Planning.

I think I may have worded it incorrectly when I mentioned we were think of doing a horror/dance film. I didn't mean typical horror where somebody is following somebody, as we all think that would be so cliche. I think we are going for a more emotional feel,some thing more dark almost like somebody is expressing there emotion through dance, which just happens to be at the same time as someone is being beaten. It is more about the contrast of the two and to trying to come away from the fairy tale, sugar coated  feel that most musical/dance films seem to follow. That is just not realistic. I hope this idea is more appreciated and would help the group gain a better grade. 
:)

Planning.

After discussing with the group what we thought would be a good plot, we came up with a simple idea of following a horror/ dance theme. Not something that you see everyday, our aim wouldn't be to scare the audience but to include an aspect which is regularly seen.
 For instance I had the idea that the opening shot could be of somebody lying dead on the floor with makeup on (looking like blood, connoting that maybe they have been beaten up or killed or something along those lines). The opening titles would then begin to show and it would go back to a dancer doing their audition- along side with this it would then go back to this 'Dead" person from the opening walking and getting killed. This would then reflect in the movements that the dancer is performing. Very 'Save the last dance' style.

We realise that this would have to be extremely well shot and planned and also the choreography for the dance that would need to be performed would be very particular and rehearsed....:(

We could do with a challenge.:)

Planning.

For my final task we have been asked to create a film opening of around 3 mins long. I have decided to work as a group of 3, myself Hannah and Emily. I think that it would be good idea to work together because we all have similar interests, so therefor we have decided to do a dance based film (an interest and subject that we all study)  we are not 100% sure of the plot yet but we do know its going to follow a dramatic dance structure.

Inspiration.


After all of us watching numerous dance films here are a couple of my favorite due to there style of movement and the ways of which they have been shot.




Fame 2009- I have chosen this film because its modern and more contemporary which contrasts the original and I think that it is important for us to make something relevant that many people our age will be interested in.





Step Up- This is another contemporary example, I like this film because of the contrasting styles of dance that are used, this is visually interesting and maybe a good idea to include in the opener, I think this is a good idea because it grabbed my attention , the main point of the opening few minutes of a film.
:)

Representation, Soap Character

As part of studying Representation we were asked to complete a character description about a soap character using Mise En Scene. I have chosen to describe Zac Dingle from the itv1 soap Emmerdale and Jack Branning from Eastenders. I think they are good examples because they both follow there strict stereotypical role.

Zak Dingle the tradition country farm owner, his strong yorkshire accent and way of dress makes it clear to spot his occupation almost immediately. For instance his dress, he wears very traditional farm clothes, tweeds, browns and earthy colours, his flat cap represents his yorkshire heritage. His flat cap is most probably the best form of representation on Zak, this is a old stereotype of Northerners especially the males of Yorkshire.

I have also chosen Jack Branning because I think that he is the typical east-end hard man, dressed in his sharp suit and with his manly stance he gives off all the wrong signals. As the east-end are traditionally more aggressive and 'violent' Jack's character is all of the above, he is dressed as the businessman (looking like he has money) this contrasting to Zak above who looks like he hasn't got any money to spare. His sly smirk makes him look seedy and unkind almost polar opposites to Zak's welcoming yet cuddly face.

I chose these 2 characters just as a short comparison to the ways in which people are represented in like of there place of living and occupation.

Favourite Music.

I like this song because it is being played acousticly, I prefer this track rather than the original because I think it appears more personal and you can really tell she can sing.
Recently her music has become extremely popular due to her new sound.

Oasis- Stop Crying Your Heart Out- I love this song and most other songs by Oasis, I think the lyrics seem sad but when you listen to the song you see that there almost encouraging to the listener,.

The Killers- Mr Bright-side- This is one of my all time favorite songs it is so motivational and happy, every time I listen to it, it gives me energy and makes me feel happy.

Lily Allen- 22 and F*ck You- I think I love these songs because of the way it comes across in a light hearted manner yet the lyrics of the song are very serious and political.





The Beatles- Hey Jude-I also love this song, I generally think the Beatles music slightly dated but I think this song is iconic.

Representation, Commando

As part of exploring Representation gender wise (Masculinity and Feminity) we watched Commando, an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.


As a group we watched the introductory sequence to Arnold's character and were asked to make notes on the characteristics of Commando.  But before doing this we were asked to write a list of presumptions about Commando's role as a father. We were informed that he was a single parent and an ex member of the army/secret agent force.
My presumed list/list we made after watching the sequence contained things such as;
-Brave
-Daring
-Follows Schedules
-Hard Working
-Role Model
-Nurturing
-Wise
etc.......


