Describe
In detail
Setting
Theme
Icon
Narrative
Characters
Textual analysis
For music video:
- Vernallis
- Goodwin
For film:
- Steve Neale
- Rick Altman
Remember these key words:
Subverting- does not match the stereotype
Converting- matches the stereotype
Paragraph 1: Production/genre
Paragraph 2: Research typical codes/conventions
Paragraph 3: Theorist- subvert or conform to these (using examples)
Paragraph 4: Conclusion
Rick Altman's theory
Rick Altman proposed a theory, it had a semantic/syntactic approach to film genre, these are the two separate ways that he proposed film genre to work.
Semantic- Semantic means the way that the media is presented examples of this includes the way characters are presented (clothing, makeup, attitude, dialogue, angles and body language), music, setting.
Monday, 27 February 2017
Thursday, 23 February 2017
Anagrams for Section 1
DRPUC is an anagram to help us remember the key topics that could come up in Section 1a of our exam:
Digital Technology
Research and Planning
Post Production
Understanding forms and conventions
Creativity
NGRAM is to help us with Section 1b of our exam:
Narrative
Genre
Representation
Audience
Media Language
Camera work:
Framing
Angle
Movement
Mise en scene:
Costume
Lighting
Actors
Make up
Props
Setting
Digital Technology
Research and Planning
Post Production
Understanding forms and conventions
Creativity
NGRAM is to help us with Section 1b of our exam:
Narrative
Genre
Representation
Audience
Media Language
Camera work:
Framing
Angle
Movement
Mise en scene:
Costume
Lighting
Actors
Make up
Props
Setting
Audience
Audience 1b:
Key Theories:
• Hypodermic Syringe
• Cultivation/Drip Drip
• Marxist Hegemony
• Liberal Pluralism
• Uses and Gratifications
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• Stuart Hall- Reception theory
• Schadenfreude
Audience is passive, do what you're told, media controls you
Active audience, opposite of passive audience
Hypodermic Syringe:
Media is injected into you and you have no say on the matter. Permanent and instant change on you, you are powerless. Advertising relies on this theory- making you go out and buy stuff
Bobo doll- Social Learning Theory
Jamie Bulger case
- Injecting audience- instant hit/need to buy music
Cultivation/Drip Drip
Slowly feeding you with an ideal, the more you’re exposed to it the more you will take it in- desensitisation
- Offering our audience an innocent ideal before the desensitisation
- Music video- constant twitter feed and website update, news page etc
Marxist Hegemony
Top- Bourgeois elite (make the media)
Below- Passive masses (believe what they read/hear, ‘thank you for telling me that’, do what you're told)
Not so much now- more outlets, citizen journalism
Liberal Pluralism
Lots of views and lots of voices
Choose where you find your information, different truths
- Intelligent, insightful, smart teenager, fighting against stereotypes
- Using social media to comment on issues, going against hegemonic values
- Empowered women, not sexualised
Uses and Gratifications
Using the media to give you things that you want
The audience is active, we use the text, we are not used by it
Used for our own gratification or pleasure
- Diversion: everything together, website, Instagram (following someone’s life)
- Escapism: two worlds, not pleasuring but challenging, attaching an idea to story
- Information: from Ivory’s news page on website, twitter and social media, magazine article
- Pleasure:
- Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one’s own:
- Sexual stimulation
Schadenfreude
Taking pleasure from other people’s misfortunes
Makes you feel better about yourself
Water Cooler effect
The idea of gathering around to talk about something with a group of people
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Use the media to provide self-esteem, love/belonging
For us we provide belonging, be a part of Ivory’s fan club
Esteem- model yourself on our artist
Psychographic: working out your audience, describing your typical audience member.
Remember:
Who are your target audience?
How the audience received it?
Difference between the message and how it is received?
Key Theories:
• Hypodermic Syringe
• Cultivation/Drip Drip
• Marxist Hegemony
• Liberal Pluralism
• Uses and Gratifications
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• Stuart Hall- Reception theory
• Schadenfreude
Audience is passive, do what you're told, media controls you
Active audience, opposite of passive audience
Hypodermic Syringe:
Media is injected into you and you have no say on the matter. Permanent and instant change on you, you are powerless. Advertising relies on this theory- making you go out and buy stuff
Bobo doll- Social Learning Theory
Jamie Bulger case
- Injecting audience- instant hit/need to buy music
Cultivation/Drip Drip
Slowly feeding you with an ideal, the more you’re exposed to it the more you will take it in- desensitisation
- Offering our audience an innocent ideal before the desensitisation
- Music video- constant twitter feed and website update, news page etc
Marxist Hegemony
Top- Bourgeois elite (make the media)
Below- Passive masses (believe what they read/hear, ‘thank you for telling me that’, do what you're told)
Not so much now- more outlets, citizen journalism
Liberal Pluralism
Lots of views and lots of voices
Choose where you find your information, different truths
- Intelligent, insightful, smart teenager, fighting against stereotypes
- Using social media to comment on issues, going against hegemonic values
- Empowered women, not sexualised
Uses and Gratifications
Using the media to give you things that you want
The audience is active, we use the text, we are not used by it
Used for our own gratification or pleasure
- Diversion: everything together, website, Instagram (following someone’s life)
- Escapism: two worlds, not pleasuring but challenging, attaching an idea to story
- Information: from Ivory’s news page on website, twitter and social media, magazine article
- Pleasure:
- Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one’s own:
- Sexual stimulation
Schadenfreude
Taking pleasure from other people’s misfortunes
Makes you feel better about yourself
Water Cooler effect
The idea of gathering around to talk about something with a group of people
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Use the media to provide self-esteem, love/belonging
For us we provide belonging, be a part of Ivory’s fan club
Esteem- model yourself on our artist
Reception theory:
- Dominated/ preferred: they believe everything they are told is true.
