tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79491579837249924782024-02-18T23:21:23.211-08:00Jessica Wilson's Foundation BlogLatymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-37258188876087737452011-04-05T12:51:00.000-07:002011-04-05T12:53:29.200-07:00Note to the moderatorThank you for taking the time to look around both my individual blog and my <a href="http://latymermedia10filmgroup2.blogspot.com/">Group Blog</a>.<br />
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You will find both links to the group blog and the <a href="http://blkfoundationportfolio08.blogspot.com/">Main teaching blog</a> (which has links to all the other individual and group blogs at my centre) to the right of the page. There is also a list of tags and my blog archive so you can easily navigate my posts, as well as a search bar.<br />
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On this blog you will find any independent research I undertook, my individual initial idea and of course my answers to the <a href="http://latymermedia2010jessw.blogspot.com/search/label/evaluation">seven evaluation questions</a>. You can also check out any work I did for my preliminary task, including the evaluation, and view both my finished preliminary task and main opening sequence at the top of this page. I hope you enjoy watching them both, particularly <b>Mute </b>as a lot of hard work was put into it by all four members of my group.<br />
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On my <a href="http://latymermedia10filmgroup2.blogspot.com/">Group Blog</a> you will find the work I individually contributed towards the development and production of our opening sequence by clicking on the tag labelled 'Jessica', along with any work the whole group produced together.<br />
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All posts are organised chronologically, dated from January up to April of this year. I have posted my evaluation answers in reverse order so you can read them in order from the top to the bottom of the page.<br />
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Thanks again and I hope my blogs are enjoyable and interesting to both look at and read.<br />
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<b>- Jessica Wilson, Candidate no. 3895 </b></div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-78375278157528509652011-04-05T03:30:00.000-07:002011-04-05T04:28:39.714-07:00Closing PostThis blog is now closed, but feel free to browse!<br />
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<a href="http://i55.tinypic.com/abmb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://i55.tinypic.com/abmb.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-78324021471862366082011-04-02T11:15:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:25:20.166-07:00Evaluation Question 1<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<strong><u>1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?</u></strong><br />
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Genre</b><br />
We wanted to make our film opening look like an <b>Action/Drama </b>movie by using similar colour grading and lighting, taking inspiration from big action films like <i>The Dark Knight</i> and <i>I Am Number Four</i>.<br />
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The mise-en-scene and style of the sequence was really important in getting across genre conventions, as the opening of our film does not have a lot of action in it, emitting the typical features of an action film like guns and fighting, challenging the conventions of other films like the James Bond franchise which often have fast-paced action scenes right at the beginning of the movie.<br />
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This clip from <i>The Dark Knight</i> has shadowy lighting and slightly blue tint, which is the effect we wanted for <b>Mute</b>.<br />
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We also looked at <b>Action/Sci-Fi</b> films like <i>I, Robot</i> as our film does have some science fiction elements to it because of the focus on technology and a dystopian world. This clip is also quite dark and is graded with a hint of blue. <br />
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Here is a selection of stills from Action films we took inspiration from. As you can see, there is a definite running theme for colour and lighting effects.<br />
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We didn’t want our film opening to be quite this blue, as it is also a Drama, and we thought the blue tints on a lot of films were a bit over the top.<br />
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The way our opening sequence begins straight away with loud, up-tempo music is also typical of the action genre as the audience is captivated and excited as soon as the titles appear.<br />
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Narrative structure</b><br />
Mute has a traditional narrative structure in that is fits quite well with <b style="background-color: #444444;">Todorov’s Theory of Equilibrium</b>:</div>
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However, we decided to break the conventions and create another <b style="background-color: #444444;">disruption</b> at the end of the film, leaving it open to a sequel. Whilst Ava is celebrating with the rest of the nation, we hear the government plotting to kill off Ava and her new boyfriend, planning to cover it up by announcing to the world that these fake voiceboxes are infected and therefore everyone must have them removed again immediately.<br />
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Our film is also untraditional as it does not really fit with<b> <span style="background-color: #444444;">Propp’s Character Theory</span></b>:<br />
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<li>Our protagonist Ava is of course the <u><b style="background-color: black;">hero</b></u>.</li>
<li>Being a girl she does not have a <u><b style="background-color: black;">princess</b></u> to save and instead has two supporting characters, all three of them helping each other out equally.</li>
<li>One of the boys, Benjamin’s friend, ends up being the <u><b style="background-color: black;">victim</b></u> who is tragically killed by the government, rather than the typical damsel in distress. </li>
<li>There is no straightforward <u><b style="background-color: black;">villain</b></u> either, but instead a faceless government represented in the film by the trained-to-kill team of guards who are sent out to track the trio and try and stop them from reaching their destination.</li>
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The first half of our opening sequence does not use real time editing and instead uses a <b style="background-color: #444444; color: #d9d2e9;">montage style</b> to first show the people at the bus stop, then to show different parts of Ava’s journey home.<br />
The cross cutting at the beginning of the sequence is deliberately jumpy to create <b style="background-color: #444444;">pace</b> and <b style="background-color: #444444;">enigma</b>, as the audience does not know who these people are and why they are all engrossed in their phones.</div>
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The establishing shot of the bus stop creates a <b style="background-color: #444444;">binary opposite</b> between Ava and the other teenagers around her, as they are all looking down at their phones whereas she is staring thoughtfully out across the road, signalling her non-conformity. The second half of the sequence is edited to real time and the pace is much slower, reflecting the monotony of this silent, detached world.<br />
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Once inside the house we made sure to stick to the continuity rules.<br />
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We filmed the same shots from different angles (all within 180 degrees of each other of course) and instructed our actress to be extra careful between shots by not moving and by completing the actions in the exact same way every time. There are several cuts between shots in our sequence that involve match-on-action, a valuable continuity rule I learnt during the preliminary task.<br />
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Form</b><br />
The typical form of a film opening sequence is to either<br />
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<li>Introduce the characters and plotline in the conventional way, or </li>
<li>To start at a key point later in the narrative, then jump back to an earlier date to show the events leading up to this point. </li>
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Here is an example of a film that starts at the end: <i>The Butterfly Effect,</i> conforming to form (2). The opening sequence is flashforward to an event near the end of the film, confusing the audience and leading them to wonder what happened to cause the protagonist to be in this situation.<br />
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<iframe width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JBSACGbswqE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
As we were not making the entire film, we thought it would be much simpler to use the <u><b>conventional form</b></u>, way (1) of starting at the beginning, otherwise our sequence would not work as a standalone media product.<br />
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To make things more interesting, we used the enigmatic zoom on the webpage at the end of our opening to make the audience aware of what the rest of the film might be about; sure enough, these ‘scientists’ will be very relevant to the plotline.<br />
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It is also a convention of an opening sequence to<b> <u>introduce your protagonist</u></b>, and as Ava is the only character not engrossed in her phone, she immediately stands out and it is obvious that she is the protagonist even before we begin to follow her home.<br />
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We didn’t want to waste screen time by putting all our titles on black screens, so instead we placed most of them over the footage, positioning them discreetly at the bottom of the screen so they are both <b><u>easy to read</u></b> yet <u><b>not distracting</b></u>. The titles end before the vital parts of the sequence where viewers have to concentrate on something important, for example the news article at the very end, so they don’t miss anything.</div>
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Style</b><br />
As well as wanting the typical stylistic features of high-budget action movies, as our product is meant to be part of a gritty British film, we wanted it to look a little different from these Hollywood blockbusters. We liked the low-saturation, high-contrast, washed out look of British superhero drama Misfits. Here is a clip to demonstrate: <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BJW-MSlHFRA" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
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In regards to the editing and pacing of our opening sequence, we wanted it to start off very choppy and fast-paced, cut perfectly to the upbeat high-impact soundtrack. Halfway through the sequence, there is a dramatic switch to the eerie silence inside the house as Ava removes her headphones, incorporating <b style="background-color: #444444;">Levi-Strauss’s theory of Binary Opposites</b>: the loud drum and bass music juxtaposes the creepy silence.<br />
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We deliberately used no music or ambient sound effects at this point to make the natural noises, like the video game and footsteps, sound too piercing and loud to make the viewer feel uneasy and wonder what it is about this world that is wrong. Of course it was integral to our film’s plot that there was no dialogue, putting the emphasis on Ava’s actions and the messages she is receiving.<br />
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We thought it was important to show CUs of the characters’ faces throughout the sequence to show the concentration they have when engrossed in their various activities, whether it be texting or playing video games. <br />
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Their blank expressions show the<b> lack of emotion</b> and <b>connection</b> with other people in this dystopian world, and the multiple close-ups are deliberately <b>choppy</b> and jump between different people for <b>enigma</b> and to bring the audience right in on the action.<br />
