Media studies Blog
Sunday 1 May 2011
Media Evaluation Clip
This is our whole group using a different form of media to evaluate our film opening.
Final Piece
This is our final piece for our film opening. After taking all feedback and suggestions into account we think its improved a lot and we have make it the best we can.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Media Evaluation Plans
We all met today to discuss which questions we are going to answer. We have decided to take on two questions each with one of us sharing the spare question so that everyone is doing pretty much the same amount of work. Also today, we have starting filming ourself's speaking to the camera about what role our characters play in the opening and what their signification is. This is a good start to our evaluation however we need to think about answering the 7 questions that have been set. We have all gone away and are going to write answers on cards then we will re meet and film our documentary like answers tomorrow. Meanwhile I am working on my written evaluation and my prezzi.
Thursday 3 March 2011
Feedback from Mr. Wroe and class of our Film Opening 2
Above is our second attempt at our film opening. The general thought from everyone in the class and mainly Mr. Wroe was that this is a much better attempt than last time. The first attempt was a bit rushed and there was a lot of room for improvement consequently we put a lot more effort into this one and its a lot better. Everything has changed in it, we have chnaged locations and found a excellent place to do the "chase" which is a bridge. Finding these new locations have given us better spots to do filming and also allowed us to get better shot that adds more tension which is need for out opening. This has help continuity also because it all fits together and every has noticed this works alot better than the previous place. Also we have used a improved camera which has allowed us to get better quality shots and given more focus to the characters. Overall everything has been improved from the title sequences to the bit where Joshua struggles to get away before Seamus gets his hands on him.
Another aspect we have improved is the mise en scene, dispute using cigarettes for Joshua's role when he is walking down the road we have used typical things a teenager would have in his room such things as beer glasses mobile phones deodorant and drinking bottles. This helps the media relate to the character because we have chosen to use this in the mise en scene. In the first sequence there is no evidence that we have tried to use this to show what kind of character Joshua is.
In this edition, unlike the previous we have good tracks in the background and ones the represent the nature of the opening and ones that counteract each other because we needed two different tracks, one for the morning scene one for the night scene. This helps the opening not to be boring and also gives the audience a better idea of what time of day it is.
We have also re-filmed the bit where there was a stationary shot for a very long time, we have replaced this by doing very interesting and exciting shots such as putting the camera in the fridge and not having much time shown on Joshua walking around the kitchen making his breakfast. This makes the sequences more exciting because the viewer doesn't want to be watching somebody eating their breakfast in a film opening they want some action that can persuade them to watch on.
Things we need to re-film is the bit in the bedroom, first off all when the camera tracks upwards there is no phone there but when it cuts there is a phone there is was a bad mistake but one that is easily put right. This will help in continuity because if somebody picks up on this small mistake it can be very misleading. Also with the bedroom scene Mr Wroe has suggested to us that we help the viewer out by really making the plot recognisable, we are going to this by adding a small section when Joshua says something to the sister of Seamus about Seamus this will really make it clear to them exactly what is going on because I think that some people didn't entirely get what was happening.
Also on the editing front we are going to fade the second track in because one criticism was that it comes in too quickly and sort of takes the audience by suprise and the whole feeling was that if it was to fade in then it would work a lot better. This is easily done but we will go away and have a third and final go because there adjustements can be made very easily and quickly.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Media Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
on Pressi: http://prezi.com/st5nb6fvqbpp/evaluation-advancement-in-media-skill/
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our film opening represents teenagers more than any other group. This is because of the way we have presented the characters, we have designed the characters so that younger people can relate to them. We have one character that sleeps with a lot of girls and another one that appears to be a 'thug' and beats someone up in the sequence. Both of these main characters can easily be related to our viewers. We thought that we could easily design a character of that kind because we are that sort of age group and can show the viewer these characters which is the exact kind of character we wanted to portray. Having characters that people can relate to in a film is a huge advantage in trying to make sure the target viewers are happy with watching it and are enjoying the film. If not they are likely to turn it off.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
On power point
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our audience for our main task is ages between 18-30 but may also tempt the slightly older generation. This is because of the nature of the sequence. I believe it to be upbeat with a genre of things such a violence and sex making it more suitable for people around this age. People over these ages I don't think would be drawn in because they typically prefer to watch things that have a very education feel or that are going to be classics for example shawshank redemption. Purely because of the nature and the way we have made the characters i don think that over 30s would be interested in watching it I think it can be for both genders however i think males would be the majority viewers rather than woman because the kind of sequence is the sort of thing males would watch. Males would be more easily drawn in to this because of the way we have created the opening. Classically with a males sleeping with a girl and them running off, this in my opinion would appeal more to males. I don't think that it appeals to woman as much a men because they are associated with watching violent films which is the category that this falls into. Basing it on films such a Football Factory and Kidulthood I don't think that many woman watched it and of those who did I don't think that they would enjoy it as much as males.