- Negotiated: does not believe everything that media says, but believes some.
- Oppositional: will not believe anything the media says.
Psychographic: working out your audience, describing your typical audience member.
Remember:
Who are your target audience?
How the audience received it?
Difference between the message and how it is received?
Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Representation
Representation
Representation is how media texts deal with and present gender, age, ethnicity, national and regional identity, social issues and events to an audience.
Media texts have the power to shape an audience’s knowledge and understanding about these important topics. Stereotypes are a simplified representation of a person, groups of people or a place, through basic or obvious characteristics - which are often exaggerated.
For example, Vicky Pollard from Little Britain is a stereotypical example of a working class teenage girl. They can be used to describe characters quickly, relying on existing audience recognition. Stereotypes are dangerous as they can lead audiences to generalise about people or places.
Representation is how media texts deal with and present gender, age, ethnicity, national and regional identity, social issues and events to an audience.
Media texts have the power to shape an audience’s knowledge and understanding about these important topics. Stereotypes are a simplified representation of a person, groups of people or a place, through basic or obvious characteristics - which are often exaggerated.
For example, Vicky Pollard from Little Britain is a stereotypical example of a working class teenage girl. They can be used to describe characters quickly, relying on existing audience recognition. Stereotypes are dangerous as they can lead audiences to generalise about people or places.
Media Language
Media language is how you create meaning through Camera, Mise en scene, Editing and Sound.
Here are some acronyms that will help you write about the following subjects.
Camera F.A.M. - Frame, Angel and Movement
Mise en scene C.L.A.M.P.S.- Costume, Lighting, Actors, Make up, Props and Setting
Editing S.T.O.P.S. - SFX, Transitions, Order of Narrative, Pace and Screen time.
Sound M.C.D.O.V.E.D. - Music, Contrapuntal/Parallel, Dialogue, Off screen and On screen, Voiceover, Emotion and Diegetic/ Non diegetic.
Remember to include:
- How did you create meaning in your music video, Mise en scene, sound, editing and camera work.
- Include connotations and codes, remember to add the meaning of these codes.
Intro
- State what was made in AS production
- Codes and conventions (Ivory's dark lipstick)
- Textual analysis
Main body of essay
- Mise en scene (3 examples)
- Camera work (3 examples)
- Sound (3 examples)
- Editing (3 examples)
One paragraph on dijipak and website, which will include cross media branding and how the ancillary tasks link together.
Always include 3 theorists in the media language question
Here are some acronyms that will help you write about the following subjects.
Camera F.A.M. - Frame, Angel and Movement
Mise en scene C.L.A.M.P.S.- Costume, Lighting, Actors, Make up, Props and Setting
Editing S.T.O.P.S. - SFX, Transitions, Order of Narrative, Pace and Screen time.
Sound M.C.D.O.V.E.D. - Music, Contrapuntal/Parallel, Dialogue, Off screen and On screen, Voiceover, Emotion and Diegetic/ Non diegetic.
Remember to include:
- How did you create meaning in your music video, Mise en scene, sound, editing and camera work.
- Include connotations and codes, remember to add the meaning of these codes.
Intro
- State what was made in AS production
- Codes and conventions (Ivory's dark lipstick)
- Textual analysis
Main body of essay
- Mise en scene (3 examples)
- Camera work (3 examples)
- Sound (3 examples)
- Editing (3 examples)
One paragraph on dijipak and website, which will include cross media branding and how the ancillary tasks link together.
Always include 3 theorists in the media language question
Theories: Narrative theory, Todorov, genre theory and audience theory (representation).
Conclusion
- Effective use of media language is vital if a text is to communicate its intended meaning to its target audience successfully.
- Codes and conventions be used consistently.
Monday, 20 February 2017
Narrative Essay
Narrative- telling a story, plot and character, give a brief summary of your film opening.