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We chose our titles to be <b>simple </b>and <b>minimalistic</b>, keeping to a colour scheme of white on either black or on top of film footage. The digital-style font relates to a key theme of our film: <b>technology</b>.<br />
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<br /></div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-5076201682584218002011-04-02T11:10:00.000-07:002011-04-02T11:10:44.835-07:00Evaluation Question 2<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<u><b>2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? </b></u></div>
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Age - Teenagers</b></div>
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We decided to play up to the stereotype of teenagers as always texting and constantly using technology, lulling the audience into thinking that this might just be a social commentary about young people communicating too much by phone. </div>
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When we enter the house and see that the mother is also using solely technology to communicate, it becomes apparent that we aren’t only showing the stereotypical view that young people use technology too much, but everyone does, so we are not trying to show teenagers in a bad light, especially as the rebels who believe the world would be better if everyone could speak again are teenagers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81i2s6MIdcP21ucL5ckpQWi_JrZx_2Pu0sGTZ-NtByghH9NiTctTxwOLkUx5d0_j48kogecbOg4qJabsM4D_o_7xI6bMmcLEIAt9pUngzDIOZd4ys50wHUEA2mhZRXcGi4h3V_7w-NIuT/s1600/teens+texting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81i2s6MIdcP21ucL5ckpQWi_JrZx_2Pu0sGTZ-NtByghH9NiTctTxwOLkUx5d0_j48kogecbOg4qJabsM4D_o_7xI6bMmcLEIAt9pUngzDIOZd4ys50wHUEA2mhZRXcGi4h3V_7w-NIuT/s320/teens+texting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The teenagers in our film opening are constantly texting...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYSDNgmGIDi2zOY0aWGKbu9rQaRb6K8wrKi2fH64BxA1SWRWzybCpRObjswshqfA6VrD_Cn_6EtGR0N6YUP4T6sGOKC0MGedi9n4_9sCJGrUgknQKe8pPmI0LdgIPNjHvxFaq290D9RQn/s1600/mum+texting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYSDNgmGIDi2zOY0aWGKbu9rQaRb6K8wrKi2fH64BxA1SWRWzybCpRObjswshqfA6VrD_Cn_6EtGR0N6YUP4T6sGOKC0MGedi9n4_9sCJGrUgknQKe8pPmI0LdgIPNjHvxFaq290D9RQn/s320/mum+texting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But it soon becomes apparent that they are not the only ones.</td></tr>
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This <b style="background-color: #444444;">challenges the stereotype</b> of the older generation not being tech-savvy and complaining about the younger generation for being constantly on their phones or computers. </div>
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<b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Gender - Young females</b><br />
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The use of a young female character as the protagonist in an action film challenges conventions, as she is the hero, rather than being the damsel in distress who needs to be saved by a man.<br />
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We didn’t dress her like a typical girly female, and instead put her in dark, neutral clothing – black jeans, green jacket and black Doc Martens – to show a tougher side. This outfit paired with her feminine features and blonde curls hopefully makes her relatable to both girly teenagers as well as more tomboyish types.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgIeuSqGUHphzRspu90HxtR0_o2469rbT044rO6C-cF6nzmsQEAVNeyHPUDuv0FUebmvGWrel7dwSGLFB1-AUedld5hoSdLfTTeemoI8knCNCP9y7K0B510ATEyfbq6i6Mnjr4nAQq2g/s1600/SDC15103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgIeuSqGUHphzRspu90HxtR0_o2469rbT044rO6C-cF6nzmsQEAVNeyHPUDuv0FUebmvGWrel7dwSGLFB1-AUedld5hoSdLfTTeemoI8knCNCP9y7K0B510ATEyfbq6i6Mnjr4nAQq2g/s320/SDC15103.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We found that there weren’t many teenage female protagonists in action movies, so we wanted to break the trend and show that young women can be just as strong and brave as a man, as girl action heroes are underrepresented in the film industry.<br />
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In my mind I had the character of Katniss from the popular young adult book series <i>The Hunger Games</i>, which could be one of the first Action/Sci-fi movies to have a feisty teenage girl lead when the movie adaptation is released next year. </div>
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<a href="http://www.latinoreview.com/images/upload/1296032293_image_HungerGames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://www.latinoreview.com/images/upload/1296032293_image_HungerGames.jpg" /></a></div>
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Out of Total Film’s list of the <b>100 Greatest Female Characters in movies</b>, <span style="color: white;">‘38 are a character in someone else’s story. 25 of those are primarily a love interest. Approximately 1/5 do not survive their film.’ </span></div>
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We wanted to do something different and <b>break these conventions</b>, giving teenage girls a<b> <span style="background-color: #444444;">strong role model</span>.</b> </div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-41569441761562288222011-04-02T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-06T02:33:08.663-07:00Evaluation Question 3<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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</style><u><b>3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? </b></u><br />
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Our fictional production company is called <i>Binary Studios</i> and it is a British institution specialising in gritty dramas starring new talent from across Britain. Our films often have political and/or dystopian themes, making them sometimes controversial and not to everyone’s tastes. Examples of the kinds of films we might make are <i>This Is England, A Clockwork Orange </i>and<i> Shank.</i><b> </b></div>
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<b>Mute </b>is a little different to the usual films we might produce, as it requires a higher budget due to the Action/Sci-Fi elements. British production companies rarely make Action movies, so <i>Binary Studios </i>is trying to break into this previously unexplored market.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wikipedia page for British Action Films</td></tr>
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Due to the recent success of our films, we have sold <b>Mute </b>at a reasonably high price at a film festival to (fictional) British distributor <i>Phoenix International. </i>They specialise in Dramas and smaller independent films, so they were perfect for our film.</div>
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They are similar to <i>Revolver Entertainment, </i>a successful renowned institution who has had recent success distributing British films like <i>Kidulthood </i>and<i> Sherlock Holmes</i>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.revolvergroup.com/images/logo-B.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="http://www.revolvergroup.com/images/logo-B.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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They would also be able to provide us with the finance needed to produce an even bigger, better sequel to <b>Mute </b>if it was successful. <i>Revolver </i>are well known for their promotional stunts, so they could also create a campaign for <b>Mute </b>that will make the film famous and exciting even before its release.<br />
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<ul>
<li>We are hoping to exhibit <b>Mute </b>across as many cinemas as possible nationwide and hopefully worldwide. </li>
<li>However, the lack of dialogue is unconventional and may put off some potential viewers</li>
<li>Hopefully this will just prod them out of their comfort zones and intrigue them to see the film, especially if we have a successful viral campaign (of course, with the ironic use of technology) which generates word-of-mouth hype.</li>
<li>The final disruption at the end of the film should keep the audience on tenterhooks and help persuade the distributors that we have the potential to create a <u><b>sequel</b></u> and possibly even a whole <u><b>franchise</b></u> of films starring Ava and Benjamin that teenagers and young adults across the world will grow up with.</li>
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</div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-24146603566077926862011-04-02T06:56:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:35:02.749-07:00Evaluation Question 4<u><b>4. Who would be the audience for your media product? </b></u><br />
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<ul>
<li>Our film is rated 15 and our target audience would be aged between 15 and 25. </li>
<li>The film would be made for a British audience but is hopefully relatable to young people all over the world. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It appeals to both genders, as it is a hybrid of genres, including Action, Drama and Sci-Fi, appealing to males, but the aspirational female hero and the romantic elements will hopefully appeal to young females too.</li>
</ul>
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<li>As previously mentioned, the lack of dialogue is unconventional and may put some people off, similar to how many people don’t like watching films with subtitles, but its uniqueness will hopefully attract them into seeing it just so they can make their own minds up.</li>
</ul>
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<ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i55.tinypic.com/2hf2agh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="http://i55.tinypic.com/2hf2agh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of target audience members</td></tr>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As the style of the film is quite dark and de-saturated, and the plotline isn’t particularly joyful, those who go to the cinema for light-hearted fun will not be the kind of person who comes to see <b>Mute</b>, so our target audience is those who like to see hard-hitting dramatic films that don’t necessarily end happily. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The 15 rating allows us to be more violent and graphic, and although I wouldn’t go as far as to say the film is depressing, it will definitely be quite dark, as the point of the film is to convey how miserable and lifeless a world without speech would be. This makes the film a little more niche than the typical Hollywood action blockbuster. </li>
<li>Some adult viewers might be put off by the young main cast but hopefully <b>Mute</b> will become one of those films ‘you just have to see’ as it is quite controversial and could make people look at technology in a completely different way.</li>
<li>The overall idea of a parallel universe where we have evolved to be born without voiceboxes is very abstract, and it may just be too strange for some people, but for most people I hope it will be intriguing and if it does well in Britain, we could be looking at a<b> mass release</b>.</li>
</ul>
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Here is an average target audience member:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJT2M1cGxQUEDDP9orQhNUGZZuwYOYZqdS0AP7qNk-UP6iMlqyPEkkfUp33SMSNi22LdlR7DOIvxrmfrUvhqpxQybMkTDq1X-fYjtmrT8XL5xNWdPCkEHvH724K8A-2dSKLFbS4gvhlWd/s1600/103628774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJT2M1cGxQUEDDP9orQhNUGZZuwYOYZqdS0AP7qNk-UP6iMlqyPEkkfUp33SMSNi22LdlR7DOIvxrmfrUvhqpxQybMkTDq1X-fYjtmrT8XL5xNWdPCkEHvH724K8A-2dSKLFbS4gvhlWd/s320/103628774.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
This is Christy.<br />
<ul>
<li>She is 18 years old and a sixth form college student.</li>
<li>She visits the cinema a couple of times a month and enjoys renting and buying dvds to watch with her friends.</li>
<li>Her film preferences range from Hollywood blockbusters to lesser known indie dramas, and <strong>Mute </strong>is the kind of thing that will intrigue her and pull her out of her comfort zone. </li>
<li>Her favourite films from the past year were <em>The Social Network </em>and <em>Black Swan.</em></li>
<li>She doesn't mind watching foreign films with subtitles and the <strong>Mute </strong>premise of having voiceovers and little dialogue doesn't put her off.</li>