We then went on to talk about Frued and Phallic symbols.
Frued and Phallic symbol's- Objects of which may represent the males 'Penis'/ size of the males 'Penis'. As a group we then went on to discuss the front cover of the film, we made a short list of notes about how the cover may have representational values to Frued or Phallic symbols. We came up with the size of his muscles, his facial expressions and the size of the gun he was holding.




We then went then on to talk about  his powerful status and all things that connoted with power,
I came up with
-Intimidating
-Stoic
-Intelligent
-Rich
-Rugged
-Determined
-Attractive
-Vein


After watching the piece  we realised that commando was quite contrasting the points we made above. We discovered his kind nature and loving attitude to his daughter, this was so much so that it was slightly un-comfortable to watch. Due to only being the two of them living together it was almost like watching the relationship between a husband and a wife rather than father and daughter. 
 We expected everything we seen in his physical appearance, his muscle and hard exterior, he looks very intimidating and rugged. And supposedly attractive in the days of which it was released, of course times have changed and Commando is not the typical man of lust.
:)

7 Key Areas of Representation.

Representation Key Areas.
-Gender
-Age
-Ethnicity
-Sexuality
-Class and Status
-Physical ability and Disabilities
-Regional Identity

Gatekeeping.

Gatekeeper's- They are the people who are part of the decision making process in the construction of media   of media texts.


(Who do I consider to be Gatekeepers?)
-  BBC Commissioners
-  Law Makers
-  Directors
-  Producers
-  Editor
-  Audience  

Facial Expression.

Marjorie Ferguson. (1980's)
Ferguson managed to identify 4 different types of facial expression on the front cover on British Woman's Magazines.


Chocolate Box.
+ Half/Full smile
+ Lips together/Slightly parted
+ Teeth barely visible
+ Full/Three quarters of face to the camera 
Invitational.
+ Emphasis on the eyes
+ Mouth shut with hint of a smile
+ Head to one side or looking back to the camera
Super-Smiler
+ Full face
+ Wide open, toothy smile
+ Head thrusts forward to chin thrown back
+ Hair often wind blown
Romantic or Sexual
+ Includes male/female 'two somes'
+ Dreamy
+ Heavy Lidded
+ Overtly Sensual


Trevor Millum. (1990's)


Seductive.
+ Similar to cool/Level
+ Eyes less wide 
+ Expression is less reserved but still confident
+Milder
Carefree
+ Nymph like
+ Active
+ Healthy
+ Vibrant
+ Outdoor Girl
+ Often Smiling/Grinning
Practical
+ Concentrating
+ Enagaged in business in hand
+ Mouth Closed
+ Eyes object directed
+ Sometimes a slight frown
+ Hair often tied back or short style
Comic
+ Deliberately ridiculous
+ Exaggerated
+ Acting the fool
+ Pulling Faces
Catalogue
+ A neutral look of a dummy, artificial, wax like
+ Features may be in any position but most likely to be with eyes open wide and smiling
+ Looks remain vacant and empty with personality removed


:)

Preliminary Task Evaluation Questions

Preliminary Task Evaluation Questions



1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

In the filmed element of the task I worked with Olivia Kimberly, Vicky Packwood, Emily Jones and Hannah Scoular. I believe we worked very well together and created a very good short film.

In the Magazine and contents task I worked with Hannah Scoular, I believe the match was very good, we both have similar worth ethics. I believe this helped us create such a successful Magazine cover and contents page.

2. How did you plan your sequence? What element did you use for your inspiration?

For the short film we created a story board with pictures and some of the speech elements of the task. We also discussed as a group what we thought would be most effective in terms of camera angles. Only being able to use 15 frames was difficult at first but we managed to add the vital frames in, those being match on action shot and a shot reverse shot.

In the Magazine cover myself and Hannah did a short brainstorm and a sketch, we didn’t want to be too precise because we wanted to experiment with different pictures of different people.

3. What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

For the magazine cover we used photo shop and a camera to help us reach the final produce. In the movie piece we used imovie. Of course when using a video camera for the preliminary exercise we had to use a tripod, this ensured we gained a still steady shot. Also when using the camera for the magazine prelim we had to check the light to ensure tat it was going to be suitable for the preliminary exercise. 
4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

When figuring out the filmed piece we had to ensure that we didn’t include to many shots and that we stuck to the 180 degree rule. In the magazine we had to ensure we stuck to the limited colour palette so that our cover and contents didn’t look to busy.

