Monday 15 December 2014

Task#2 - Mest Update

E4


Channel History

E4 began transmission on 18 January 2001 at 8.30pm with a night hosted by Ali G
New Girl - critical reception 5.3

First broadcast back in 2005, the countdown/clip show/special discussed twenty controversial moments in TV history.

Historical and drama programmes

Notable success:
  •        The Inbetweeners
  •          Hollyoaks
  •          Big Brother
  •          The Big Bang Theory
  •          Friends

In 1996, Channel 4 purchased the broadcast rights to the popular American sitcom Friends. The series proved to be very popular amongst the UK audience

Target Audience

Demographic:

Age under 18s (63%)  18-24 (29%) 25-34 (5%) 35-44 (2%) 45-54 (1%) 55+ (0%)

Gender female (59%) • Male (41%)

Demographic means information the media uses to divide their audience into gender, age, race and other categories it also pinpoints potential audience. Every media product is targeted to certain audiences E4 viewers are predominantly young and between the ages 16-24 and dominantly females. They target this demographic because they broadcast good quality drama, comedy, features and having diverse entertainment formats making E4 and E4 +1's both have a very strong impact on16-34s.This demographic is mindful, sociable, connected, heavy internet users, they love going out and tend to use advertising as one of their many information sources.


BBC Three


Channel history


Their plan was for BBC Knowledge to be renamed BBC Four, and indeed this took place in 2002, and for BBC Choice to be renamed BBC Three.

4.2/4.1

Drama, comedy and documentaries

Notable success 
  • Doctor who
  • Eastenders
  • Family Guy

The channel airs various dramas and comedies; one of its most popular sitcoms was Gavin & Stacey, which first aired in May 2007 and was written by and starring Ruth Jones and James Corden alongside Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Alison Steadman and Rob Brydon. The sitcom was an instant hit, with subsequent series being moved to other BBC channels and the show being granted a Christmas special. Another example is Being Human, a drama in which a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf share a flat, which has become a success and heralded several new series. American programming also features, with American Dad! and Family Guy being the notable examples.

Target audience:

The channel's target audience is 16 to 34-year olds,  In 2008 it reached 26.3% of 16–34-year-olds in digital home. It has a  2.6% share of the 15–34-year-old audience and 1.4% of the whole population.

The channel needs to be disciplined about focusing on the young - its centre of gravity will be 16-34 year-olds: people who are young in spirit and mindset. BBC Three is ‘Never Afraid to Try New Things’ and that’s why we will continue to innovate with breakthrough comedy, stand-out entertainment, brave documentary and intelligent factual formats. Our content needs to have potential to innovate across platforms. BBC Three should provide an environment for the development of new ideas and talent and for existing talent to take risks, becoming a genuine laboratory for BBC One and BBC Two

Friday 12 December 2014

Mest2 Tutorial

  •  Great idea – good concept, characterisation, scheduling etc. This can definitely work
  •  Decide on whether you want a title sequence – the montage you’re talking about sounds like a title sequence.
  • Watch the opening sequence of the Wire – it might fit the type of montage you want.
  •  Research sounds good – perhaps add a film opening or two? Kidulthood or similar could help you (similar genre, characterisation etc.)


Tuesday 9 December 2014

Preliminary Exercise Evaluation


This task should demonstrate a match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

The brief for my preliminary exercise consisted of making a short clip which involves filming and editing a character opening the door, walking inside and exchanging a couple lines of dialogue with another person with in the room. Overall I believe that my production met the brief correctly and working with a group meant that we had to allocate the planning resources separately; therefore Me, Shervin and Zubair brought all our unique ides into the production to make it the best we can.

As a group we concentrated on the brief and settled one main narrative which involved two characters meeting in a building to exchange dialogue. Me and Shervin played the main two characters. Shervin plays the character who walks to the block where I will already be waiting; and Shervin tells me that he has been a victim of a robbery by another character known as Doobz but he is not shown in this clip. We kept the dialogue limited in the script as we wanted to leave an aspect of the suspense in the production, as a result minimising what was said but leaving just enough for the audience to understand what has happened to Shervin. The storyboard gave us a guideline to the main shots we had to take and how and where we should take them, added to the fact that howl long the shot should be. in addition, this shot list helped me make the filming process faster and less time consuming which let me spend more time on the making the production reach its full potential.