Classic viewer:
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Job: Sports centre
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In the first few times we filmed we used a camera that the school gave is which is good but we could get hold of a better camera so we used that. This helps us a lot with the night scene especially because with the original camera we couldn't see people when it got to be very dark, however with this new camera the quality is very very good so we can see everything that is needed to be seen in the night scenes.
With the editing we learnt lots of new things since the preliminary task. Uploading took ages because we had got lots of shots from different angle so that we could use the best one possible and the one that best portrayed the point/view we wanted to show the viewer. Drag and drop subsequently took a reasonable time because we had to discuss which shot we thought worked and which what we thought lead on to the best. when we got all the correct shots required and we were 100% happy with what we had got we started to cut certain bits because when we were filming we carried on filming past when we needed. Therefore we were taking half seconds out of certain points in the opening just to get the finished article. When we had finished everything and thought we had cut it down enough we put some title sequences in. First title sequence you see is the last minute production this is on a black background with a white box there is "last minute productions" written in white on a strip of red. This fades out and readies the audience by having "presents" on the next cut which moves in towards the screen which is cleaver because it draws the viewer in. After 34 the film name is shown to the viewer saying 12hours and also says twelve below it, in a faded white. later on our names are displayed at the bottom on the screen. There was a huge debate on which track or tracks we were going to use for our final piece but i think we have got the perfect songs that fit in and represent the nature and help the opening get along without the viewer getting bored. We tried a few tracks first of all but we still weren't sure which ones to use. We had decided to use two so that the view can easily distinguish between the day time and the night time. Eventually we got the right ones and I think that they fit in very well.
New skills that we learnt since the preliminary task is that we can make people disappear within the shot. We use this twice in the opening when Jordan is walking after Walter. This is a very useful technique to know how to do.
We used two soundtracks in the opening one is a high tempo song which engages the audience. We used this because we all thought that having a quick song for a opening would be the best way to go about drawing the viewer in. This song fitted well with the opening. The second song fades in after a short break without any music. We thought it would be best to have two different pieces of music so that this could denote the change in night scene and day scene. The second track is completely different to the first one and with the lyrics "shot yourself in the foot again fit in very well to what had happen in the opening.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In our preliminary task, we didn't use a variation of shots, this meant that we couldn't portray everything we wanted to in the best possible way. We have learnt a range of new shots since then because of doing lots of analysis and revision of new shots. Therefore in the main task we used the appropriate shots and knew exactly what effect they were likely to have so that we could get the point across to the viewer as best possible. I think we have learnt that using different shots makes in the final product better and is more exciting for the viewer. Therefore we used a variation of shots and used lots of different camera movements in the opening to show off our skills and make it more exciting. Also in the editing we have learnt lots of new things, in the preliminary task we simply got the stuff we needed and didn't do anything else with it. But in the main task we have used skills such as fading the music and making people disappear these skills have helped enhance the quality of our opening. Having sharper cuts within the opening allows for better and smoother viewing for the audience, therefore the viewer isn't left waiting for something to happen whilst we are wasting time and not cutting to the next scene. Tension in our main task is important in the night scene and since the preliminary task we have learnt how important it is and how to increase it. Therefore in our main task we used this to our advantage and made the night scene, when there is a follow, he made the shots last for a little longer and used tracking and changing of shots to show to the viewer exactly what is going on and leave them wanting to know what is happening. The choice of sound in our preliminary was very quick and not fully thought of. We chose it and then based a few other aspect around this choice for example the production name and the name of the actual task. in the main task we have learnt that the sounds we chose to use can have a massive affect on the audience. We put a huge amount of time into thinking what tracks we were going to use. we needed two tracks that were different, one that fits in with the night scene and one that counteracts this that shows the morning scene. I think that the two tracks we have chosen suit the nature of the opening and help the viewer know what its all about and the change in time. Mise en scene was used a lot in our final task to denote the characters. we showed the protagonist smoking quite frequently in the opening this gives the viewer a sense of the characters inability to care about anything that he does. This is a easy thing to do to show this and also this gives the viewer something else to watch apart from him just walking down the road. In the morning scene we see typical things that a teenager would own such as porn magazines beer glasses and a phone. The camera moves upwards to show all of these things and this means that the viewer immediately knows that this is the bedroom of teenager.
