The Next Stages

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Guys, blogs are looking great and I am really happy with your progress!


At this stage, I think you all have your plot and opening ideas sorted out, now it is time to move on to the next stage.

1. A script is to be devised (you may come up with one between you, or, write one per group member and then choose)

2. A storyboard is to be drawn out, detailing your scenes, and camera movement and composition.

3. A shooting script to be written out, a good example to be found here:

4. Actors: Choose them wisely! You don't want your movie to be let down by poor acting, nor do you want your filming to be held up by unreliable people who don't show up!!

5.Mise-en-scene: Just like in the TV Drama you have been studying, you need to create verisimilitude in your film. Think of how you are going to represent certain aspects of social groups and how this may appeal to your audience. Think about costume etc carefully. Remember also that your genre usually has specific conventions in terms of mise-en-scene.... is your movie following them?

6. Please ensure that you distribute tasks among your group equally. This means that I can give you all a great mark (YAY!), you are working together as a team, you are on schedule and avoiding the dreaded meltdown :(

WE7 and Spotify

Thursday 3 December 2009

Folks maybe worth checking out we7


They were sort of precursors to Spotify, having embedded advertisements in exchange for free downloadable or streamed music content.

Spotify is great, as you are able to stream many full albums, live albums from so many of your favourite artists. A free Spotify account has adverts that last for around 30 seconds that repeat every 15 minutes.... a small price to pay for free music in a high bitrate, unlike some of the dodgy stuff that's downloaded from Limewire. A Spotify Premium account costs £12 a month or £120 a year and there are no adverts. This also means that you can access spotify on your iPhone, and even play the music in your playlists when you are not online!





Some music articles

It is REALLY important that you take an interest in the way that the internet in particular has impacted upon the music industry. Your knowledge of the music industry constitutes 25% of your overall mark. I will be posting up lots of articles that are imperative for you to read. Hopefully you will enjoy researching this subject :D












First Exam Question

Friday 27 November 2009

By now you should have completed all of the technical aspects of production in Tv drama, including editing, camera movement, composition and angles, sound and mise en scene.


In the following extract, (begin 1 min 21 sec into clip):
Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations of gender using the following:
-Camera Shots, angles, movement and composition
-Editing
-Sound
-Mise en Scene (lighting, costume, props etc)

You should watch the extract through once. Then watch again taking notes. Take notes after for a few minutes, then watch another twice taking notes.

The mark-scheme for this is:
-Explanation/analysis/argument (20 marks)
-Use of examples (20 marks)
-Use of terminology (10 marks)

You do not need to introduce or conclude, just to explain and analyse examples in relation to the representation of gender through the micro-analysis of the extract.

I would like this emailed to me by the evening of Wednesday 2nd December to ctierney911@c2kni.net thanks.


Your blogs!


I have to say I am really impressed with the work you are doing on your blogs guys..... Keep it up!

Monday 16 November 2009

Hi folks, some more work for you to do on your blogs, this time on image and sound editing. Again, try to complete your answers with video showing the technique in use. To be done for Monday 23rd November.


Editing

Transitions,
dissolve,
fade-in,
fade-out,
wipe,
superimposition,
long take,
short take,
slow motion,
ellipsis and expansion of time,
post-production,
visual effects.


Sound

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound;
synchronous/asynchronous sound;
sound effects;
sound motif,
sound bridge,
dialogue,
voiceover,
mode of address/direct address,
sound mixing,
sound perspective.

• Soundtrack:
score
incidental music
themes and stings
ambient sound

Shooting Scripts and Story Boards

Thursday 8 October 2009

Have a look at these sites that offer an example of story-boarding and shooting scripts



FRAMING AND EDITING

You should now look at the composition of shots and some of the editing techniques frequently used in the grammar of filming. Please make sure you have video evidence to accompany your points:

(To be done for Thursday 15th October)

Framing

Rule of Thirds

Depth of Field

Deep and shallow focus

Focus Pulls

Transition of image and sound

Continuity and non-continuity systems

Cutting

Shot/reverse shot

Eyeline Match

Graphic Match

Action Match

Jump cut

Cross Cuttting

Parallel editing

Shot types and angles

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Congratulations on the great start you have all made on your blog already, looking good!
You have been posting videos and pictures of camera movement and commenting on them with great success.

This week you should provide definitions, examples and commentary on:

(a) Shot Types
Extreme Long Shot
Close Up,
Medium Shot
Long shot
Mid shot
Wide shot
Two shot
Aerial shot
Point of view shot
Over the shoulder shot

(b) Camera Angles
High Angle
Low Angle
Canted Angle


To be done for Tuesday 22nd September

British TV Dramas

Monday 7 September 2009





Just to give you a list of some British TV Dramas (you are going to have to analyse this for your exam). There are plenty of these on Youtube and try and add clips to your blog. There are loads more but this will give you a range of genre to choose from:

Doctor Who
Bleak House
Pride and Prejudice
Spooks
Casualty
Monarch of the Glen
Skins
Shameless
Life on Mars
Lark Rise to Candleford
Lost in Austen
Jonathan Creek
Cracker
Prime Suspect
Wire in the Blood
Hollyoaks
New Tricks
The Bill
The Royal
Robin Hood
Ashes to Ashes
Waterloo Road
Law and Order
Heartbeat
Holby Blue
Torchwood
The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Camera Movement

Tuesday 1 September 2009





Ok folks, time to start researching some camera movements.

The technical terms I would like you to research are:

pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.


-Put the definition of the movement into your own words and then find an example of the movement (preferably from a British TV Drama) on Youtube and post it up to your blog.


-Once you have done this, comment on what the movement adds to our feelings towards the subject of what is being filmed


To be done for Friday 4th September


Easy peasy!

Blogging!

Monday 31 August 2009

Your blog is going to be a record of your development in Media Studies over the next year, it should be bursting with research, ideas, commentary, interesting links and videos. Firstly there are some important rules to take on board:


1.These blogs are solely for the purposes of your Media Studies A-level and should be treated accordingly.

2.Language should always be used appropriately.

3.Please play fair when commenting on the work and ideas of others

4.Don't share this blog publicly, it is only for me and the class to use and comment on. Ensure that your blog is set to private and that you invite only myself and your classmates as followers.

5.Do not link or post up offensive or unsuitable pictures or videos- this will be severely dealt with by the school


6.Please ensure that your blog has no personal information, details or photographs of you

Create a gmail account that is recognizable as you and create your blog at www.blogger.com

Happy blogging everyone!!