Preliminary task.

The brief we were given for our preliminary task was to create:
           A continuity task involving filming and edited a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task must demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and 180 degree rule.


           We decided to link our preliminary task theme to our main task theme in some way. the storyline we looked to create for our preliminary task is as follows:

• A religious extremist (charlie) kidnaps a young girl (Ellie) who is 'not pure' and attempts to make her pure by torture and murder.
• He recites a passage from the bible regarding sin:

Charlie: Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.


Ellie: (distressed) Where am i?!


Charlie: (calm) You're in a good place.

Ellie: What are you doing to me?!

Charlie: I'm going to make you pure.


(The religious man stabs the girl and the scene ends with a black screen and a high pitched scream)

           Our next decision was to make the film appear in black and white in order to give a darker theme and create a more eerie atmosphere. We used one of the schools' 'flip cam's' to film our preliminary task as it is small and compact and simple but effective to use. Here is a plan of the shots used:

• We pan in (using a tripod) to Ellie tied to a chair struggling in a white dress (White because it is seen as a pure colour). A flash of light (created by the movement of a curtain) is used to make her visible in the dark room where we filmed.
• We then use shot/reverse shot to show her hands (tied up) behind the chair. the shot switches back to a close up of her face for more dramatic effect.
• The next shot pans up to a low angle shot of charlie entering the room through a door slowly.
• The next is a mid shot of charlie reciting the passage from the bible, The dialogue exchanged here is where we use the 180 degree rule through alternate over the shoulder shots of each character. 

• Between the lines "What are you doing to me?!" and "I'm going to make you pure." is where the match on action shot is used in charlie slamming down the bible on a table next to Ellie which are both mid shots.

• The next shot is an over the shoulder shot of Ellie with the line "I'm going to make you pure".
• The final shot is a mid, over the shoulder shot of Charlie pulling the knife out of his pocket and leaning forward. The screen now fades to black.
• On the black screen, a scream is heard.

            Throughout the whole 1:01 minute sequence a slow drone is hear which we added during editing and the sound of the door opening was also added during editing. We edited out shots using imovie on the mac computers in school. We found the sound effects in imovie and the precision editor extremely useful. We filmed our preliminary task in the drama studio and the drama studio annex, turned all the lights off and closed the blinds to create the eerie atmosphere of an old abandoned warehouse.

Media conference in London on the 4th of November

           On the 4th of November most media students in sixth form attended a media conference at the institute of education in London which included guest speakers from all area's of the media. I found the trip an extremely inspirational experience and it opened my mind to all different occupations within the media and in film production. The theme of the day was media representation of the London riots and how big a part they played in them. We were encouraged to take notes on the speakers so below i have shown what I took note on during the day:

David Buckingham of the institute of education

Media representation of young people focusing on the summer riots

• The types of negative language used creates a very negative image of the youth of today "Flaming morons", "Yob rule", "Hoodies" and "Ferrel youth".
• The riots are said to have been caused by the police shooting of a young man in Tottenham and a peaceful protest escalating  into people demanding answers.
• 40% of articles on young people are related to crime.
• 71% of articles are negative.

"Women in journalism - 2008" look into youth representation in the media:

• 72% or articles regarding young people were negative.
• Only 3.4% were positive.
• The majority of positive youth representation was regarding young people who had been killed or come to an untimely death.

Barnardo's discovered 50% of adults believe that children are out of control.

The role of the media in the Summer riots 

• Social networking was apparently used to organise the riots (blackberry messenger etc.)
• The media put a lot of blame on aggressive and violent themes in rap music and video games.
• How different issues are 'framed' plays a big part in the public's impression of the issues. If only half of the story is told then this can completely manipulate the public's opinions of it. The same manipulation can be brought about by broadcast and print journalists expressing their own opinions in a very persuasive way.
• People who have authority speak about issues which they are by no means experts on.
• The Bankers and politicians issues with expenses etc. is an issue raised with regards to someone to blame for the riots. They are said to be setting a bad example for the general public, all of the expense 'fiddling' is also an element which causes the public to lose respect for those authority figures which, in turn, causes rebellion.