In my opinion one of our strongest points of my production was the editing as it kept the narrative very fluent and straight forward for the audience. The slow pace of transitions in the beginning helped build suspense and cuts such as fade to black allowed the audience to understand that there is a passing of time in the clip. We also had a few good shots such as the extreme close up of my phone in the beginning which was well focused and the audience could clearly read the text on the screen which said "Come to the block". Secondly the match on action shot of me entering the block was extremely fluid and well paced making the production seem really professional. The 180 degree rule was shot successfully as well where the angles of the shots were correct and helped the flow of the conversation between me and Shervin. 

The feedback we got as a group after the production screening was very positive and as Mr Halsey said there wasn't much he could say about our production because it looked very professional and was edited perfectly. However we did notice one error in the clip which was the match on action for Shervin entering the scene, we noticed that it was slightly too early and it was noticeable for the audience once identified. Also there was another mistake I had found which was the 180 degree shot of my face while speaking to Shervin; this shot had a lot of extra framing in it which distracted the audience and not focus on what I was saying. This also made the shot look rushed and unprofessional but it can be prevented in the future where I can focus on the character by zooming in the frame to show only the character and not any distractions around him/her.

Friday 5 December 2014

MEST2

Misfits

The narrative begins by introducing the five main characters of the cast. The cuts exchange through a selection of medium close-ups of the two female and three male actors as they dress in prison apparel. The location is identified as some sort of low-class changing room, presumably at some sort of rehabilitation centre as suggested by the costumes of the actors. The audience is exposed to the attitudes of the characters suggested by their arrogant facial expressions as well as the way they are presented getting dressed and looking in the mirror - an action which is the utmost of physical self-evaluation. The sound is quiet and irrelevant until the probation officer breaks the silence with dialogue, accompanied by a long shot of all five characters displayed from a low-angle to complement with their attitudes.

Youngers


This British comedy show opens with an instant acquaintance with the two main characters shown from a medium shot as they exchange dialogue in the midst of a suburban estate. Sound is focused on the three 'mandem' sat on a wall as they speak obnoxiously loud, after which a medium close-up is used to display one of the two main characters' facial expression - disappointed and annoyed. This introduces a sense of conflict in the narrative immediately which is further supported with the use of a long shot of the five subjects, out of which one is furthest away and continues to walk off after a discussion exhibited with over-the-shoulder shots edited rapidly into a sequence. 


The TV show Topboy begins by displaying various establishing shots of an urban setting based in a suburban London council estate. The non-diegetic soundtrack accompanies the sinister atmosphere of the environment and suggests reinforcement of the stereotypes associated with such a setting being linked with crime and violence - further supported with the sound of a police siren. The scene continues to display an over-the-shoulder shot showing a long distance surveillance over who the audience may assume to be the main characters of the forthcoming narrative, dressed in urban clothing associated with whom are referred to as 'hoodrats' supporting the stereotype of engagement in crime. The editing featured in the upcoming seconds is rapid to suggest development of tension and creates suspense for action to occur. This is validated with the sound of a ringtone suggesting an action code of accepting and replying to the call, thus raises enigma codes regarding the caller and the context of the conversation - answers to which remain a mystery at the moment. Nevertheless, the narrative reaches a climatic point when a black SUV is displayed speeding towards the male and female subject at the council estates, supported with cross-cuts exchanging between the locations of the characters' peers as well as himself and his companion who anticipate danger from the arriving car. Inevitably, the guns displayed within the frame afterwards validate the anticipated tension and create conflict for the narrative of the TV show to develop into a complex story.

Breaking Bad

This scene opens with medium to close up shots of the dessert which indicates that the setting will open up here. It then cuts to a slow motion scene of trousers flying from the air and then getting run over by a very fast moving caravan. We then see the inside of the van with a half-naked man with a gas mask driving aggressively. We see lots of chemicals and liquid drowning the van along with dead bodies and a unconscious male in the passenger seat. Straight away this questions the audience. Why is he wearing a gas mask? Why are they in the desert? Is that man dead? Who are they/he getting away from? Once he crashes the vehicle due to his bad driving he leaves the van and throws his gas mask away in anger. He then goes back into the van to reach for a number of props: A Gun from a dead body, his wallet and a camera. He then starts to record himself apologising to his family. this tells us that this character has previously been in a battle with some foes and tried to get away. The use of sound in this scene opens with a very fast paced action score. As the van reaches its end it turns silent, but gradually we hear the sounds of police sirens building up which brings in a lot of tension and may give a few answers from what he is trying to get away from.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Dependency theory - questions