Levi Strauss:
- Binary opposites (e.g. dark/light and old/new)
Todorov:
- equilibrium: disruption: new equilibrium
Propp:
- Typical characters, hero, villain, damsel, sidekick and dispatcher
Barthes:
- codes: action, symbolic (board games, roses), enigma (giving questions)
Linear an non-linear
Essay plan: film opening
Binary opposites:
- comparison between the teens an children
- sereotypical teens and our games club
Disruption:
- break u between friends
Typical chararcters:
- 4 stereotypical teens
Codes:
enigma- what happens between the relationship between the friends/ how did it beak up.
Levi Strauss:
- Binary opposites (e.g. dark/light and old/new)
Todorov:
- equilibrium: disruption: new equilibrium
Propp:
- Typical characters, hero, villain, damsel, sidekick and dispatcher
Barthes:
- codes: action, symbolic (board games, roses), enigma (giving questions)
Linear an non-linear
Essay plan: film opening
Binary opposites:
- comparison between the teens an children
- sereotypical teens and our games club
Disruption:
- break u between friends
Typical chararcters:
- 4 stereotypical teens
Codes:
enigma- what happens between the relationship between the friends/ how did it beak up.
Friday, 3 February 2017
Essay plan: Digital technology
Question: Explain how your skills in the creative use of digital technology developed over time. Refer to a range of examples from your media productions in your answer.
My AS media production group produced a film opening sequence for a feel good/teen film entitled 'Connect Four'. It focused on 2 male and 2 females that were friends but something in their path damaged their friendship forever. Where as our A2 media production focused on a music video for the artist 'Halsey' and her song 'Gasoline'. For our music video we wanted to be more creative and use a wider variety of skills. Therefore decided on a strong story line about a women who is fed up with the spotlight, she is powerful with an unstable side. In both years digital technology was a key process in learning new skills and developing our creativity.
During the preliminary stage at the start of the course, our groups knowledge on the whole was very limited on the whole was very limited on post-production and editing technologies. We had to start editing on premier pro when we did our 'Juno' task, but I was very unfamiliar with the software and its features were overwhelming. This task was required to include certain shots, therefore I focused on this and not music effects, color correction, transitions etc. But instead ensured match cuts, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule were present.
During Year 12, this contrasts massively with the digital technology we used for our preliminary tasks at AS. This is due to my increased knowledge of digital software, we could focus more on creative and in depth software. Where as in A2 we would focus on more basic software and use less advanced cameras. Using an advanced camera in Year 13 (Sony A500), helped us to focus more on the more creative aspects of post production. I did not focus as much on simple cutting but instead on complex editing (e.g.fast cutting), for example in our music video 'Like Me' we had a series of black screens in between a shot.
For our final production in Year 12, we learnt many of our digital technology skills from our preliminary tasks such as Juno and The Sunshine Killer. This enabled us to develop a creative and innovative production, whilst following the conventions of teen films, we got inspiration from 'Stand by me' and 'Breakfast Club'. From studying and researching these films we were able to develop from very simple cuts (straight) to dissolves, transitions and fast cutting between our titles. Fading from being young into being teens that are still together as friends.
This also contrasts to our Year 13 production, as we then had a greater understanding of the digital technologies used and how post-production skills are important. We achieved more creative productions through the sound in the production, for our music video 'Like Me' the beats allowed us to experiment with fast cuts and black screens in between shots. These black screens in our music video showed the 'crazy' side of our artist, which is very important in attracting our audience.
Following the conventions and themes for our indie-pop genre we created a relevant music video four our song, creating an insane feel. This helped us to show our editing skills, developing our use of fast cuts that we had first used in our preliminary tasks in Year 12. The fast cuts, camera moving with artist and black screens all helped to create a crazy feel to the production. We were able to use our skills from our preliminary task in Year 13 using 'Premier Pro', to edit our final music video to its highest quality. The skills of using saturation and color correction meant that the scenes could look darker and more eerie, like we wanted them to. Also some scenes were to yellow looking so we color corrected this on premier pro. All of the skills we have collected and applied have help create a high quality product.
My AS media production group produced a film opening sequence for a feel good/teen film entitled 'Connect Four'. It focused on 2 male and 2 females that were friends but something in their path damaged their friendship forever. Where as our A2 media production focused on a music video for the artist 'Halsey' and her song 'Gasoline'. For our music video we wanted to be more creative and use a wider variety of skills. Therefore decided on a strong story line about a women who is fed up with the spotlight, she is powerful with an unstable side. In both years digital technology was a key process in learning new skills and developing our creativity.
During the preliminary stage at the start of the course, our groups knowledge on the whole was very limited on the whole was very limited on post-production and editing technologies. We had to start editing on premier pro when we did our 'Juno' task, but I was very unfamiliar with the software and its features were overwhelming. This task was required to include certain shots, therefore I focused on this and not music effects, color correction, transitions etc. But instead ensured match cuts, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule were present.