Christine Bell - examiner for WJEC
Research into Doctor who - one of the BBCs longest running text's. What makes it so successful?

• Complex and appealing narrative.
• The appeal of 'The doctors' character "I'm not a hero, i'm just a mad man with a box."
• Strong representation of women in 'Amy Pond' and 'River Song'.
• High production values.
• Audience involvement via the website.
• Respected script writers.
• Popular spin off's such as 'Tourchwood' and 'The Sarah Jane adventures'.
• Broad target audience.
• Re-invents itself for new generations, always improving.
• Loyal fans.
• Escapism.
• Expectations which carry it through not so spectacular episodes.
• Social interactions via the website and social networking websites such as facebook.

Steph Henry - examiner for AQA
A look into cross-platform media focusing on Being Human
            Steph Henry looked at the popular TV series 'Being Human' based around young people experiencing human life in a supernatural body. She explained how the series has an extremely strong online presence with constant updates on newly running series' for keen viewers. She went into depth about how interactive and Internet access for viewers of the TV show is very important in promoting it. There are some clips from the show, character profiles and voicemails from the show which are only available on the Internet which encourages the audience to become more involved with the programme.
           She also mentioned briefly a spin off from 'Being human' called 'Becoming human' following the life of a character (adam) who only had a brief appearance in the main show. This spin off is also only available on the Internet and so encourages the audience again to be more involved in the series.

Pete Fraser - examiner for OCR who was unable to make the conference however his presentation was still shown 
Top tips for making your production better:

• Look at lots of examples!
• Focus on audio and its effectiveness.
• Make sure titles look professional.
• Keep camerawork professional and eliminate continuity errors.
• Make sure setting and costumes are well organised and realistic.
• Ensure actors are well rehearsed and given good direction.
• Editing should take a considerably long time and be done well.
• Make sure the narrative is effective but not overly complicated.

9 Key words to focus on:

• Research - Look into other horror films and keep evidence of all research.
• Planning - Record everything, organise yourself and show your journey.
• Evidence - Show storyboards, photo's of your locations etc.
• Ideas - Keep ideas and plans simple and realistic, make it simple enough to fit into a 25 word pitch.
• Get feedback - From peers and teachers, take notice and respond accordingly.
• Logistics - Share contact details and be prepared with; people, props and costume. Rehearse all scenes. 
• Equipment - Use the equipment to the best of its ability, practise and prepare.
• Production - Always shoot extra material, its better to have too much than not enough!
• Reflection - Reflect on all work throughout, look to your teacher for advice.

http://www.petesmediablog.blogspot.com/

Garth Jennings - On his life as a director

Examples of his work:

• Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
• Son of Rambo - which he wrote and directed.
• Fatboy slim - right here right now.
• Blur - Coffee and TV.
• The PG Tipps 'monkey and Al' adverts.
• Ali G title sequence.
• How to train your dragon.
• Vampire weekend - cousins.

           Jennings started out making short films as a child and then went on to do and art foundation course and then a production course at university. He explained to us how he still works with the people he met at university today. His lifestyle and story was extremely inspirational and i feel now that direction and production are areas of the media which i may well like to go into in the future.

Babita Sharma (Broadcast journalist for BBC World) and Paul lewis (Print journalist for the Guardian).

Babita Sharma

• Attended cardiff university.
• Applied for a postgraduate degree but didn't get accepted.
• Took a gap year and moved to Dubai where she "experienced life a bit more".
• Started at her BBC local radio station.
• Now has a permanent slot on BBC World from 1am to 4am.

Paul Lewis

• Attended Cambridge university studying social and political science.
• Started as a free-lance journalist.
• Got a trainee-ship at The Guardian.
• Moved up and is now a very well respected print journalist.

Both Babita and Paul were really inspirational, it made me realise that to move forward in journalism you just have to be committed and hard working, and with that commitment almost anything it possible.

All in all, a good day.

Lesson 4 on our own horror movie opening - our finished storyboard.