  • What do YOU primarily use the media for: entertainment or information?(or something else)
I personally use the media for entertainment and surveillance most of the time. Mostly I like to enjoy watching my soaps such as EastEnders or comedy shows such as Two and a Half Men or The Big Bang Theory. For surveillance I watch the news to keep up to date with what is happening around the world as well as keeping up to date with the daily politics. 
  • To what extent do you feel we are dependant on the media?
I think that we are dependent on the media because most of the time an audience would relate their emotions to what they are watching. For example is someone is watching a movie and the disequilibrium upsets the character with in the movie the audience will automatically start to feel bad for the character and that will show a change in emotion and what decision they make. I can relate this to the hypodermic needle theory as well because similarly we watch other people review things such as games and we listen to what they say and make furthermore decisions on whether we want to buy the game or not. This supports the dependent theory because it clearly states that our decisions are based on what the people with in the media think. 
  • Has our dependence on the media changed over the last 10 years? How?
I think that the dependence in the media has changed a lot over the last 10 years because of the new technology that has arrived and made it easier to watch media related things on the go. TV channels have also developed online services such as BBC IPlayer and BBC News online which means that you don't necessarily have to be in front of a TV to watch one of your favourite shows or even the news, you can also stay up to date from alerts via an application with in your phone which makes it even more easier.

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Blumler & Katz

Uses and Gratification Theory

  • (Katz, E. Blumler, J.G & Gurevitch M. 1974) The uses and gratification Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication
  • The theory focuses more on the consumer or the audience more than the actual message
  • Theory states that audiences are responsible for choosing media to their own needs
Model

The theory suggested that the uses and gratifications theory has to fulfil one of the following when we choose a form of media:

Identify: Able to recognize a product/person, role models that reflect similar beliefs and values to yours.

Educate: Acquiring information, knowledge and understanding

Entertain: Consumption of media should provide enjoyment and a form of escapism allowing the audience to forget about their life temporarily

Social Interaction: Media products to produce a topic of conversation between other people

Cover work 26/11/14

Playing video games for just 20 minutes a day can encourage violent behaviour.

This would link to the hypodermic needle theory because the students that were asked to play the more violent games such as Call of Duty reacted more aggressively where as the students that were asked to play the less violent game (Dirt 2) reacted more calmly. This shows that there is a direct correlation between what you see and what you do which then supports the hypodermic needle theory.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/28/playing-violent-video-games-not-harmful-to-children-3940335/

This is another article that proves that playing violent games affects what you do later on. Based on this article an eight-year old had killed his grandmother after playing Grand Theft Auto which clearly supports the hypodermic needle theory again.

In my opinion I would agree with this debate because from my own experience I have seen young boys get violent after playing a video game for example GTA V and later on think its legal to do what they do with in the game. 

Jamal Edwards: Amateur film-maker turned multimillionaire

I can link this to the two step flow model by making Jamal the 'opinion leader' in this case because he makes the videos and compares different rappers to see who is better and promotes different rappers that he comes across.

There are more you-tubers similar to Jamal himself, for example 'Cynical Brit' who reviews new video games on PC's and game consoles. Also there is TheDevilsJoker, ShintaiReviews, Standurbman and there is also a website where people compare hundreds of different and new video games called IGN.com.

Thursday 6 November 2014

Young & Rubicam's 4C's


This test gave me a result of my main value to be Control and my secondary value to be Status

Monday 3 November 2014

The Wolf of Wall Street Official Trailer


The Wolf of Wall Street

This movie has a linear prospective where there is an equilibrium at the beginning, a disruption of it in the middle and a creation of the new equilibrium at the very end. the action codes in this trailer are things such as the appearance of money and the use of women to show the wild lifestyles of these men. As an audience we would like to find out how they have these lifestyles and creates interest in the narrative

There are also many enigma codes used in this trailer where we see Leonardo DiCaprio throwing money at the police men walking from his boat. This creates suspense for the audience and holds our interest. The use of sound is gives the narrative more suspense and as we see the montage in this trailer the sound builds up and stops at the very end where one of the actors starts to 'hum'. The use of different wide shots in this trailer show the variety of adventures Leonardo DiCaprio take through his time at Wall Street. 