How did you attract / address your audience?
On video
on Pressi: http://prezi.com/st5nb6fvqbpp/evaluation-advancement-in-media-skill/
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our film opening represents teenagers more than any other group. This is because of the way we have presented the characters, we have designed the characters so that younger people can relate to them. We have one character that sleeps with a lot of girls and another one that appears to be a 'thug' and beats someone up in the sequence. Both of these main characters can easily be related to our viewers. We thought that we could easily design a character of that kind because we are that sort of age group and can show the viewer these characters which is the exact kind of character we wanted to portray. Having characters that people can relate to in a film is a huge advantage in trying to make sure the target viewers are happy with watching it and are enjoying the film. If not they are likely to turn it off.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
On power point
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our audience for our main task is ages between 18-30 but may also tempt the slightly older generation. This is because of the nature of the sequence. I believe it to be upbeat with a genre of things such a violence and sex making it more suitable for people around this age. People over these ages I don't think would be drawn in because they typically prefer to watch things that have a very education feel or that are going to be classics for example shawshank redemption. Purely because of the nature and the way we have made the characters i don think that over 30s would be interested in watching it I think it can be for both genders however i think males would be the majority viewers rather than woman because the kind of sequence is the sort of thing males would watch. Males would be more easily drawn in to this because of the way we have created the opening. Classically with a males sleeping with a girl and them running off, this in my opinion would appeal more to males. I don't think that it appeals to woman as much a men because they are associated with watching violent films which is the category that this falls into. Basing it on films such a Football Factory and Kidulthood I don't think that many woman watched it and of those who did I don't think that they would enjoy it as much as males.
Classic viewer:
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Job: Sports centre
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In the first few times we filmed we used a camera that the school gave is which is good but we could get hold of a better camera so we used that. This helps us a lot with the night scene especially because with the original camera we couldn't see people when it got to be very dark, however with this new camera the quality is very very good so we can see everything that is needed to be seen in the night scenes.
With the editing we learnt lots of new things since the preliminary task. Uploading took ages because we had got lots of shots from different angle so that we could use the best one possible and the one that best portrayed the point/view we wanted to show the viewer. Drag and drop subsequently took a reasonable time because we had to discuss which shot we thought worked and which what we thought lead on to the best. when we got all the correct shots required and we were 100% happy with what we had got we started to cut certain bits because when we were filming we carried on filming past when we needed. Therefore we were taking half seconds out of certain points in the opening just to get the finished article. When we had finished everything and thought we had cut it down enough we put some title sequences in. First title sequence you see is the last minute production this is on a black background with a white box there is "last minute productions" written in white on a strip of red. This fades out and readies the audience by having "presents" on the next cut which moves in towards the screen which is cleaver because it draws the viewer in. After 34 the film name is shown to the viewer saying 12hours and also says twelve below it, in a faded white. later on our names are displayed at the bottom on the screen. There was a huge debate on which track or tracks we were going to use for our final piece but i think we have got the perfect songs that fit in and represent the nature and help the opening get along without the viewer getting bored. We tried a few tracks first of all but we still weren't sure which ones to use. We had decided to use two so that the view can easily distinguish between the day time and the night time. Eventually we got the right ones and I think that they fit in very well.
