally and via an Internet blog, this has also enhanced my computer skills and enabled me to be more creative in my presentation and production. This also makes evaluation and feedback commenting more productive and easier, as sites such as YouTube and Blogger enable other users to leave comments and posts, saying what they feel or think about your post or production, meaning the learning process is therefore even more advance and enabling you to receive more widespread feedback.
Give 5 detailed examples of a paper based/ research skill acquired/ developed for your AS Coursework that will directly be used in your A2 coursework:
- In terms of Internet research, looking at film trailers, information and synopsis' online, there is a lot of information on the Internet, however finding specifically related subjects, articles and websites that are related to your subject can be a problem. i found this out during the AS coursework, as well as from my wider knowledge as a regular Internet user. Through getting acquainted with Google Advanced, enabling you to enter specific details about the subject you are searching for, as well as being able to select things to automatically discard, this search engine makes the research process a lot faster and easier to do as well as making the subject matter found a lot more relevant and richer in information. I will definitely be using Google Advance Search for my A2 coursework as the research will need to be even more thorough and relevant to the subject matter of my own production to gain a higher mark.
- I have also found that the Library's magazine and book articles are also just as important when looking at research as they are usually more trustworthy than Internet information as they are from a published writer, whereas literally anyone can post information on the Internet. I intend to use the library a lot more in my A2 coursework as i mainly relied on Internet research for my AS coursework, however i feel that book and magazine research will help my production skills and also improve the quality of my work.
- I have improved my skills in paperwork production such as script writing and storyboard production. Before AS i had previously done media studies at GCSE and therefore has some knowledge of script and story board production which gave me confidence when it came to the preliminary exercise at AS Media and so i took control of these areas and applied the knowledge from GCSE with the knowledge from AS Media to create a detailed and well thought out storyboard. This skill will therefore help me a lot in my A2 Coursework as i am familiar with story board writing and now have a lot of knowledge in the terminology and the correct way it should look.
- My note taking during lectures has also helped me enormously with my production skills as well as my terminology and knowledge of the subject, which in turn has enabled me to produce a more relevant final piece as my understanding of genre, audience, narrative and stereotyping has grown and flourished throughout the AS coursework. I have kept all my notes from last year and will be using them as well as the knew knowledge from A2 to help me when thinking about my research, planning, production and evaluation to ensure i produce work of a high standard that fits into the Media industry in the contemporary UK.
- Finally i have found YouTube, the online video blogging website a key element in my research, giving me instant access to film trailers and information, as well as world wide users thoughts and comments on these trailers, enabling me to widen my knowledge about what society thinks works in terms of codes and conventions of relative genres first hand. This has enabled my research to be more valid and therefore enabled me to create more relevant productions in relation to genre and audience.
Give 5 detailed examples of a practical skill acquired/ developed for your AS coursework that will directly be used in your A2 coursework:
From the knowledge that has been taught during lectures; such as correct terminology, stereotyping, relativity to genre, narrative, structures and layouts for both paperwork and practical work, i have been able to put all of this into practise in my AS coursework productions;
- I have become more confident with the filming equipment and therefore more aware of the movement within the frame and the Mise en Scene created, thinking about positioning of characters as well as props, background, setting and lighting. I have also become a lot more aware of contextual aspects, ensuring that the shots flow and make sense as well as being relatable by the audience and keeping to the selected genre.
- I have also become a lot more experimental with the editing software's; Windows Movie maker and Premier Pro. As i had previously only used Windows Movie Maker, Premier Pro was a completely new experience and i found it to be a much more professional software that gave a wider variety of options for editing and adding in titles and credits.
- I have developed my skills in essay writing through the use of theory and terminology and keeping to a structure which enables i include every aspect of analysis and evaluation; Mise en Scene, Camera Movement and Angle, Editing and Sound. This skill will be good for my A2 coursework as well as exam's as i have an understanding of what the examiner is looking for and how to set out my answers.
- I have also developed my skills and knowledge of stereotyping and character building, during the lectures and as well as during my own productions and filming. I have learnt the importance of props, clothes, music and general image when creating a film to ensure that the audience understand the character and gain the right impression through the image that you portray. This knowledge will be key when creating my own productions for the A2 coursework this year.
- Finally my Internet and distribution of products skills are a lot wider, mainly due to the fact that all paperwork and production material is posted and externally marked online. This has increased my computer skills dramatically and with the use of Web 2.0 i have been able to compress my finished productions for AS and post them onto video blogging sites such as YouTube and embed them in websites, including my blog. This also has meant that my productions are easily accessible from home and college, making it easier to work on and tweak. They are also easily accessible to all Internet users and therefore proves that in the modern media society, anyone can become a media producer.
Give 3 clear discussions of how theoretical perspectives studied will directly influence your Advanced Production:
During the AS coursework, when analysing existing productions from the genre of drama we looked at Camera work, Editing, Sound and Mise en Scene during evaluating and analysis. During A2 we will again be looking at these aspects but also bringing in theorists and contemporary ideas and movements within genres to explain how they have changed and adapted. We also looked very closely at Genre, Audience, Stereotyping and Narrative:
- Genre is vital when creating a media text as each genre, for example; drama, horror, comedy etc, have their own codes and conventions and 'typical' way of doing things. Some producers will challenge these codes and conventions to either stray away from the genre or to try and make it broader and to keep their prodcutions contemporary and fresh. Genre can be distinguished usually from the title and within the first 2 minute opening scene of the film. Genre therefore alsom effects audience.
- Audience is directly linked to Genre; as each Genre will have its own target audience that will be interested in watching the film. This target audience should be able to distinguish from the trailer the genre of the film and immediately know whether it would appeal to them. The producers therefore stick to these codes and conventions, ultimately to keep the target audience as wide as possible to maximise profit. They will also do this to make sure that the film is relatable to by the target audience, as if they dont understand the stereotyping or the plot and narrative of the film, then the film will not be succesful.
- Narrative and Stereotyping within films is also vital. The narrative must be simple and flow smoothly and be clearly distinguishable and understandable by most audiences, specifically the target audience however. The plot must build up to a complicating action and then be resolved in some way or another to make a good film. The stereotypes of the characters used within the films are also vital in character establishment and relatability of these characters by the audience. For example the 'bad guys' or criminals may be represented as young, male, chavs, wearing hoodies as the ideology within the media has a lot of negative press around young, financially disadvantaged men being assocaited with criminal activity including knife and gang crime, whereas this is obviously not the case of every male in this situation, however a stereotype like this one is good for the world of media as it allows characters to be easiyl and quickly established, as in general most people will form the same opinion and assumption about a character (that the producer wants them to form) based on appearance and stereotype used, enabling a wide audience to follow and understand the plot and the characters.
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