The variety of shots show that he goes through a lot of different roles in this movie and also gets himself into much trouble where we see a detective come onto his boat and that scene skips to another scene where we see DiCaprio throwing money at the police officers which connotes that he's disrespecting them. The camera movement is quiet fast in this trailer due to the different shots being used to intimidate the audience. DiCaprio is shown to be the hero where as Jonah Hill is the helper. DiCaprio's father would be the donor and the princess/heroine would be Margret Robbie (Naomi). This movie is shown to be like a story due to the the narrative flow DiCaprio gives in the beginning where he starts to tell the story of Wall Street which is basically his life. 

During the slow motion phase of the frames, Di Caprio's voice over describes to the audience what quaaludes are and their effect on a person's body, this is parallel to what we see on screen when all the beer and pills are flying around in slow motion while Jonah Hill is screaming 'Steve Madden' like a mad man as the effects that are described in the voice over are being presented on screen. The voiceover almost promotes the use of quaaludes and at a point in the speech he says 'you people are sh*t out of luck' suggesting the endorsement of drugs and presenting it in a way that shows all rich and successful stock brokers did these while they were available to 'stimulate their free flow of ideas'.

The clothes the actors are wearing are also very upmarket and prestigious presenting them as successful and wealthy individuals. Also all the chaos happening around his mansion doesn't seem to bother him, for example when the glasses start falling off the edge he doesn't even pay attention to it and carries on talking about his new business opportunity. Also the scene where Jonah Hill starts hitting the pool table with his expensive leather loafer further shows emphasis on how wealthy they are, making it very desirable to the viewers as everyone would love to be rich and live life carelessly like them. This fits into the rich and luxurious lifestyle enigma code that's desirable to many people. 

After the Steve Madden sequence the classical music stops along with the slow motion frames and the diegetic sound of a typical 80/90's song is heard in the background suggesting a resolution to the problem. As he's speaking the protagonist is playing with his hair and massaging his face as everyone laughs showing the audience a contrast as successful and rich people seem very professional and strict when it comes to work, on the other hand in this scene we're shown a group of business men behaving worse than children.

Friday 24 October 2014

Narrative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1YbOMDI59k

Insidious:

Barthes enigma code is expressed here is the window the main character is talking to then the action code briefly follows by showing a scary looking woman at the other side of the window holding a candle. This is then interlinked with Propps seven spheres of action on analysing the different types of characters. The hero is the one standing opposite the old woman Thai is because there is more top angled lighting making him appear dominate and powerful, where as 'the villain' has less lighting making her appear more dangerous and evil. The donor and the princess is both expressed by his wife the donor being her voice leading him back to his body, this also makes her the princess in need of rescuing because the lost souls are crowding around her. The equilibrium is when the man is closer to his body then there is an in equilibrium when he sees the old woman at the other-side of the window, causing him to waste time so he doesn't make it to his body, the new equilibrium is when he starts hearing his wife's voice eventually making his way to his body.


Notorious (The Movie):
Barthes' action and enigma codes - the action code is discovered first in this clip when Notorious B.I.G. (protagonist) and his crew stop at the traffic light and another car pulls up beside them - this makes the audience wonder if there will be any tension created or a violent outbreak possibly. This is confirmed through the enigma code when the driver in the car next to Notorious pulls out a gun with an intimidating look - this confirms that somebody is about to be shot.

Todorov's equilibrium - the equilibrium is created when Notorious leaves the club with his entourage (the audience assume everybody is safe at this point). Then the disequilibrium is constructed when the unknown driver in the other car pulls the trigger. The new equilibrium hasn't been restored yet as it ends on a cliff hanger. The movie overall has a documentary type narrative and in reality the death of rapper 'Notorious B.I.G' was caused by an unknown drive-by shooting. The murderer is yet to be discovered.


Propp's stock characters - the villain is the unknown person who shot Notorious B.I.G. - Notorious could be viewed at the central protagonist, despite the fact that the equilibrium isn't restored.


Criminal Minds:
Barthes enigma code is highlighted when all the computers and lights go off after a few seconds of the characters planking as to the source of their computers breaking down, the action code follows which is a woman dressed all black and a lot of attitude (with a click of her fingers the light comes back on everything is normally again).  In this clip Propps character profiling may suggest that the mysterious woman that walked through the door is the villain because she turned off all of those bystanders’ computers, the donor was that young boy she kissed to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, and finally the hero is the other man that was in charge of the computers. Todorovs equilibrium theory is expressed here ; at the beginning everything's normal everyone is doing their own thing and then the disequilibrium when everything turns off, then the source to the equilibrium is revealed, which then leads to a new equilibrium being created (order is restored).