New skills that we learnt since the preliminary task is that we can make people disappear within the shot. We use this twice in the opening when Jordan is walking after Walter. This is a very useful technique to know how to do.
We used two soundtracks in the opening one is a high tempo song which engages the audience. We used this because we all thought that having a quick song for a opening would be the best way to go about drawing the viewer in. This song fitted well with the opening. The second song fades in after a short break without any music. We thought it would be best to have two different pieces of music so that this could denote the change in night scene and day scene. The second track is completely different to the first one and with the lyrics "shot yourself in the foot again fit in very well to what had happen in the opening.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In our preliminary task, we didn't use a variation of shots, this meant that we couldn't portray everything we wanted to in the best possible way. We have learnt a range of new shots since then because of doing lots of analysis and revision of new shots. Therefore in the main task we used the appropriate shots and knew exactly what effect they were likely to have so that we could get the point across to the viewer as best possible. I think we have learnt that using different shots makes in the final product better and is more exciting for the viewer. Therefore we used a variation of shots and used lots of different camera movements in the opening to show off our skills and make it more exciting. Also in the editing we have learnt lots of new things, in the preliminary task we simply got the stuff we needed and didn't do anything else with it. But in the main task we have used skills such as fading the music and making people disappear these skills have helped enhance the quality of our opening. Having sharper cuts within the opening allows for better and smoother viewing for the audience, therefore the viewer isn't left waiting for something to happen whilst we are wasting time and not cutting to the next scene. Tension in our main task is important in the night scene and since the preliminary task we have learnt how important it is and how to increase it. Therefore in our main task we used this to our advantage and made the night scene, when there is a follow, he made the shots last for a little longer and used tracking and changing of shots to show to the viewer exactly what is going on and leave them wanting to know what is happening. The choice of sound in our preliminary was very quick and not fully thought of. We chose it and then based a few other aspect around this choice for example the production name and the name of the actual task. in the main task we have learnt that the sounds we chose to use can have a massive affect on the audience. We put a huge amount of time into thinking what tracks we were going to use. we needed two tracks that were different, one that fits in with the night scene and one that counteracts this that shows the morning scene. I think that the two tracks we have chosen suit the nature of the opening and help the viewer know what its all about and the change in time. Mise en scene was used a lot in our final task to denote the characters. we showed the protagonist smoking quite frequently in the opening this gives the viewer a sense of the characters inability to care about anything that he does. This is a easy thing to do to show this and also this gives the viewer something else to watch apart from him just walking down the road. In the morning scene we see typical things that a teenager would own such as porn magazines beer glasses and a phone. The camera moves upwards to show all of these things and this means that the viewer immediately knows that this is the bedroom of teenager.
How did you attract / address your audience?
On video
Thursday 17 February 2011
Key Terms
Camera shots and their effectivness
Close up-
Extreme close up - shows emotion
Mid shot
Medium close up
Crane shots
Birds eye view shot
Long shot - shows location
Establishing shot - shows audiences the characters
High angle - used to show power
Low angle - used to show power
Two shot - get two people in the shot and shows their relationship
Over the shoulder shot - used from conversations
Dutch angle shot
Mise en scene:
Clothing
Props
Location
Fixtures
Colours
Characters
Time of day
Natural light
Artificial light
Environment
Sound:
Soundtrack
Sound effects
Semi diegectic
Non diegectic
Diegectic
Dialogue
Voice over
Editing:
Fade In/out
Title sequences
Close up-
Extreme close up - shows emotion
Mid shot
Medium close up
Crane shots
Birds eye view shot
Long shot - shows location
Establishing shot - shows audiences the characters
High angle - used to show power
Low angle - used to show power
Two shot - get two people in the shot and shows their relationship
Over the shoulder shot - used from conversations
Dutch angle shot
Mise en scene:
Clothing
Props
Location
Fixtures
Colours
Characters
Time of day
Natural light
Artificial light
Environment
Sound:
Soundtrack
Sound effects
Semi diegectic
Non diegectic
Diegectic
Dialogue
Voice over
Editing:
Fade In/out
Title sequences
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