5. How successful was your sequence/magazine cover? Identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

I think that both tasks were very successful, The final cut was good and the acting was praised throughout. I think if doing the filmed piece again I may have gone back and edited it a little more, this would have created a much more finished look.

If doing the Contents and magazine cover again I would have organised the group a little more, this would ensure we had everything together quicker so we had more time focussing on the final details.

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework?

I think that when completing the rest of my coursework I will realise that organisation and group communication is the most important thing. If you are successful in this the group will work well together.

Calvin Klein- The representation of the female figure.

Calvin Klein; Representation of Females.
:)

Prelim 2- Magazine Cover and Contents Page- The finished magazine and contents.

For the cover as i stated above we were advised correctly to use a limited colour pallet, this creates an eye catching covert that wont confuse the reader at first glance.



Myself and Hannah both thought the picture of Miles fit perfectly for the purpose of our magazine, being a relevant student body.
The Cover stories we decided to use we joint decisions, we thought they were slightly humorous but still had relevance.
We were both extremely happy with our magazine cover.

Contents --- For the contents page we again chose a limited colour palette for the reasons above. This time we thought to give out contents a more realistic effect we would use a different shot of somebody else. This shows we have backups and have thought further into the design process before hand. We also thought Dani (who we were originally using) has the right look for editorial pieces as she is extremely photogenic.

MYself and Hannah were extremely pleased with the outcome of our contents page and believe we followed the brief well.



:)

The Male Gaze.

As part of the As media course it is esential that we have a range of understanding about numerous theories and there creators. In this case we were tought about The Male Gaze by Laura Mulvey.

The Male Gaze basically means the way in which a person is presented on the screen. In this case Mulvery concentrates on the way women are viewed on screen, an object or an actual human being. With numerous references to femenism;
-How do men look at women,
-How women look at themselves,
-How women look at other women.


Laura Mulveys theory consists of numerous elements. Laura Mulvey Coined the term the Male Gaze in 1975. She beleives that film audiences have to 'view' characters from the perspective of the hetrosexual male. Meaning the ways in which women are looked as is just for there appearnace.
 Features included in the male gaze.
The camera lingers on the shape of the female body, and the event of which occur in the way the women are presented, largely in the context of a mans reaction to these events. This basically saying women are always shown as the sex symbol, there just there for the hetrosexual male to 'gaze' at.


There of course are controversies about peoples theories, some women may like being loked at, for instance beauty pagents. Women are more than happy to show there beauty in the form of a competition. 


The gaze may also be aimed at mebers of the sasme gender for several reasons, not all of which are sexual, such as some women man enjoy looking at women in terms of comparrison, in clothing or body image.

:)

Spike Jonez

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Spike Jonez

View more presentations from jackreid123.

Here is the presentation by myself, Laura Danson and Leonie Holder. This Presentation was based around the works of Spike Jonze. As a group we thought that his technique of displaying things exactly the way they are shot rathert than editing the colour in picture. I thought this looked very effective and urban, this is a metho I would strongly consider using when creating my final practical peice.
:)

The 5 Narrative codes.

The 5 codes.

We put these 5 codes into practice when closely analysing The Royal Tenenbaums.

Action code - Applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be.

Enigma Code - Refers to any element in a story that is not explained and therefore, exists as an enigma for the audience, raising query that will eventually deman an explanation.

The Semantic code - Any element in a text that suggests a partticular additional meaning by relyin on connation.

The cultural code - Any element in a narrative that refers "to a science or a ody of knowledge" in other words the cultural codes generally tend to point to peoples shared knowledge aout the way the world works.

The Symloic code - To understand the symolic code you need to first understand 'Binary opposites'. Levi Straus believed that the world was split into a series of ' binary opposites' essentially one thing which can only be defined in relation to something that isnt. For Example, A hero is only a hero if there is a coward. So therefore the symbolic code is between a hero and a coward.

Ideology code - An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things as a belief which helps explain the world around us. My way of looking at things is... when I die I will be remembered, a memory I beleive that I wont be reancarnated. People who kill should be punished, by saying they should be killed infers my nature is just as cruel as theres, and child abusers should be torcherd.

The Royal Tenenbaums.

As Media Mr Smith Analysing Margot From the Royal Tenenbaums
:)

The Royal Tenenbaums.