Thursday 23 October 2014

Brands

  1. Apple - For their advance technology, design and the connectivity it brings to the world as it started in 1970's and updated throughout time.
  2. Nike- Bringing sport clothing and making it look fashionable and for making it use for sports as well such as the Nike fuel is fit in the technology factor as it measures the users activity and I personally admire this as they are trying make themselves better for the customers.
  3. The O2 is big and I admire this as it is used for Mobile Phone Company and is used for so much as it has a big arena where they get singers and performers. The o2 is very admired by millions as its done so much and is still moving forward such as deals. 
  4. Sony is personally my favourite for music, movies and technology such as phones and headphones. They focus on making the best everything. They own productions like spider-man and make movies instead of just owning them and doing anything this is I like about them and the use how they were the first brand name to proudly said to they make first waterproof android phone.
  5.  Toni and Guy - I personally admire for style and caring for how customer looks they will try their best to give you best experience and feel relaxed. I like them because to me they are the number one hairdresser's who give care and warmth and also give real professionals that will know what looks good on you.


Thursday 16 October 2014

Brand Values

Audi

  1. The Audi brand comes across its audience to be a very classy, rich and luxurious. it is a German brand which is world wide business uses these luxurious lifestyles to inspire its audience and make them feel they can live that kind of lifestyle. Audi could fit into several of Dyer's lines of appeal: luxurious lifestyles - using expensive factors to show the audience can be a part of it. it could also fit into successful career - their slogan is "Vorsprung Durch Technik" which means 'Advancement Through technology' this immediately gives its audience a futuristic feeling and shows how successful it is through technology. finally self-importance can also link to Audi taking its brand seriously and making it desirable for others.
  2. The Audi brand is about the future using luxury and technology.
  3. Audi in one word: Design
Nike
  1. The Nike brand comes across to be a passionate and desirable. it is an American brand which is also world wide business who uses desirability to to appeal to its audience and make them feel apart of their products. One of Dyer's lines of appeal Nike can fit into is: Elite people and experts - using top football players such as Cristiano Ronaldo this brand makes the audience feel apart of the brand and makes their product "A Need To Get" product. Furthermore, this brand also uses the desirability of self and others to make their product inspirational and wanted by the audience.
  2. The Nike brand is about design and passion towards sports.
  3. Nike in one word: Fashion
British Airways
  1. The British Airways brand comes across its audience to be a very prestigious and classy. It is an British Airline Service which uses several of Dyer's lines of appeal: Rich, luxurious lifestyles - using luxurious products always appeal to audiences and make them feel as if they can live that kind of lifestyle. Successful Career can also be linked to BA - their slogan is "To Fly. To Serve" this indicates that their main initiative is to make their customers happy and this shows how successful the brand is. 
  2. The British Airways brand is about having class and modernism.
  3. BA in one word: Discover
Asda
  1. Asda comes across its audience to be a very basic shopping center who mainly targets families. it can fit under several of Dyer's lines of appeal: Happy families - using happy families would attract the audience because everyone wants to belong o a happy family. Successful career - some families already shop from Asda's and this shows its audience that they are quite successful, this would attract its audience. Moreover Asda says that its quality is much better than its prices and this attracts more of its audience because everyone wants something good for cheap.
  2. The Asda brand is more about quality rather than quantity.
  3. Asda in one word: Cheap
Hollister
  1. Hollister is originated from California and comes across its audience to be a very glamorous and successful brand. This brand fits into some of Dyer's lines of appeal - using beautiful women, hence why you need to be looking like a model if you want to work there. This creates the desirability in the audience to look like that woman or man wearing hollister due to this desirability they will go and buy something from this brand. 
  2. The Hollister brand is about fashion and looking like a model.
  3. Hollister in one word: darkness

Monday 13 October 2014

Blogger Feedback

WWW: Some good depth to the advert analyses and I like your presentation feedback for the parallel/contrapuntal sound task.

EBI: So much missing work - where is the lighting stills analysis? Film noir research? These need to be posted over the weekend so I can check them on Monday. The work that is there contains some good points but so little depth. One short paragraph for each film poster will never offer enough detail for A Level study. It's a huge step up and you need to offer a lot more than you are currently - in terms of effort, attendance and blog work.