During Year 12, this contrasts massively with the digital technology we used for our preliminary tasks at AS. This is due to my increased knowledge of digital software, we could focus more on creative and in depth software. Where as in A2 we would focus on more basic software and use less advanced cameras. Using an advanced camera in Year 13 (Sony A500), helped us to focus more on the more creative aspects of post production. I did not focus as much on simple cutting but instead on complex editing (e.g.fast cutting), for example in our music video 'Like Me' we had a series of black screens in between a shot.
For our final production in Year 12, we learnt many of our digital technology skills from our preliminary tasks such as Juno and The Sunshine Killer. This enabled us to develop a creative and innovative production, whilst following the conventions of teen films, we got inspiration from 'Stand by me' and 'Breakfast Club'. From studying and researching these films we were able to develop from very simple cuts (straight) to dissolves, transitions and fast cutting between our titles. Fading from being young into being teens that are still together as friends.
This also contrasts to our Year 13 production, as we then had a greater understanding of the digital technologies used and how post-production skills are important. We achieved more creative productions through the sound in the production, for our music video 'Like Me' the beats allowed us to experiment with fast cuts and black screens in between shots. These black screens in our music video showed the 'crazy' side of our artist, which is very important in attracting our audience.
Following the conventions and themes for our indie-pop genre we created a relevant music video four our song, creating an insane feel. This helped us to show our editing skills, developing our use of fast cuts that we had first used in our preliminary tasks in Year 12. The fast cuts, camera moving with artist and black screens all helped to create a crazy feel to the production. We were able to use our skills from our preliminary task in Year 13 using 'Premier Pro', to edit our final music video to its highest quality. The skills of using saturation and color correction meant that the scenes could look darker and more eerie, like we wanted them to. Also some scenes were to yellow looking so we color corrected this on premier pro. All of the skills we have collected and applied have help create a high quality product.
Essay plan: Using conventions of real media texts
Use of real media conventions involves consideration of other texts that you looked at and how skillfully you were able to weave their conventions into your work or ways in which you might have challenged them.
Tips:
- As film research
- What film openings did you research
- Genre (what kind of characters, setting and location etc.)
- Format conventions: titles for a film opening.
Tips:
- As film research
- What film openings did you research
- Genre (what kind of characters, setting and location etc.)
- Format conventions: titles for a film opening.
Thursday, 2 February 2017
Essay Plan- Research and planning
Intro
- Split up research and planning
- In year 12 we made a film opening about a group of friends who decide to start a board game club...
- In year 13 we made a music video for an Indie artist called 'Ivory' and it had a very deranged, unusual feel...
- In both years research and planning was very important...
Year 12 (research)
|
Year 13 (research)
|
Genre conventions- E.g. Stand by me, little
genre research completed.
|
Similar artists- also compared to
different genres, developed/challenged conventions. In depth research.
|
Titles- screenshot research, real
media conventions.
|
Titles- 30 second breakdown of shots,
mise en scene etc.
|
Costume/mise en scene- only one
costume throughout the entire film opening.
|
Costume/mise en scene- multiple
locations for filming, lots of outfits and makeup/hair changes.
|
Narrative- beginning of a film and basic/simplistic
narrative.
|
Narrative- There is a whole text and
narrative that needs to be strictly followed. Also it has disjuncture.
|
Audience- No research, not needed.
|
Audience- It is very in depth and
sophisticated.
|
Year 12 (planning)
|
Year 13 (planning)
|
Storyboard- Very basic and stuck to
the storyboard.
|
Storyboard- More in depth storyboard,
helps get ideas for it and helps identify problems.
|
Risk Assessment- is very basic and not
very detailed.
|
Risk Assessment- More dangerous
locations, so more complex risk assessment.
|
Steal-o-matic- No steal-o-matic needed
in year 12.
|
Steal-o-matic- An advanced
steal-o-matic had to be made. There is more challenges to face.
|
Shooting schedule- very simple and
with little dates.
|
Shooting schedule- Fairly complex,
with more dates and details.
|
Exam Overview
OCR G325:
There are four possible subjects our Section A questions could be about:
- The exam is 2 hours long
- You spend 1 hour on each section
- Have to answer 2 questions from Section A
- And spend 30 minutes on each of these individual questions
- Section A is worth 50 marks (25 marks for each Q) and Section B is worth 50 marks
- Section A- about our coursework
- Section B- Collective Identity (representations of British youth)
There are four possible subjects our Section A questions could be about:
- Digital Technology
- Research and Planning
- Post-Production (editing, sound etc)
- Using conventions from research texts
- They could also feature a creativity angle such as: 'How creative were you in your research and planning?'
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