During lesson 4 we worked primarily on drawing up a final storyboard and got up to shot 13, here is our storyboard:

We did not specify shot times as we're not sure how to be specific until filming.

Target audience survey and results.

Please indicate your age range:

- 13-15

- 16-18

- 19-21

- 22-24

- 25+

How often do you watch horror/ thriller films:

- Once a week

- Once a month

- Once every six months

- Once a year

- Never 

What do you look for in a Horror film?

- Graphic fight scenes with good special effects 

- A psychological storyline that makes you become more deeply involved in the narrative

- A well known director and starring actors/ actresses

- Good reviews by reliable sources

- If other please specify:

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

Where do you watch horror films and why?

- In the cinema

Why? ....................................................................................................................................................................................

- On the internet

Why? ....................................................................................................................................................................................

- On dvd/ blu-ray

Why? ....................................................................................................................................................................................

- On a mobile device

Why? ....................................................................................................................................................................................

Do you use any social networking sites? (tick more than one if necessary)

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Myspace

- Tumblr

- Windows live messenger

- Google+

- If other please specify:

....................................................................................................................................................................................

Where do you find out about new horror film releases?

- Friends

- Social Networking 

- Newspapers

- Magazines 

- TV programmes 

- Film award ceremonies for example the BAFTAs

How much do you spend on watching films of the horror genre within a month (including cinema trips)?

- £0.00-£5.00

- £5.50-£10.00

- £10.50-£15.00

- £15.50-£20.00

- £20.00+

Thank you for your time.

See detailed analysis of results in A3 coursework book.

Essay style analysis of 'The dark knight' opening sequence.

The introduction of the film institutions creates a dark atmosphere from the beginning. The logos are shown in very dark colours suggesting dark themes to continue for the rest of the film. Meanwhile, quite eerie, realistic, non-diegetic sounds of wind and the odd drum beat contributes to the atmosphere during the film institution logo's. A faint, sustained note begins playing after the logos and with the first establishing shot of rooftops comes a single beat of a drum, this creates a sense of anticipation and begins to build tension.

Establishing shot switches to a mid shot of a man wearing a clown mask, the mask plays on the common fear of clowns leaving the audience to establish that he is the bad guy.

After the window is smashed the picture goes back to ground level where a man dressed in dark clothing (dark clothing gives negative imagery confirming that the masked men are indeed the bad guys). The shot gradually zooms in to another variation of the clown mask making the two characters already introduced linked. Again the clown mask being used to create negative imagery and possibly scare the audience.

A black truck pulls up next to the man in dark clothing and the man enters. As the truck pulls up an up tempo beat starts playing, this suggests there is more action to come or even that a plan is beginning to unfold. After we see the two men from the very first shot use a zip wire to get onto the roof of another building the shot switches back to the men in the car who we now discover are all wearing the clown masks. This forms the idea of all the men being part of a gang, the audience is gradually understanding more about the potential plot.

An over the shoulder shot is used to view the two men’s conversation in the front two seats as well as allowing the audience to see the man in the back seat loading a gun. A gun is an extremely common prop used to allow the audience to establish the genre and used mainly here to confirm suspicions that some kind of elaborate scheme is about to take place (possibly theft).

The two men in the front two seats begin talking about shares in money, their gruff voices, colloquialisms and general dialect suggest a low status as well as stereotyping them as gangsters or professional criminals.

The two men in the front seats also mention ‘the joker’ for the first time, this hooks in audience members who know the batman saga well as he is a main character (it also allows those audience members to almost laugh at the naivety of the masked men “huh, he thinks he can sit it out and still take a share”). But for those audience members who so not know the series of films well, the mention of ‘the joker’ is very thought provoking, if even merely through his abnormal name. Which again is a hook to make the audience want to keep watching.
Further physical descriptions of the joker are mentioned from the two men on the roof, “I heard he wears make-up”, this is again thought provoking for those who don’t know of the jokers character. Physical descriptions make the audience await the entrance of the character which is another hook.