<li>Her other interests include going to parties and gigs and she likes finding new, up-and-coming bands online.</li>
<li>She would probably go and see <strong>Mute </strong>at the cinema with her friends or boyfriend as something to do one evening.</li>
</ul>
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We showed our film opening to over fifty 15-17 year olds and got them to fill in a questionnaire. Here are a few we received <i>(please press the zoom button to read some of the responses): </i><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51997231/Mute-Filled-In-Questionnaires" style="display: block; font: 14px Helvetica, Arial, Sans-serif; margin: 12px auto 6px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Mute - Filled In Questionnaires on Scribd">Mute - Filled In Questionnaires</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_48126" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/51997231/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1u43rc8awn4dpovh9kir" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">
(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();
</script> <br />
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Everyone rated it between 6 and 10 out of 10 and the majority said they would want to see the rest of the film at the cinema.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDhLwpndkxciZm2zuwfZqwTvmNZ3Ai7Aq4RNvjs_c6uuy4hFMyhy1vpj9gjyiyylT0SKypl-HPqqsAk25ggRZMYmTOePX9n1Ac2ALt8nzMaZ92vl-s8wfz5iKKk9_SkLnXf9y2sgYUTw/s1600/barchart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDhLwpndkxciZm2zuwfZqwTvmNZ3Ai7Aq4RNvjs_c6uuy4hFMyhy1vpj9gjyiyylT0SKypl-HPqqsAk25ggRZMYmTOePX9n1Ac2ALt8nzMaZ92vl-s8wfz5iKKk9_SkLnXf9y2sgYUTw/s400/barchart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This shows that we got our target audience right as the feedback was generally positive within our market, and both boys and girls enjoyed the sequence.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-52089508815673075862011-03-30T12:47:00.001-07:002011-04-07T05:13:20.481-07:00Evaluation Question 5<u><b>5. How did you attract/address your audience? </b></u><br />
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<li>We used <b>teenage actor</b>s to appeal straight away to our core audience of 15-25 year olds, letting them know exactly who the film is centred around.</li>
<li>By using actors of white, black and Asian origins we were racially diverse and presented an accurate picture of modern Britain (though of course we soon find out that this isn’t Britain as we know it). </li>
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<li>The seemingly <b>normal setting and characters</b> allow the viewers to suspend their disbelief, as it feels normal to them, except for of course the one big difference: no-one can speak.</li>
<li>The music we chose is loud <b>Drum & Bass</b>, a genre popular with young people at the moment, making the film seem modern and exciting. </li>
<li><b>Action</b> is one of the most popular movie genres so already the film has a wider appeal than if it was, for example, Horror or Comedy.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9eBX4J1ABiwqC4h95DViAEGv_fFfC8LNhu7ZHga3tZBmQBYYLCRuAfYIotHQPO52eFYjwycVyTLaCRv-_iCKdswUCrR-oC-hJChjfjL82akiZ3ZvGXN834xoEX52n9h1pBua5Tg_beiA/s1600/pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9eBX4J1ABiwqC4h95DViAEGv_fFfC8LNhu7ZHga3tZBmQBYYLCRuAfYIotHQPO52eFYjwycVyTLaCRv-_iCKdswUCrR-oC-hJChjfjL82akiZ3ZvGXN834xoEX52n9h1pBua5Tg_beiA/s400/pie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most popular movie genres based on weekend gross in 2009</td></tr>
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<li>As an entirely speechless film would be dull, we would use<b> voiceovers </b>to reflect the silent characters’ thoughts and to allow the viewers to understand and really relate to Ava, otherwise the audience would find it hard to know what she was going through and wouldn’t feel close to her. </li>
<li>The main characters would all be young and attractive to appeal to both boys and girls, and hopefully we would be able to cast a more well-known actor in one of the adult supporting roles to give it a bit more credibility and attract their fan base too. </li>
<li>As mentioned in question four, the plotline and hard-hitting themes of the film itself would appeal only to people who enjoy films that make them think and don’t necessarily cheer them up, and the film is not created to please those who enjoy happy, idyllic endings.</li>
<li>Although the cast and a lot of the sets are British, hopefully the idea of a loss of speech and culture as a tragedy will translate well worldwide.</li>
<li>The love story and fast-paced chase scenes should also help its international appeal, along with the young up-and-coming cast.</li>
</ul>
We also tried to incorporate <strong>Blumler and Katz</strong>'s <span style="background-color: #351c75;">Uses and Gratifications</span> theory:<br />
<ol>
<li><strong>Information</strong> - 'finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world'. The use of technology is extremely relevant in our current society and our film could make viewers rethink how they communicate with others.</li>
<li><b>Personal Identity</b> - 'finding reinforcement for personal values'. Viewers may be able to relate to the rebellious teenager characters and see their own personal values in them.</li>
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<b>Integration and Social Interaction</b> - 'finding a basis for conversation and social interaction'. Hopefully our film would generate word-of-mouth hype and give everyone something to talk about, especially as the concept is quite controversial. It may also encourage viewers to interact more with their friends after watching it, as the dystopian setting of the film arose due to the lack of face-to-face communication so it might worry people and make them want to talk more.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<b>Entertainment</b> - 'escaping, or being diverted, from problems'. Watching <strong>Mute </strong>would provide escapism and immersion of the viewer into this dystopian world. The problems of Ava and the other characters may make the audience forget about their problems for a few hours.</div>
</li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/movie_theater_audience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/movie_theater_audience.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To attract target audience members to our preview screening we created a Facebook Event and invited everyone aged 15 or older from our school.</div>
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We deliberately put little information on the page, including only vital details like time and location, for enigma and to make our audience come to our screening to see what it was all about.<br />
<br />Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-30446238971176557612011-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-03T08:20:19.403-07:00Evaluation Question 6<u><b>6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
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Throughout this coursework project I have developed my skills using both hardware and software used to make films.<br />
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<u>Hardware:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Video Camera</li>
<li>Tripod</li>
<li>Pag Light </li>
<li> Microphone</li>
<li>Headphones</li>
</ul>
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<u>Software:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Adobe Premiere Pro</li>
<li>Adobe After Affects</li>
<li>LiveType</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd_7xSEfhOo1HamCYCqGRuyU3SXpjWA-sCHSFUtH9hA5myKeYTiFp0gnBKBNXr_anI2tCnpQEIMWtAbDjrVbBDWabkDFnCBEEs9NIUCIR1YlaQzHklM3ytr6bbyhv5qCoyeCB4HtVmw-T/s1600/SDC15263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd_7xSEfhOo1HamCYCqGRuyU3SXpjWA-sCHSFUtH9hA5myKeYTiFp0gnBKBNXr_anI2tCnpQEIMWtAbDjrVbBDWabkDFnCBEEs9NIUCIR1YlaQzHklM3ytr6bbyhv5qCoyeCB4HtVmw-T/s320/SDC15263.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Having already used Adobe Premier Pro during my GCSE course, I felt that this time I got more of a chance to edit personally, as we were working in smaller groups and the finished product was longer.<br />
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I progressed in my use of sound equalising and non-linear editing and also learnt how to effectively colour grade using <u><b>ProCamp</b></u> and <u><b>Three-Way Colour Corrector</b></u> which was definitely the biggest challenge, as we were only really using trial and error and we weren’t really sure what colouring we had in mind which made it difficult to know what to do.<br />
<i>Here is a video to demonstrate the kinds of effects we tried on our sequence before deciding on the final setting:</i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MwXG0Vj75yw" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe>
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We also put in a <u><b>high-pass sound effect</b></u> for when Ava removes her headphones to make it sound as realistic as possible before the music stops completely.</div>
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Another important tool we used was the <u><b>Degrainer</b></u> in <u><b>Adobe After Effects</b></u>, as some of our shots were quite grainy due to low light, so that taught us a valuable lesson to always use the Pag Light even if the shot seems to look okay on the small camera screen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/oddieodelia/random%20uploads/WITHOUTBLUR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/oddieodelia/random%20uploads/WITHOUTBLUR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEFORE</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFTER</td></tr>
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One thing that I think really improved our film opening was using the <u><b>manual settings</b></u> on our video camera. We especially liked to use the manual focus, and tried to incorporate several focus pulls into our sequence to give it that cinematic touch.<br />
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<i>Here is a video of us practicing using focus pulls: </i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pYoK3i6S8Ec" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe></div>
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Certain shots are a little shaky so in hindsight I think we should have made sure to use to tripod whenever possible, because we weren’t intending a handheld effect.</div>
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In the future I would like to work on a film with more sound and dialogue, as we didn’t get a chance to do much with the microphone and experiment with settings as our film didn’t require dialogue so all the sound recording was quite straightforward. </div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-489647774749421422011-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:002011-04-05T02:39:20.068-07:00Evaluation Question 7<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Preliminary Task Brief:</span></div>
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<span inherit;?="">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 she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. The task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree-rule.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Main Task Brief:</span><br />
The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes. <em>All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.</em></div>