LR: Reflect on your first month of AS Media. What is your strongest piece of work so far? What is your weakest? What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course?

The first month of AS Media has been extremely difficult, its made me realise how different the step between A-level and GCSE is and how the work is harder and also much more time consuming. However now that I'm starting to settle in the course I know I will try my best this year.  In terms of what my strongest piece of work was - I'd say most of my best work has come from the exam side, for example the analysis for my RBK and Nike Adverts as well as my work on the Media Consumption. My weakest piece of work so far would be the Aspects of Film Language which lacked depth and media related key words. A specific skill I need to work on is being punctual and more organised in lessons which would then make me do my work at a higher standard than before.

Film Noir Classics II: Fred MacMurray - Pushover (1954): Money Isn't Dirty



This video clip has top lighting to show that they are glamorous and shows that they are two both main characters. This genre of this film looks like a romance/drama, because of this I think that because of his facial expressions are serious and demanding whereas the woman's facial expressions look like she worries about something. However, in the end of the movie they both start kissing which connotes that the man and woman have both fallen in love. There is under lighting on the girls face to create highlights and shadows, the lady is femme fetal, you can see this by her short tight curls, dark fur coat and dark rouge lipstick. In the end of the clip the woman seems quite seductive towards the man as the leans over and kisses him, the top lighting makes it more realistic as the background is all dark.

In this image, it has low key lighting on the girls face and back lighting on half the girls face and background, this shows that the genre of the movie could be a horror/thriller or drama, by this I think this because there is a man's hand with his veins sticking out - near her face which the lighting is all dark and has oscuro dark shadows. This image if effective because it could suggest that the man has this girl locked away and she is trying to call someone or is being forced to do something by the man show hands are near her face. The hand coming from the side makes it look scary because there is top lighting on the hand as the veins are standing out more, this could imply that the man has power over the girl because she looks frightened. The use of the back light makes the main character in the image stand out more as the lighting is used at the background and is merged slightly onto the girls face. The image is a medium close up to show give emphasis on the facial expressions.

Lighting

This still samples low-key lighting because dark shadows are created to heighten the desired sense of fear expressed by the lady's facial expression. This depicts top-lighting as the female's features are accentuated alongside her fear-filled face. The effect exerted by the lighting helps the audience to empathise the dark emotions felt by the actress in this particular scene.

Low-key lighting is utilised in the displayed still to suggest ambiguity of thriller yet romance. The effect created is worth speculation as the shadows connote secrecy, reinforced by the handheld gun in the man's possession. Nevertheless, this is a common craft of lighting to show intimacy between a couple as the heads of the characters are shadowed onto a wall behind. Top-lighting is also applied to show the facial expression on the man's face as he caresses the lady.

This is a brilliant still exemplifying high-key lighting during a night-time setting, which could be mistaken for low-key. The depicted back-lighting presents the man as a mysterious semi-silhouette as his other half is shadowed as it is consumed in darkness. The effect of this is brilliant in a visual aspect as the bars on this depicts a stealthy scene and connotes secrecy and discretion of action.  

This still shows high-key lighting as no shadows are created and the subject is entirely in natural daylight. This depicts top and back lighting as the picture is in full light. The effects created are realistic and the character's attire of authority is in full sight as his facial expression also connotes intimidation and superiority. 

This still shows high-key lighting but can be misconceived as low-key due to the chiaroscuro effect of the shadows from the blinds. Behind the blinds however, natural lighting from the daylight is applied into the frame. This mainly depicts non-studio lighting as the only granted exposure to the still is shown through the blinds. The effect of this enhances the intimacy of the scene and could be interpreted in many metaphoric ways, suggesting for instance that the natural light being the only source of light means that their privacy is withheld. 

Low-key lighting is shown in this still to give a dramatic/horror feel to the still of the actress. However, the top-lighting also gives a glamorous look to the lady as her 
facial features are accentuated. This depicts top-lighting. The 
effects created are of glamour, femininity and fear.

High-key lighting is exhibited due to the lack of shadows and the natural look of the actress and her surroundings. This depicts top-lighting as her face is shone upon and her facial features are accentuated in beauty. The effect of this is to exhibit the lady in a glamorous manner.