As part of an introduction we were asked to watch the opening sequence to the film The Royal Tenenbaums, a 2001 motion picture written and directed by Wes Anderson, starring numerous actors/actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Released in the UK on the 15th March 2002 after being nominated for an Oscar and winning other numerous movie awards. The 2 genre’s of the film are comedy and drama.  This production was rated at certificate 15. 

After watching the opening sequence we were asked to write an essay (500-1000 words) about Mise En Scene (the french term meaning what you see on screen) within the piece. we were asked to choose one particular character and comment on the five elements within the sequence involving this particular character ; Costume and Props, Camera Angles, Setting, Lighting and Characters.

I chose Margot because I think that she was the deepest most interesting character, she had a lot of depth to her personality and I thought she would be interesting to analyse. 

:)

Representation, Tessa Perkins and Festinger.

Representation.


In one of our lesseons we were discussing and analysing the different effects of Representationa and Stereotyping. We were also looking at the thories of Tessa Perkins and Festinger.


 Stereotypes overlook individual qualitites and create an easy option for people to catorgorise a certain person and place into a certain social group. This makes it easier for people to place people it a category and judge from there instead of getting to no the person.  The method is commonly used throughout the media, for instance in the form of a advertising commercial and film. This helps people get an instant insight into the characters without having to watch hours of footage of them. E.G. if within the first minute of  movie there was a group of 'chavs' all huddled together in the middle of a park your mind instantly thinks there maybe illegal substances involved such as drugs. This method advertisement is especially important because there very short, so therefore there is not enough time for an character to be fully established. If there is a stereotypical figure involved the onlooker makes an immediate presumption and continues to focus on the rest of the advert. 


After discussing as a class the general term 'Stereotype' we moved on to discuss Tessa Perkins views and opinions on the matter. Tessa believes that not all stereotypes are bad and can be looked at as a positive thing. For example ' The french are all good cook's' 'Black people are all successful athletes' as a french/black person this is a compliment, when we no that this isn't actually true.  Opposing to this stereotypes are sometimes negative. Like the media in the 21st century generally class the youths of today as a stereotypical group of people that like to cause damage and create noise. I no as a youthful figure in the community that this is not necessarily true. This gives all youths a bad name and can deprive them of many opportunities.
 On the other hand Tessa believes there is reality within a stereotype for instance ' lollipop ladies always wear a florescent  coat' we no that this is correct. 


After this we went on to talk about:

The theory of cognitive dissonance 

Argued that we resist adjusting our attitude unless faced with overwhelming evidence against it. Believed that we seek out confirmation of our thoughts/beliefs. this links with PLURALISM ='audience theory'. 

Basically saying that unless we are given hard evidence about a theory we don't believe in we will never begin to think its true.

After this task i went away and thought how i could apply the use of Representation to my work. I think that stereotypes are a great way of quickly giving an insight into somebody life/personality. I would use and recommend the uses of stereotypes when creating an advertising campaign so its easier for the reader/onlooker at first glance to fully understand what is happening.


:)

Prelim 2- Magazine Cover and Contents Page.

As another introduction to the course and photoshop we were asked to crearte a School Magazine Cover and Contents page. We were asiked to go into groups of 2 I chose to go with Hannah Scoular because I think she has a certain relevance to the school community. At first we chose Dani Haigh to front our magazine cover but later changed it as it was difficult to cut out. Later after deliberating as a group we thought it would make it easier to take another picture and would be visually better quality to take another photol. Unfortunately  Dani was unavailable to take another photo for us at short notice. This caused complication for the group, we later decided to have Miles Splevings as our cover photograph, we chose him  because we thought his look was relevant and likely to be seen on the front of a published magazine.


Over all we were very impressed with out end product, we even considered wether we would buy this magazine.


Here is the starting picture which we took of Miles for our Front cover.

After gaining further feedback from the teacher and making a few minor alterations we transformed the picture above into what we thought was a marketable magazine cover and contents page.

 :)

Preliminary exercise.- Short video

As one of our tasks we were asked to create a short video no longer than 15 frames. Using skills such as shot reverse shot, action shot and a range of other camera angles. In the film we had to include a member of the group walking into a room sitting at a table and having a conversation with somebody.
In ours we thought it would be a good idea for one of us to go into the library and ask to use a computer. Unfortunately the librarian was not willing to let us film, so instead of recreating a new storyboard we thought it would be better time management to create a library scene of our own. When the film is completely finished and edited I will make sure I post it onto my Blog.!
:)