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<strong><u>7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? </u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Creating the preliminary sequence was all about continuity and it was harder than I expected, which taught me to be extra careful when filming for the full product. This helped the narrative make sense and although there were still a few continuity errors, no-one noticed any of them in our screenings as they were minor. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0s5vFimHsgsHwZEXE-dQp3YPkS9w6iUBLvI906SO7yrp8g5d29Ne0yHe_YNsNuetPZHt16lazyrl9qGcDdpbKYrzb4mPyrPIFnC7gTqt5hztMvfdr6KyJRYZ5TVkY_oQV0T_ZL-4R97zn/s1600/continuity+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0s5vFimHsgsHwZEXE-dQp3YPkS9w6iUBLvI906SO7yrp8g5d29Ne0yHe_YNsNuetPZHt16lazyrl9qGcDdpbKYrzb4mPyrPIFnC7gTqt5hztMvfdr6KyJRYZ5TVkY_oQV0T_ZL-4R97zn/s400/continuity+1.jpg" width="352" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An example of one continuity error we faced</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I learnt the importance of a <strong>master shot</strong> and how it can be cut into and out of several times throughout a sequence to make it clearer to the audience the positioning of all the characters and to set the scene:</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81i2s6MIdcP21ucL5ckpQWi_JrZx_2Pu0sGTZ-NtByghH9NiTctTxwOLkUx5d0_j48kogecbOg4qJabsM4D_o_7xI6bMmcLEIAt9pUngzDIOZd4ys50wHUEA2mhZRXcGi4h3V_7w-NIuT/s1600/teens+texting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="217" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81i2s6MIdcP21ucL5ckpQWi_JrZx_2Pu0sGTZ-NtByghH9NiTctTxwOLkUx5d0_j48kogecbOg4qJabsM4D_o_7xI6bMmcLEIAt9pUngzDIOZd4ys50wHUEA2mhZRXcGi4h3V_7w-NIuT/s400/teens+texting.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Master/Establishing Shot</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The prelim task also taught me not to underestimate how long filming can take and to use time properly, as the very simple, short preliminary task took a lot longer than I expected to film, giving me a rough idea of how long our film opening would take. One of the most valuable continuity techniques I learnt whilst creating the prelim task is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">180 degree rule</b>, something I didn’t previously know about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whilst selecting footage to use for our prelim task, we noticed that certain shots just didn’t look right together because we had moved over 180 degrees from one shot to the next. This was a good mistake to get out of the way and I made sure not to do the same when filming our opening sequence, in particular during the stairs scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I filmed most of the prelim task, I found that the actors subconsciously moved positions slightly between shots, so whilst directing the main task I made sure to tell our actors to stay as still as possible between shots as to not make the cuts look jumpy.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-k8kOUsGU3k8hjTU5o-Cyl3rQo5zaQb1Nt4LrS0DVyXSOViPsszLtuAsQVkCG34gkbHvMGcdnvL2YO4XbxFSCBKv5PlPPWZGRq2dbwCTMN-59NBb6znJmScA_sIQfn1ufZmR8oRy4KSa/s1600/continiuity+in+prelim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-k8kOUsGU3k8hjTU5o-Cyl3rQo5zaQb1Nt4LrS0DVyXSOViPsszLtuAsQVkCG34gkbHvMGcdnvL2YO4XbxFSCBKv5PlPPWZGRq2dbwCTMN-59NBb6znJmScA_sIQfn1ufZmR8oRy4KSa/s400/continiuity+in+prelim.jpg" width="352" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A basic continuity error in the Prelim Task</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another thing we had to do during our prelim task was a location reccie and walkthrough. This was simple enough as we were just using a classroom at school, but even this posed problems as we could hear the other groups talking through our headphones and we had to share a corridor. It taught us not to just assume we will be able to shoot wherever and whenever we want, and made us more thorough when deciding on locations and testing out sequences for our film opening shoot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This helped us when planning our second shoot for our main task as we did a walkthrough of the extra footage we intended to film at school to flag up any possible problems and to help us decide the shot types for our storyboard: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="310" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DcOx1O6iptk" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe></span></div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-53846276533453515722011-03-24T09:26:00.000-07:002011-04-03T09:51:03.510-07:00Final reflections on my finished opening sequence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriDFZ72zQuFIExMTxgZXhRxqtCoSgwRBMkzurJ-OPYk-WUH8NMhKJ9O2Sd6Hp21VfWfo5x1JwJm3HjaOPEo2WueDownAMdaYC5-I5bkdsSFpvKM8cG5o_o2bdwev64HNZD_VoBuDdsy6e/s1600/latymermedia2010jessw.blogspot.com+2011-4-3+17-18-40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriDFZ72zQuFIExMTxgZXhRxqtCoSgwRBMkzurJ-OPYk-WUH8NMhKJ9O2Sd6Hp21VfWfo5x1JwJm3HjaOPEo2WueDownAMdaYC5-I5bkdsSFpvKM8cG5o_o2bdwev64HNZD_VoBuDdsy6e/s400/latymermedia2010jessw.blogspot.com+2011-4-3+17-18-40.png" width="400" /> </a></div>
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I am extremely pleased with our finished product and we definitely made the right decision by changing our idea early on in the production process.</div>
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I still like our original concept, but in hindsight <b>Mute </b>was definitely a more practical, original idea, and it was nice to do something different as every year most groups make Thrillers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidX7_WnFRqJ4zPuw6LHTmFS2iOKDoKJJKdS0N6ymwZhVXKGVXYYQ5nDcB9xC1M6l5VOke92t0t-9TmxnMoPs0TN3hbTE8IgYJ9uNEIL8GD0WXVhvax67QrjxsfmR5ssH4gzOwPiGcVNWjf/s320/SDC15123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On location</td></tr>
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It was really enjoyable working in my group and we got on really well as we were all on the same wavelength throughout most of the project and any conflicting ideas we did have just brought more suggestions and possibilities to the table. It was great having such an enthusiastic group as we all worked equally as hard to produce a product we could all be proud of. </div>
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<br />Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-33230584917337271202011-03-10T09:35:00.000-08:002011-04-03T09:35:46.396-07:00Research: Popular Action & Drama FilmsI looked at IMDB to find out the most popular action and drama films ever released.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUG8FEIpJJqNkfySN3NHqSvFgkFcsSc0slYQ9SAu-3-EzwZaJpKj_nAo3GXEUnFNiLEGaiNcs1SR676QL3ragDarJU4klGdbTeJGL_fXiiteE-5dUFmzIqN8WhL6hGSw4egkFAKt6-byt/s1600/www.imdb.com+2011-4-3+17-29-24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUG8FEIpJJqNkfySN3NHqSvFgkFcsSc0slYQ9SAu-3-EzwZaJpKj_nAo3GXEUnFNiLEGaiNcs1SR676QL3ragDarJU4klGdbTeJGL_fXiiteE-5dUFmzIqN8WhL6hGSw4egkFAKt6-byt/s1600/www.imdb.com+2011-4-3+17-29-24.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlQrdaEN-UvhMKh_n6dWFSifuk9IBnQP3C7rVmNVhWpsJAdf16EmFKhmduhM7xJu3qMp2UPLe0xPWG2EO6StwxwoP74vXxBc_pbQZeIoF0klVUZeA7fwy2V49mc9yEXPSlOBePbj2Kytq/s1600/www.imdb.com+2011-4-3+17-30-18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlQrdaEN-UvhMKh_n6dWFSifuk9IBnQP3C7rVmNVhWpsJAdf16EmFKhmduhM7xJu3qMp2UPLe0xPWG2EO6StwxwoP74vXxBc_pbQZeIoF0klVUZeA7fwy2V49mc9yEXPSlOBePbj2Kytq/s1600/www.imdb.com+2011-4-3+17-30-18.png" /></a></div>
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Looking at stills and watching the trailers of some of these films helped me to understand what a good Action/Drama film should look like.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-65231911511334889052011-02-12T09:06:00.000-08:002011-04-03T08:25:29.704-07:00Shoot Number 1 PreparationMy group is heading out on our first shoot tomorrow, so here's everything I need to bring along:<br />
<ul>
<li>Phone</li>
<li>iPod touch</li>
<li>Props to dress the room</li>
<li>Digital Camera & Accessories</li>
<li>Video Camera</li>
<li>Food</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL_nYjHHfsp1nm6U1BkLiIEr156QRAkbv5ABzZeoxI6VkvCvxpzf0iETj-o9ESi-6hPKOo8waFbOsHLar_Z5Tzoa2V9VUOBzlSsAdVBnNp0BDcyLIjn3U9r1Bc9jY-VtUBl62o7u8jV25/s1600/SDC15076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL_nYjHHfsp1nm6U1BkLiIEr156QRAkbv5ABzZeoxI6VkvCvxpzf0iETj-o9ESi-6hPKOo8waFbOsHLar_Z5Tzoa2V9VUOBzlSsAdVBnNp0BDcyLIjn3U9r1Bc9jY-VtUBl62o7u8jV25/s320/SDC15076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are some props I brought from my room to help turn Robbie's bedroom into a girl's bedroom.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJgHKPZyeWr8tDapKWruHZ9GBHDOqXOZCR3uR9InzYvZ2emiQJoGhd2lmJBOfhOgqgzKJZypzo3sWYVz3EpUBpiWULrNGw7ObYGObsnUaQNhK7-UXbTH-c7X27d7epI-CO5IbNm82gx-n/s1600/SDC15077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJgHKPZyeWr8tDapKWruHZ9GBHDOqXOZCR3uR9InzYvZ2emiQJoGhd2lmJBOfhOgqgzKJZypzo3sWYVz3EpUBpiWULrNGw7ObYGObsnUaQNhK7-UXbTH-c7X27d7epI-CO5IbNm82gx-n/s320/SDC15077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also found this t-shirt which I thought we could place somewhere in the bedroom as it hints at Ava's want and need to speak her feelings with a voice she doesn't possess.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-56781818570119227582011-01-20T02:58:00.000-08:002011-04-03T09:12:21.104-07:00Initial Idea for Coursework ProjectMy coursework group consists of myself, Charley Packham, Odelia Yu and Robbie Lardi.<br />
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At our first meeting, we brainstormed as a group and came up with the starting point of a <b>Psychological Thriller. </b><br />
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We decided it would be best if each of us came up with one initial idea to bring to the next meeting. I liked the idea of the opening sequence consisting of hallucinations, and was inspired by <i>Black Swan</i>, a film I had recently watched at the cinema.<br />
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<a href="http://static.nme.com/images/blog/BlackSwan02PR200111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://static.nme.com/images/blog/BlackSwan02PR200111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://themoviepreviewcritic.com/assets/images/Black_Swan_Lily_Attack_Movie_Film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://themoviepreviewcritic.com/assets/images/Black_Swan_Lily_Attack_Movie_Film.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rivalry between Nina and Lily in <i>Black Swan</i></td></tr>
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<u><b>Here is my initial idea:</b></u><br />
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<b>The film:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Psychological Thriller</li>
<li><i>Protagonist</i>: An overacheiving teenage schoolgirl who strives to be the best at everything she does</li>
<li>She ends up killing her rival in a classroom after the protagonist decides she is too much of a threat to her getting into the college she wants to go to, as the college will only take one person from their school<b><br /></b></li>
</ul>
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<b>The opening sequence: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>A scene from near the end of the film</li>
<li>Set in a locked classroom</li>
<li>The protagonist is sitting at a desk at the back of the room having just killed her rival (the audience does not know this)</li>
<li>She hallucinates various people appearing in the room and taunging her - e.g. her mother telling her she is a disappointment, her teacher telling her she has failed everything, her rival boasting</li>
<li>Her hallucinations are interrupted by a knock on the door, then a ratlling of the handle and someone calling the protagonist's name</li>
<li>Cut to black</li>
</ul>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-22822345815570643542010-10-20T02:38:00.000-07:002011-04-02T14:02:19.562-07:00Prelim Task Evaluation Questions<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>1.</b> Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?</u></div>
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<center><a href="http://s810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/?action=view&current=DSC03438.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/DSC03438.jpg" /></a></center><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
My group, 2C, consisted of <b>myself, Philippa Dodi and Sam Szczurek</b>. We brainstormed ideas as a group and came up with the plot for our sequence together. We then split up the tasks to save time, so Philippa drew the storyboard with help from the rest of the group, then I wrote out the shot list while Sam typed up the script. When in production, Sam and Philippa took the acting roles, so I filmed and directed the shots with both of them in, Sam filmed the shots with just Philippa in and Philippa filmed the shots with just Sam in. In post-production, the three of us took turns editing the sequence while the other two helped.</div>