High-key lighting is crafted as the subject is fully lit, excluding the one shadow which indicates a vertical object; most certainly a weapon; pointed towards the woman, causing her to express such a fearful facial expression.  This mainly depicts top-lighting. The effects exhibit the woman's immense sense of fear as her shadow is reflected against a wall and the faint shadow next to it suggests that she is to be attacked by a vertically held weapon. 

Low-key lighting is manipulated as shadows are created on the top-left part of the actor. The contrast of the lighting is reduced by filler lights and the actor's upper-body is highly exposed. This mainly depicts top lighting because the shadows are created on the lower part of his body. The effects created depict a masculine male who is presumably highly skilled physically and someone who has a fairly arrogant character.

Low-key lighting is exhibited in this still to show the shadow created on one side of the actress' face. The key light's focus on the other side adds emphasis to the smoke which provides the still with dramatic shadows on the other side. This primarily depicts back-lighting as there is a light derived from behind the woman. A dramatic effect is created by the lighting and it connotes seriousness and a sense of intimidation is established by the woman's prominent expression with support of the lighting created. 

Low-key lighting causes the back-lighting to form the silhouettes and the elongated shadows of the four figures. The effect of this includes mystery as well as fear because the audience suspects that the figures may have a grotesque appearance waiting to be unveiled to evoke shock from the audience.


Friday 10 October 2014

BBC Three TV Show : The Only Way Is Southall (TOWIS)

Scheduling: 

The show would be broadcasted at around 9pm as majority of soaps are broadcasted at this period of time due to the high amount of viewers. This period of time is called the prime time. This would be a good time to put my show on because majority of the flag-ship soaps are watching TV and this will give my show a bigger audience.


Institution:

The show would involve both teens and adults to widen the target audience as BBC Three is mainly watched by a young adult audience due to the channel being much more entertaining and low brow than something that elders would choose to watch.

Representation:

The teenagers in this show would be represented equally with the adults, that being said both of the age groups would have a negative and a positive image due to the controversy that certain characters will create through their interactions throughout the story.


Audience:

The main target audience would range from 14-25 and it would mainly consist of lower to middle class families. 40% Female and 60% male viewers due to this being a soap opera therefore it will involve portions of each gender.


Ideology:

The whole idea behind this show would be to entertain it's audience through the fictional story.

Narrative:


A realistic environment involving a young teen who gets himself mixed with many twists to generate interest through controversy. 
Choose two extracts from different eras (e.g. one from the 1940s and one from 1990s) and analyse the cinematography. What are the key differences?

  • The Searchers (1956): Many of the shots seem like they were done unprofessionally, the pans and the dollies weren't steady and there was jerking in-between movements. Also the actors were over exaggerating their actions and movements making certain scenes 'cringy' to watch. The shooting scenes seemed unrealistic, the actors again over exaggerated and the shots used mainly focused on the person that was shooting and then after a delay showed the other person wither shooting back or falling to death in the most dramatic way they could possibly do. 
  • Scar-face (1983): The movie is much more engaging due to the actors being much more natural, the shots also blend in much better so they don't break the momentum of the movie; dollies and pans are also very smooth and add to the movie instead of disturbing. The main differences between the two movies are definitely in the way the director used different types of shot to present different scenes, this movie has much more flow and engagement due to the better use of shots whereas The Searches had many weird choices of shots that ruin the tempo of the film.


Cinematography

Camera Shots

Establishing Shot
 A shot at the very beginning of a scene showing the audience the setting in which the action is about to take place.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEijweH8LMKjSEyEZfzYztuKc-Q37M759TxXFax38g95ejS4ChCXCvkdJplfGnqzeme5rf67Xh16xjj2juLQ4-GRbEEV2EAe9PwH6y2slTh6rLnXU49OKpRUjhrneTtwWidilcBZ37GINUMZ9yH12xB58Lg3RvUsnF19XiVEPfSZYbmaag=

Wide Shot
In this shot the character/subject(s) are fully visible and take up the entire frame. It's not as wide and open as an establishing shot. It's used to let the audience clearly see the character and the environment around it. Essentially almost the same to a Long Shot.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg1IDmDLtsLw9RW-6ol7mxler5nxKjA4ntSS4KHJAn6RukbUkFdeom1hh-RcYGfrnA8cKk8oxKZKwDRPuH40AYPsw2QxLl7bHxEKiMgVmlfft-TKpYI9_tDTIFfdckaBnz5MmSFwi1JSiF1Xqj5KGuZWDduEFaRj7bJEWsFSacq=

Medium Shot
The shot that utilizes the most common framing in movies shows less than a long shot, more than a close-up. Focuses more on the character than environment. They show a general overview of the character and are often used to prepare the audience before using a close up or an extreme close up.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjOsxFVYXpWFrPvuB4y5aoI3THkLYOkXJgtJ4n5nXIurns-WLItP8GsnimPpKmx38rMd6-f7A1Cg0UIEtPjpqWc53kXJB4DdFqCriXQF1XSlgkH4nsKhixu451ynUBWwOxX7Fgd_wcVkNjDoqem9_0Mi51i0YwJXOYoXeqwjBs_fJuBT1A2UCM=

Medium Close-Up
Slightly closer than a medium shot but further away than a close up. Used to show the face but not to the point it's uncomfortably close.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK04pC-b8SKAgKsuPe1tLVtv8jqXwo11-9RKl23KSopRFk8_DEEzQr5TQtx5D9h3-iBtbZLBIEtfCl-js-7z6b1avKsfYpfWHQ92rW08jLoS0s0XWDwkI2AzdMfP1qzj1hlxZM7-OOuSq4/s320/Harry+potter+close+up.jpg

Close Up
Only actors face and head is visible, focuses on facial expressions and is used to generate interest, action, suspense, etc.

Description: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGYki2c1KhqolgjJQR9O_voDEf8SyoB5Sgu-wVH1ui_3Q-6dwu

Extreme Close-Up
These shots now take the camera even closer to the subject and we are now focussing on a particular feature or detail of interest. These are used for added suspense or to draw your audience’s attention to a specific detail in a scene.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj-8h7zm0Key9NxrkqwOG4jm0yUskKjWRB0U6oqYxHxcnJR_KMF7n6HUvbt0Uhj7f6stEGNTCcm7L4RXmQUiUtLvbBOitwMsK19zeDCwp8_PhHxTPmULVMHrY1X2oyauL452HueXR_t9VivLkXRCuSY4WMSxh8_vsn9CWcV9w4uIlSNvjsM6u2BVAWV6rYV9Lw=

Over the shoulder Shot
Framed behind the person who is looking at a different subject/character. The person facing away from the camera usually takes up about 1/3 of the frame. This shot is used helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view.


Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiB8B2-jdvfCal5RMhyphenhyphenygL6yuNePAaCsnUAB4hzDEM4vqbT1_SVV9MdYIrJEQpfdcywdcj_0Lgj7owjn31KVOCaJewT71Ck7s1DnwpTyKtg659KLKA_L5F7IKSHhSR7ZgJfuWZmfWe_T6nF_3pSZJfWPzC5B4f2kw=

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Presentation Feedback

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxE2iepAaiq7VmxXOFF2d0FFRlU/edit

Teacher feedback:
WWW

  • starter interactive
  • clearly presented slides
  • good use of images
  • plenary worksheets - good idea
EBI
  • some pauses/lack of pace
  • some research needed on more explanation
  • no reference to synergy
  • needs more research on films/products

NEWS CORP:
  • It was an American multinational mass media company who focused on broadcasting before the 1979. They focused on newspapers and publishing. Rupert Murdoch was the founder, he wanted to split the company into 2 sections media and publishing. 
FILM 4:
  • It is a British film production owned by a channel four television corporation. Their first production was Walter directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.  it was a subscription only channel on satellite television via the sky platform, digital terrestrial etc

DISNEY:
  • It was founded in the summer of 1923. The company is now 90 years old. The company is best known for the products of its film studio, Walt Disney studio, which is now the largest and best known in Hollywood. They are also known for their famous theme park 'Disney Land'
ITV:
  • It was created in 1955, it is a successful commercial television which is based and shown in the United Kingdom. ITV originally had a lot of its own channels, but was then brought and merged into ITV broadcasting limited. It has the highest figures in viewings on the weekdays.

TIME WARNER:
  • Global leader and 4th largest entertainment conglomerate. The major industries are: film, Tv and publishing. Its currently competing on GM with players such as: Disney, Viacom ad Sony.

BBC:
  • BBC was the worlds first national broadcasting organisation. Controversially alleged to the UK's news monopoly. Predominance in the UK's commerce of news due to highest coverage of Britons radio: The BBC own the largest radio network that operates in the UK, with 59 different stations available in the country.