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<center><i>Here is our script:</i></center><center><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/39652348/Group-2C-Script" style="display: block; font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; margin: 12px auto 6px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Group 2C Script on Scribd">Group 2C Script</a> <object data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" height="600" id="doc_231456714821852" name="doc_231456714821852" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: medium;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf">
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<u><b>2.</b> How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try and take into account?</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When planning our sequence, we tried to keep things simple and not try to make it too complicated or elaborate. We used the processes of storyboarding, scripting and brainstorming to develop our ideas. This happened during our group's one hour planning session. </div>
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<i>Here is our storyboard (click to enlarge):</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8Qzi0JCBW2e-62HbM4MzaR1JAuYWWuf5ffmS0yCrFaQo3PqfhI1cTDEI09XPGs1KNCuXb2TVXKbNOO5RbXQysKJgc72_gUXjEXz2lDWXlp3rtv4ETLbpXBh4Fl34VxZJeP-fSDhQZqhC/s1600/storyboard+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8Qzi0JCBW2e-62HbM4MzaR1JAuYWWuf5ffmS0yCrFaQo3PqfhI1cTDEI09XPGs1KNCuXb2TVXKbNOO5RbXQysKJgc72_gUXjEXz2lDWXlp3rtv4ETLbpXBh4Fl34VxZJeP-fSDhQZqhC/s320/storyboard+1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-d5vwtstB7Ye5gRXn3MDM4nm_TkSNSCU01In2G9hiwAnnOPA16VcnN-r1ZvAwPPX5B0WHCx8zv4oJX2rxjsDGsyd8xKqfj-TBtRX3NBIDbkzEMy9n-GBIDz58NMNDHcaz4Es6zf77VjT/s1600/storyboard+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-d5vwtstB7Ye5gRXn3MDM4nm_TkSNSCU01In2G9hiwAnnOPA16VcnN-r1ZvAwPPX5B0WHCx8zv4oJX2rxjsDGsyd8xKqfj-TBtRX3NBIDbkzEMy9n-GBIDz58NMNDHcaz4Es6zf77VjT/s320/storyboard+3.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<i>Here is our shot list (click to enlarge):</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ECg3p3ipPNBcD2k0x5PyxRFV07nnbqDaaGofXrj91YZKOHfz6EVW8FAdN94-qRajq0CLMIwiyA_bOedINHizvmGdVMf5vHx-oZiOEv46xPdzM7FRQjRnfXsErgZgSDOVibKzceC4xNNi/s1600/script.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ECg3p3ipPNBcD2k0x5PyxRFV07nnbqDaaGofXrj91YZKOHfz6EVW8FAdN94-qRajq0CLMIwiyA_bOedINHizvmGdVMf5vHx-oZiOEv46xPdzM7FRQjRnfXsErgZgSDOVibKzceC4xNNi/s320/script.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Once we came up with the idea and script for our sequence, we found our location and acted it out to make sure it was feasible and to decide where the camera and actors will be positioned. We made sure to take these theories into account:</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium</b> - There is an equilibrium with Sam perfectly happy, sitting in his chair, then Philippa comes in and disrupts the equilibrium.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Principles of Continuity -</b> We followed the <i>180 degree rule</i> throughout our sequence. We actually filmed a shot that broke the rule, and once in the sequence it didn't flow properly and looked confusing so we decided to remove it. We also used <i>match on action, </i>in particular between the two shots of Philippa sitting down, meaning we edited the two together to make it look like one flowing movement. We also incorporated <i>shot/reverse/shot </i>to film the conversation between the two characters, editing together multiple OTS shots to make the conversation flow.</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/DSC03443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/DSC03443.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u><b>3.</b> What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?</u></div>
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We used a video camera with a microphone and headphones to check the sound was exactly as we wanted it to be. The microphone allowed us to pick up sound more clearly, especially for the long distant shots. We put the camera on the tripod the whole time, to ensure the shots weren't shaky and that they were level. We then captured and edited our sequence using Adobe Premiere.</div>
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<a href="http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/DSC03439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz28/latymermedia/2C%20prelim%20task/DSC03439.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u><b>4.</b> What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?</u></div>
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The first thing we had to take into account was <b>location</b>, as we had to film in school and we needed a classroom set up to go with our story idea, so we sorted out locations within our class so that our group had the space we wanted. Another important factor was<b> time</b>, as we only had one hour to shoot, so we kept the script short and simple, and didn't put in too many camera positions or complicated shots. We again had the one hour time limit when editing, so we made sure to work efficiently and help each other out so we didn't run out of time. We also didn't try to edit anything too fancily, and kept it <b>simple</b>. </div>
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<u><b>5.</b> How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?</u></div>
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I think our sequence was very successful at demonstrating <b>continuity techniques</b>, even though it wasn't particularly original and we didn't take many risks, but that didn't really matter as the point of this task was to show we know the principles of continuity. I think the sequence flows quite well, and nothing looks wrong or confusing to the viewer. This is because we deleted two shots from our sequence during the editing process, as one of them broke the 180 degree rule and one of them didn't quite fit with the match-on-action we wanted, so leaving them in would have made the sequence look wrong. At around 16 seconds in, the sequence does look a bit jolty, as Sam's head moves down then up again quite quickly, so with more time we would have made sure that every shot matched perfectly. I think the OTS shots work very well as shot/reverse/shots, as the conversation looks natural and there aren't really any bits that cut too quickly, and the match-on-action shots when Philippa sits down fit together very well. It probably would have been beneficial if our group had one more member, as the cameraman also had to direct, use the clapperboard and work on sound, which was a little difficult at times, so another person to use the headphones would have been helpful. We also could have made the sequence a bit longer to show a few more continuity techniques.</div>
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<u><b>6. </b>What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
From this task I have learnt all of the principles of continuity for filming, and have learnt how to use them in practice. I have learnt to always apply these rules, and to think carefully about whether everything makes sense or not, as we could have saved time filming if we hadn't shot those two clips that we later removed because they didn't work. I have also learnt how the camera microphone works, and how to work with sound on set using the headphones. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This learning will be very helpful when shooting and planning my next coursework task, as I will be able to apply all the principles of continuity I have learnt, and also try to incorporate some of the theories I have learnt, such as Todorov's theory of equilibrium. I think I will also be more productive working in a group for the next task, as we now all know how to use the equipment and how to properly start off and end a shot when filming. Using Adobe Premiere to edit the sequence was also a helpful refresh of everything I learnt about how to use it in year 10, so I will be able to start using it properly straight away in the next task, as everything is now fresh in my mind.</div>
</div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-83881481057690981032010-10-14T11:21:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:46:02.519-07:00Research: Barthes Codes in Film Openings (Dorian Gray)<iframe width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zyYWAMwQdRk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dorian Gray (2009)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Clip up to 6:00 mins</span></i></div>
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<b>1. Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?</b></div>
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The first key action is a young man violently stabbing something we cannot see, and blood spurting all over him. We can than assume that time was skipped to the next scene, either back or forwards, when we see a carriage driving someone somewhere, then the same young man arriving somewhere looking bemused and excited, signifying to the audience that he has just arrived in a new place. The camera follows him as he explores this new place, then cuts to an aerial shot of some houses, then moves down to show the young man arriving at this house, allowing the narrative to move forward from him arriving in the new town to settling into his new home. The next action is the young man playing the piano at the house, and the narrative cleverly moves on from this by dissolving this scene into another where he is playing piano at some kind of event. We then see the young man meeting lots of new people, showing us that he is being introduced into society and that time has passed since he first arrived in town. The next action is the young man standing whilst another man is painting him, which is clearly a very key action in this film as it is based on the book <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray.</i></div>
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<b>2. Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?</b></div>
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The biggest question posed is of course what Dorian is stabbing at the very beginning of the sequence, as it isn’t a very normal, accepted action, so that clip is definitely placed there for extreme enigma. The rest of the story, we expect, will lead up to an explanation of who he was stabbing and why, and the audience are meant to wonder this throughout the whole film until the answer is revealed. We are also wondering where he has come from, as he seems very mysterious, and how he now owns this huge house in a different city.</div>
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<b> <br />3. Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening</b></div>
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We can tell within a few minutes that the main character is the young man stabbing something at the beginning, and we assume that he is the titular character, Dorian Gray. He seems to represent mystery, as he is a new character in town and we know nothing of his back story or why he’s come to London. He also represents someone seemingly perfect with sinister secrets, as he seems very handsome, rich and popular, but from the very first scene we know that he definitely has a dark side. We are also briefly introduced to another key character, Basil, and all we know so far is that he is a painter and a new friend of Dorian. The audience is curious as to why he is painting Dorian, and how much he knows about this mystery new man.</div>
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<b><br />4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening. What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? social/historical/political/art and culture etc. Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.</b></div>
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This film already draws on cultural codes, as it is based on a famous novel written by Oscar Wilde, so most people will already know something about the story, or at least when it’s set, from the book itself. The only other real cultural code in this opening is when a man says, “Welcome to London,” so viewers will obviously know where London is and immediately associate the places in this film with the London they know about.</div>
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<b><br />5. Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.</b></div>
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Some of the key themes are secrets and evil, presented to us very clearly in the first scene when Dorian is shown stabbing someone and covered in blood, straight away giving the audience an uneasy feeling. This scene along with the creepy music and the dark mise-en-scene clearly represents these themes. Corruption is also a key theme, and already we can see that by the contrast between the sinister Dorian and the innocent Dorian, arriving in London for the first time, fill of hope and excitement. Another more obvious key theme is art, and the portrayal of people through artwork, and we can tell this straightaway by the introduction of Basil the painter, and the shot of lots of different sketches of Dorian (5:04 mins).</div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-28014691350432194212010-10-08T04:14:00.000-07:002011-04-06T02:30:10.302-07:00Research: Continuity in film clips (Inception)<object id="flashObj" width="480" height="270" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=710921221001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifc.com%2Fvideos%2Finception-this-is-your-first-lesson-in-shared-dreaming.php&playerID=88218671001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=710921221001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifc.com%2Fvideos%2Finception-this-is-your-first-lesson-in-shared-dreaming.php&playerID=88218671001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="480" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Inception (2010)</span></b><br />
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The first 40 seconds of this clip is made up of lots of shot/reverse/shots as a conversation between two people is being filmed. There are 11 OTS shots in a row, switching each time from Ariadne to Cobb. Each shot is slightly more zoomed in than the last one, making the audience feel more involved and as if they are moving closer and closer into the action. It also allows the viewers to see the expressions on the characters’ faces, which becomes more important throughout the sequence as Ariadne is becoming more confused. </div>
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At 0:42, there is a master shot so we can see the characters in relation to each other and their surroundings, and also to vary up the shot types and avoid it becoming too repetitive. It also fits in with the fact that Ariadne is looking around to find out where she is, so we follow her gaze and take a look around too, making the audience feel more in touch with the character. There are then three more OTS shots as the characters talk a bit more, then a cutaway to show a close up of the cup of coffee shaking on the table. This moves away from the whole action of the sequence and focuses momentarily on a small part of the action, in this case the shaking cup to show that the whole place is actually shaking, again adding variety to the shot types. </div>
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Shot order is important in this sequence too, as it deliberately goes back to the OTS shots before the CU of the cup, otherwise it would go straight from a wide shot to a close up which wouldn’t flow very smoothly. At 0:56, there is a reaction shot of Ariadne looking shocked at the shaking cup, and the cut matches as she is looking down at the cup, then we see her look up in the next shot. After all of the books explode from a shop, it cuts to another, further out, master shot so we can see what is happening all around the characters. </div>
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At 1:00 there is another reaction shot of Ariadne reacting to the exploding and flying objects, and she looks in the right direction so it makes sense. There are lots of match-on-action shots at the end, because when we some that some objects have already exploded outwards, they are still in logical positions in the next shots, and they don’t seem to have moved back in time or moved too much. </div>
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There are also lots of special effects at the end of this sequence and specific techniques have been used in order to make it look as if all the humans in this scene have frozen whilst all of the exploding chaos happens, adding to the effect of this impossible dream world. Of course the diegetic added sounds of the crashing objects and bursting ground fit perfectly with the action so it seems to the audience as if these actions really are creating that noise. </div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-91848037764718862022010-10-05T02:42:00.000-07:002011-04-02T13:56:42.068-07:00Research: Levi-Strauss's Theory of Binary Opposites (10 Things I Hate About You)<object height="247" width="410"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hc_UUofTKag?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10 Things I Hate About You (1999)</span></b><br />
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<b>1. What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?</b><br />
This film is a High School Romantic Comedy. We can tell this by the cheery pop music used with the colourful titles at the very beginning of the film. The first characters we see are a group of teenage girls looking over-the-top happy and dancing in their open-top car, which we would expect to see in a romcom aimed at teenagers. The soundtrack then changes to a rock song, <i>Bad Reputation, </i>which clearly fits with the rebellious teenage girl we are introduced to next. All the girls are quite stereotypical - the cheery, girly girls and the lone, miserable-looking rebel - which fits with the conventions of this kind of film, and the way the girls look at each other in quite a bitchy way suggests that this film is a lot to do with cliques and social statuses, another key genre signifier. The next scene clearly shows a high school, and a boy shows a new student around the school whilst talking him through all the different cliques at the school, which is very stereotypical of this genre. There is also of course the classic 'love at first sight' moment with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's new student character and the typical blonde queen bee of the school.<br />
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<b>2. Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?</b><br />
There are a few main characters in this film: Kat, Patrick, Bianca and Cameron. Bianca is the pretty, popular good-girl, Kat is her rebellious older sister, Cameron is the new boy and Patrick is the mysterious 'bad-boy'. The first binary opposite we see (1:06 mins) is the group of girly, perfectly groomed, dancing girls listening to pop music in their car, in contrast to Kat pulling up in her car, on her own, listening to loud rock music (<i>'I Don't give a damn about my reputation...') </i>dressed in dark clothing and looking pretty miserable. The way the camera slowly pans across the screen from the girls in the first car to Kat really emphasises the contrast between them. The next binary opposite (2:42 mins) is between Cameron and Patrick. Cameron has just been shown as quite a nervous, stammery, innocent character, and when he rushes to leave the school office he comes face to face with Patrick, who is much taller and bigger-built than him. Patrick stares at him, looking tough, whereas Cameron is jittery, looks quite startled by him, and nods at him nervously before stumbling out. We are then shown a lot of binary opposites between all the different cliques around the school. There is another strong contrast (5:41 mins) between Kat and the rest of her fellow pupils in her class, shown when she voices her strong opinions that no-one else seems to agree with, especially when one girl describes Hemingway as 'so romantic' and Kat argues back that he was actually 'an abusive, alcoholic misogynist'.<br />
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<b>3.What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?</b><br />
One of the main themes will most likely be Cameron's attempt to get Bianca to go out with him, as we can guess by the way he seems to be enchanted by her as soon as he sees her that he won't just forget about her and not bother, despite being told that she is way out of his league and that she can't date anyway. This will of course involve one of the main themes of Romance, and probably Comedy too. There is also the theme of Rebellion, and Non-comformity, as we can tell that Kat is very outspoken with strong opinions, and the viewers will want to know whether she will stay like that throughout the film or maybe change her ways. We also wonder how Patrick will come into it, as he is introduced as a main character but he hasn't really had any connection with any of the other characters yet, although because he seems like such a strong character, we want to know more about him and what will happen to do with him and the other characters. The audience will probably guess that Kat and Patrick will have some kind of romance, as they are both shown as rebellious, non-comforming characters.<br />
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<b>4. How is the narrative organised to show conflict?</b><br />
The narrative deliberately flows straight from the girly-girls in their car to Kat in her car to show the difference between them, and these differences, plus the way they look at each other in an unfriendly way and Kat's outspoken attitudes, suggests that there will be a conflict between Kat and some of the other girls in her school, even if it's not necessarily these particular girls. The sudden switch of the music also shows conflict between their opinions and tastes. We already see conflict between Kat and her teacher, as well as Kat and Joey (a boy in her class) when she argues with them about literature.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-16585634622841304362010-10-04T01:48:00.000-07:002011-04-02T13:56:34.084-07:00Research: Principles of ContinuityFrom reading the notes I have learnt a lot of different continuity techniques and rules, and they will be extremely useful to me and my group when it comes to shooting my film opening sequence, as it will look much more professional and effective. I broke a lot of continuity rules whilst filming for the 'accident task' but I didn't even know the rules existed, so now I know I won't be breaking them again, unless intentionally for effect. <i>Here are some of the things I've learnt...</i><br />
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Camera directions and techniques create different effects when filming, and directors use a full range of shot distances. For example:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Close-Ups</b> for emotion, shock value, to put the audience right in the action, to focus on something important</li>
<li><b>Mid range</b> for dialogue, action and for linking shots</li>
<li><b>Long range</b> to establish a scene or to show large scale action</li>
<li><b>OTS </b>shots to place us on the side of a character and empathise with them </li>
<li><b>Camera movement </b>to create the effect of physical movement</li>
</ul>
Editing has four main functions:<br />
<ol>
<li>To cut the film down to the required length</li>
<li>To remove unwanted material and mistakes</li>
<li>To change the order of shots and the way events are portrayed</li>
<li>To establish a particular style for the production</li>
</ol>
Transitions are used to knit clips together, for example:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Cuts </b>to vary pace and rhythmn</li>
<li><b>Fades</b></li>
<li><b>Dissolves </b>to slow time down or link action in different time frames (eg. dreams, flashbacks, etc.)</li>
<li><b>Wipes</b></li>
</ul>
Continuity editing follows a set of unwritten rules to allow footage to be shot and edited into a seamless narrative. This allows <i>suture, </i>when the audience is metaphorically sewm into the narrative and doesn't notice the editing process. Here are some of the basic continuity editing rules:<br />
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<b>THE 180 DEGREE RULE</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ykIXqQ9kMRhK12h71X_NTeO3HX4RJUwOeCJ78_0EUJvxm-Vdf-6EPniQa44tG3r5-JMPB_DD9GVYSqV0Y32RZT4WOQk3-9Qa_ODrbqXCQwMS0MJVpF9a3tdXSH7DIOx1vP51ZIr-r8vJ/s320/678px-180_degree_rule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ykIXqQ9kMRhK12h71X_NTeO3HX4RJUwOeCJ78_0EUJvxm-Vdf-6EPniQa44tG3r5-JMPB_DD9GVYSqV0Y32RZT4WOQk3-9Qa_ODrbqXCQwMS0MJVpF9a3tdXSH7DIOx1vP51ZIr-r8vJ/s320/678px-180_degree_rule.jpg" /></a></div>
There is an imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene and crossing this line changes the viewer's perspective so that it will create disorientation, therefore breaking the 180 degree rule. There is a similar rule for a moving subject: keep to one side of the direction of motion.<br />
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<b>THE 30 DEGREE RULE</b><br />
Don't change the camera angle by less than 30 degrees within the same framing, or viewers may notice a visible 'jump' in the footage known as a jump cut.<br />
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<b>EYELINE MATCHING</b><br />
The direction of the characters' gazes must stay the same.<br />
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<b>MATCH ON ACTION</b><br />
Movement should be edited so that the character has clearly moved between shots otherwise the action will appear as if it's been repeated.<br />
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<b>SHOT/REVERSE/SHOT</b><br />
When filming two characters talking to each other, film a master shot, then film again close to one character and again close on the other character, allowing you to cut between these three different shots throughout the conversation.<br />
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<b>SHOT ORDER</b><br />
Edit together certain shot distances for a smooth narrative, or it may seem jumpy, for example a CU to a LS may not flow very well in a conventional sequence.<br />
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There are many different techniques used in the editing room once the film has been shot:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Transitions </b>are used to link shots together and make the audience make sense of the film the way you intend them to.</li>
<li><b>Sound </b>is added, for example diagetic sound (sound effects), non-diagetic sound (not part of what's on screen eg. music) and a sound bridge (used to link two scenes).</li>
<li><b>Lighting </b>can be high-key, low-key for dramatic contrasts, from below to make a subject appear threatening or backlighting to produce a 'halo' effect around the edges of a subject.</li>
<li><b>Colour</b> can be edited, for example cold/blue lighting can signify alienation or coldness, whereas warm/yellow lighting can signify comfort and warmth. Very intense colours are describesd as saturated, and sepia or black and white effects can be used to represent a scene set in the past.</li>
</ul>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-87663641066262889342010-10-03T08:01:00.000-07:002011-04-03T09:56:45.333-07:00Research: Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium (Snow White)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8gWiVs5Q0kc?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe>
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<b><big><big>Snow White (1937) [Up to 8:00 mins on the clip]</big></big></b> <br />
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<b>1. Who are the agents: the protagonist (the main hero who propels the narrative forward) and antagonist (opposing agent). </b><br />
Our protagonist is of course Snow White, the beautiful, innocent titular character of this classic Disney film, and the antagonist is The Queen, who is the first character we are shown in the opening sequence. <br />
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<b>2.Describe the Equilibrium. How is it represented? What kind of camera shots can you identify? (e.g establishing shots to create a sense of space or use of CUs/cutaways to emphasise particular objects/characters faces). Pick out 2 or 3 examples. Describe the mise-en-scene: what meanings do the props/costumes/lighting/framing carry?</b> <br />
The equilibrium is Snow White, living peacefully, clearly quite content with her life as it is by the way she is singing happily. The Queen is also living separately, content with knowing that she is the fairest of them all. We can see a contrast between the two characters by the way that the Queen is in a very dark, eerie looking castle, then it changes (with a fade rather than a cut, but that might be more to do with the technology or conventions at the time rather than for effect) to a bright, outdoor location with lots of white (symbolising peace and purity) where Snow White is sitting. The Queen is wearing more extravagant clothing, in rich purple, the colour of royalty, with a harsh-looking pointed crown and over the top dark makeup, whereas Snow White is in very simple, muted clothing and is drawn with a much more natural beauty. The differences between the two agents are also underlined by their facial expressions: Snow White has a constant smile on her face whilst the Queen is scowling throughout her scene. <br />
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<b>3. Is the Disruption or Disequilibrium introduced or hinted at? (e.g the serial killer in "Seven" is introduced in the title sequence).</b> <br />
The suggestion of what will be the disruption of the equilibrium is introduced at the beginning of the film, when the Queen is told by her mirror on the wall that Snow White is now the fairest of them all, rather than the Queen herself. We can tell that the Queen doesn’t like being second by her outrage at this revelation, and when she clutches her hand and gasps, “Snow White!” we guess that she is now going to try and get her revenge on her, therefore disrupting the equilibrium of peace between the two characters. <br />
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<b>4. Are there any visual/verbal/aural clues that hint at what the hero's journey might be? (e.g having to solve the murders within a time-limit of seven days in "Seven")</b> <br />
From the Queen’s reaction to finding out that Snow White is fairer than her, we assume that the hero’s journey will be something to do with escaping the Queen’s revenge on her, and attempting to thwart her plans to become the fairest of them all once again. We are also introduced to a handsome prince riding by on a horse, so we can also guess that her journey will have something to do with the prince, either teaming up with him to defeat her or trying to overcome the Queen’s evil to be together. Because it is an old-fashioned classic fairytale, it is likely that it will actually end up with the prince saving Snow White himself. At the end of the clip we see the Queen ordering a hitman to kill Snow White, so escaping death or capture by the Queen will probably be the main journey Snow White has to go through in the movie. <br />
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<b>5. From your knowledge of the film, how will the equilibrium be restored and what will be the new equilibrium?</b> <br />
Having watched many classic Disney movies and fairytale before, the viewer will probably guess that the equilibrium will be restored by the death of the Queen, leaving Snow White and her prince to live happily ever after. This is of course what happens, when the Queen falls off of a cliff at the hands of the Seven Dwarves, then the prince kisses Snow White to bring her back to life.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-30167484090740080402010-09-27T07:28:00.000-07:002011-04-02T13:58:06.787-07:00Storyboarding Links<i>Here are some good websites I found about how to make storyboards and what they should look like:</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.rosanas.com/new/images/Coca-Cola%20Storyboard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://www.rosanas.com/new/images/Coca-Cola%20Storyboard.JPG" width="135" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_2389857_storyboard-movie.html">How to Storyboard a Movie</a><br />
This is a very simple video showing the basics on how to create your own storyboard for a movie, great for beginners and a good overview.<br />
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<a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-create-a-movie-storyboard-in-simple-steps_">How to create a movie storyboard in simple steps</a><br />
This is another website that explains briefly how to create a storyboard, with explanations of why you do each step and a good example using black & white film noir.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Lesson:Thumbnail_Storyboard">Lesson: Thumbnail Storyboard</a><br />
This page from WikiUniversity explains how to create a simple thumbnail storyboard, a great activity to get you started with storyboarding. It also has lots of examples from users that have uploaded their own finished storyboards.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-48841687864574011172010-09-27T07:12:00.000-07:002011-03-23T02:52:19.413-07:00Storyboarding<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Reasons why a storyboard is an essential part of the film-making process</span></u></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">It allows the director to visualise all the shots and scenes they want to appear on the screen in the movie.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">It makes it easier to see whether the director's ideas will work on screen when the script is broken down into parts and put on the storyboard.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">It helps the director to make important decisions like how the shots are sequenced, the movement of the actors, and the lighting and camera directions.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">It illustrates how the story will flow between shots when the audience watches the finished film.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">It is a basis for discussion between the film director and the director of photography to decide how each shot will be acted, lit and shot.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Storyboards on the whole make it much easier to show visual and dramatic ideas.</li>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">P is for ‘Psycho’</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a) What is happening in the opening sequence of the film?</b></div>
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In the opening sequence, firstly we see a toilet door with low key lighting, then the shot mixes into a low angle of a man’s legs indoors somewhere. The camera then tilts upwards to show the man’s top half at a low angle, and he is bent over a sink. It then cuts to a high angle close-up shot of various objects, including a watch, a wallet and a photograph, and the camera very slowly pans from left to right across these objects. We then see a close-up of a plug hole with blood flowing round and down into the sink, then it cuts to show another close-up, making the scene seem very tense and claustrophobic, this time of the man’s hand wrapping a bandage around his other hand. We assume that it is his blood running down the sink. It then cuts to a close-up mirror image of his clenched fist, wrapped in bandage, then the camera tilts up to finally reveal the man’s face, adding to the tension and mystery of the scene. The man’s head turns quickly and the shot blurs, then we hear the sound of a door opening, suggesting that there is someone entering the bathroom who will soon come face to face with this wounded man. We then see a mid-shot of a boy entering the room, then cut to the man tucking a gun into his belt, making us even more suspicious and frightened of this man. There is then a shadowy ECU of the man’s eyes, making him seem very creepy and menacing, and then he says, “Bad move, kid.” The scene then fades to black before a pause, then we hear two loud ‘BANG!’ noises, leaving the audience to guess that the man has shot this poor, innocent boy.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">b) How is the narrative flow established?</b></div>
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The scene uses a large variety of close-ups and mid-shots to make it seem diverse and to keep it snappy and interesting. There are a lot of close-ups, and one extreme close-up, to create intensity and to make the viewer seem right in the middle of the action, and to add mystery as we often can’t see the whole picture of what’s going on. There are quite a lot of simple cuts to keep the sequence fast-paced and exciting, plus some slower tilts that create suspense as we wait for the camera to reveal whatever it is revealing. The shots are all in chronological order and happening in real time, so there is no jumping between different times or places. We are deliberately not shown what has happened to the man before he enters the bathroom, so the audience is left guessing. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">c) If you were directing this sequence, what aspects of the storyboard would you like to change?</b></div>
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I think that I would change the ‘very slow’ pan across the objects into a quick flash of each object, as that would keep up with the fast pace of the sequence and waste less screen time. I don’t really see any reason to show all of his belongings so slowly, and I think it would create more confusion to the viewers if each object were just to be shown separately and very quickly, which is what I would what them to feel. At the end, I think it would be more effective if, instead of just fading to black, the camera showed the outside toilet door again, similar to the very first shot, and then we heard the ‘BANG’ noises from out there, as it would nicely link to the beginning of the sequence and would be more effective from the viewer’s point of view than just a black screen. I think maybe the main man should look a little more shifty and suspicious in his actions, as he seems a bit too calm in the sequence, so personally I would make his actions more urgent and purposeful. This would also speed up the pace and make it seem more action-packed and tense.</div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-18384544978075213972010-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:002011-03-23T02:52:02.463-07:00Research: Film Opening Sequence (Secret Window)<object height="295" style="background-image: url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/OZgvb5_VV1I/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OZgvb5_VV1I?fs=1&hl=en_GB">
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<span style="font-size: 22pt;">Secret Window (2004)</span></div>
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I have chosen to analyse the opening sequence of Secret Window, a <b>psychological</b> <b>thriller</b> starring Johnny Depp and directed by David Koepp. The film is rated 12 and is based on the book <i>Secret Window, Secret Garden</i> by Stephen King. The clip I have chosen to analyse stops 4.30 minutes into the YouTube video.</div>
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The sequence takes place first around and inside a motel, then in a house in a forest. The beginning of the clip takes place within a few minutes, then after the titles it jumps to six months later.</div>
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The beginning of the story takes place in a car park outside a motel at night during a snowstorm. We see our main character sitting in a car, looking angry. We hear his thoughts, and he is telling himself to turn the car around and leave. After starting to drive away, he then reverses back to the motel, exits his car and steals some keys from inside the reception before driving across the car lot and breaking into one of the motel rooms to find a man and a woman in bed inside. We see they are screaming at each other, but the music and sound effects drown it out so we can’t hear anything that is being said. We can see that all the characters are distressed, especially our main character that can’t seem to believe what is happening. The camera then moves out of the motel to show the storm outside again, then cross-fades to a beautiful blue lake surrounded by trees. The titles then come up as the camera moves across the lake then shows a lone house amongst the trees. The camera moves slowly up to the house and through an open window, then moves around to show various things inside like a laptop with a word document open. The camera then goes into a mirror and seemingly through it, to focus on a scruffy-looking man lying on a sofa, facing away from us. We hear a knock on the door and then a title comes up saying, ‘Six months later’.</div>
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The order of events is very significant in this particular opening sequence, as it allows us to see that something has happened at the beginning of the story to distress our character, making us wonder what exactly happened and how it affected him. The shift to six months later is important because we don’t know what has gone on since the event at the beginning of the film and what situation the character is in right now. We can tell from the first scene that he probably isn’t in a very good place, as the first scene shows that he has been betrayed by someone he loves. We can also see that he probably isn’t very mentally stable because of the way he stormed into the motel, stealing from the owner to do so, and started screaming in a crazed way at the couple in this bed. This sets up the rest of the story nicely because we wonder how his mental state will relate to the events in the story and what exactly will happen to him. The event at the beginning of the film and the ‘six months later’ scene are clearly linked as they involve the same main character, and the situation at the start of the film clearly affected his life greatly and is probably still affecting him six months later, so they are definitely connected.</div>
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The first character we are introduced to is a man in his 30s or early 40s, fairly scruffy with long hair and stubble. He is wearing a hat, scarf and coat, in relation to the blizzard outside, and puts on a pair of glasses. He is sitting behind the wheel of a car, alone. We don’t hear him speak out loud throughout the opening sequence, but we hear his thoughts. He is telling himself to “Turn around. Turn around. Turn the car around,” whilst looking very serious, showing that he is quite conflicted and his brain is telling him to do something but he can’t seem to bring himself to do it. When he drives back to the motel and steals the keys before breaking into the room, we can see that he is reckless and quite impulsive, and doesn’t always listen to what his brain is telling him. When he goes inside we briefly meet two more characters, a man and a woman in bed together, and we can assume that the woman is our main character’s wife or girlfriend. Their actions are possibly what trigger a lot of the events to follow, as this incident is obviously very relevant to the plot, otherwise we wouldn’t be shown it as the first scene in the whole film. We are also meant to feel sorry for our main character, as he has been betrayed and he is obviously in a lot of torment over this, letting us know that he is the good guy in all of this. Within the first scene, we already have a bond with the main character and will probably root for him throughout the entire film. In the next scene, we are shown a lot of his house and his possessions, and from this we can gather that he is some kind of writer by the document open on his laptop, and also that he is pretty unorganised by the mess around his home. The big hole in his dressing gown and his unkempt hair also add to the idea that he is not too bothered about the upkeep of himself or his home. The fact that he is asleep on his sofa during the day suggests that he doesn’t have any kind of routine to his life, and that he doesn’t have a regular job or much to do with himself. Because he is still living like this six months after the revelation of his wife’s affair implies that he has not moved on and is probably stuck in some kid of rut.</div>
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Not a lot of story information is revealed to the audience apart from the fact that the main character has caught his wife cheating on him. From the opening sequence we certainly don’t have any indication of what the main plot will be, but we can guess that it has something to do with his trauma and perhaps his not-so-stable mental state. The reasons why his wife cheated on him are withheld, along with who the other man was. I think the way the camera seems to move through the mirror and out the other side (4.00 mins in) is very significant, and something I don’t think I’d noticed before now, despite watching this film twice before. It is quite a strange thing to do, and it creates a sense of mystery and distortion, whilst suggesting to the audience that everything is not quite as it seems, and maybe even that the events in this movie aren’t actually happening in the way we think they are. After watching the rest of the movie, it becomes apparent how true that is. The setting of the film is also very relevant, as the main character is living in a completely isolated house in the middle of a forest, creating the perfect set up for all sorts of mysterious happenings, as there is no-one else nearby, especially as we assume that the character is living alone. The beautiful setting, with the bright blue lake, is almost too perfect to be true and the audience can tell that something is going to go wrong. The ominous music throughout the opening sequence also adds to the idea that something sinister is going to happen, and that there won’t necessarily be a happy ending for our main character.</div>
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The audience is left wondering what went wrong with his marriage, why the camera moved through the mirror, what has happened since the scene at the start of the film and who is knocking at the door. Really, we know very little about the main character, so hopefully the audience will be intrigued to continue watching and find out the answers to these questions.</div>Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7949157983724992478.post-36864617754305124952010-09-17T06:41:00.000-07:002011-04-02T14:00:07.778-07:00Reflections on a film still shot<br />
<i>I took part in an activity where we had to compose and
photograph film stills that connote a certain genre. Here is my favourite shot from within my group: </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFSoY1t_k88Qml1f40AbMGNWtwCm0FQXGGPc4zyOshPfBS4dXEKcF6Ke1ysWISWMlAm0Vzi9b8BoFQgqcnzDBzRSnIPqC0Q3kXXFKeew8GmPcNO8RW3UECQb7JVL3hKYy_E6Jhy745xFl/s1600/4c+charley+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517877427191317458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFSoY1t_k88Qml1f40AbMGNWtwCm0FQXGGPc4zyOshPfBS4dXEKcF6Ke1ysWISWMlAm0Vzi9b8BoFQgqcnzDBzRSnIPqC0Q3kXXFKeew8GmPcNO8RW3UECQb7JVL3hKYy_E6Jhy745xFl/s400/4c+charley+2.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<b>1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre</b><br />
MCU of feet with a hand dangling next to the feet. Frame within a frame - the bottom of the toilet cubicle door can be seen as well as the floor and some dark background on both sides. The feet are wearing dirty pink converse trainers with the laces untied, looking awkward, making the character look more vulnerable and in a mess. The dangling hand has black nail varnish and a bleeding cut on one hand, adding to the darkness of the shot (along with the shadows)and the blood adds gore and horror, signifying the slasher/thriller genre. It also suggests it is for teens as the shoes and nail varnish look like those of a teenage girl.<br />
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<b>2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?</b><br />
I (the model) sat on the toilet (with the seat down!) and hung my hand by my feet. My hand was already bleeding from an unrelated incident earlier in the day so no fake blood was needed. Charley (the photographer of this shot) crouched down and pointed the camera under the cubicle. We turned all the lights off and just used a pag light to create a lit-up effect on the feet and feet, with shadows all around.<br />
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<b>3. Identify what is successful about your shot</b><br />
I think it actually looks pretty scary because of the blood and the creepy shadows in the background. The styling of the model clearly connotate that it is a film for teenagers, and I like the way the pink of the trainers and the red of the blood stand out from the darkness of the rest of the photo. I also like the way it is shot from under the cubicle, as it suggests that the killer/enemy is creeping up to the victim and peering under the cubicle to get her.<br />
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<b>4. What would you do differently in hindsight?</b><br />
We didn't actually have time to edit the shot, so if we did I would have rotated it, as the horizon is slightly off, and it is not wonky enough to look deliberate. I would also have gotten rid of the toilet roll in the background, as it is quite distracting and ruins the darkness of the background. I would also have brightened and turned up the contrast to make the blood stand out even more and the surroundings even darker to really make it look sinister.Latymer Media 2010http://www.blogger.com/profile/12158812812118861790noreply@blogger.com0