A high-angle shot of the men positioned on the roof switches to a low angle shot of the man who was sitting in the back of the car. This direct contrast to the previous shot singles out the character as being the most dominant suggesting he could go on to be a stronger character or even a main character. 

As the men run into what appears to be a bank, they begin shouting creating a busy atmosphere. This appeals to the target audience of the action adventure genre, sparking the adrenalin rush they seek in these films.

The first killing of the sequence takes place on the roof, his ease in committing murder is quite distressing for the audience yet the presence of so many armed men suggests this will not be the only death.

The killer then grabs a holdall and proceeds with a fast pace down several stairs to a vault. This makes it now obvious a theft will take place. The picture then returns back to the main lobby where a man wearing a suit (presumed to be the manager of the bank) fires a gun through the window of his office. Through the use of a gun by a man working in the bank it becomes clear that this is not a usual or even perhaps a strictly legal bank. This is later confirmed with “do you have any idea who you‘re stealing from?!” shouted by the man wearing a suit with the shot gun.

After the shot is fired at one of the masked men it becomes clear that the man singled out at the very beginning is the only one unharmed. He then fires several shots at the man wearing the suit. Staring down at the injured man the masked man tilts his head slightly in a kind of inquisitive way which is quite frightening for the audience.

The man singled out becomes the only man that the audience sees as really scary suggesting again he may be a main character.

When the picture moves back to the vault one of the men says “I guess the joker‘s as crazy as they say”. This is one of the final solid references to him leaving the audience with a negative impression of the joker who they are still anticipating the entrance of. Bags are loaded with money showing the plan to be successful. The two remaining masked men have a stand off where the 180 degree rule is used.

They circle each other lead by the man who’s not got his gun up which is quite puzzling until we realise what he was trying to do. The bus drives through the wall and knocks over the man with his gun held up, the other man was just trying to get him in the right position. This suggests that he knows more about the plan than the others.

After the final member of the gang is killed it becomes clear who the ring leader is and as he de-masks himself we see that the joker has been there all along. He creates a negative view of his own character with the line “What doesn‘t kill us only makes us stranger.” The audience now sees the scars and still wants to know more about him which is another hook after one has finally come to its climax. The opening sequence ends with the school bus (an unusual get-away vehicle) driving out into the perfect camouflage.

Lesson 3 on our own horror movie opening.

           We decided on a film title and film institution title during lesson 3;
Film title:
The crucifixion .
Film institution title:
La Sangrienta pictures. (Bloody pictures)
  We also began deciding on a rough plan for the running order of the opening, our next element to decide on is a final storyboard and script.

As it is:

• Credits begin (white type writter font on black background)
• Voice over of news report fades in describing a crucifixion style murder of a young girl.
• Panning shot of a police line being dragged across.
• Throughout credits and voice over images and movie clips flash up of the girl being murdered and chased through a wooded area.
• News broadcast ends with a polaroid picture of the girl (victim) prior to the murder. 
• A shot is shown afterwards of the girl on the cross after the murder has taken place.
• A desk is shown in a darkened room and a mans hands are shown sticking an image of the girl into a scrap book and crossing through the picture with a red marker pen.
• The scene ends with the book being closed to reveal its title "The crucifixion".

Editing in movies.

What does editing do?
          Editing helps to structure a piece of moving image, the narrative's order and story is brought together through editing. Without editing, the soundtrack/ score could not be put into the movie, scenes are cut to a desired length and the score is added later. Editing is also important for the use of credits and other overlaying text which is added during the editing process.

How does it work?
          A particular scene may be shot several times taken from different angles, from different point of view's or from a different distance away. It is the editor's job to form all of this raw material into some kind of order which works best to create the desired atmosphere. Editor's not only have to order this material but they must choose which clips work best (with guidance from the director) as they cannot all be shown at one time. They must add credits and use cross-cutting, they also need to add the final score into the right position to create the desired atmosphere (for example, in horror they need to build tension at exactly the right moment).

A description of the following terms:

• Cut: The most basic way of switching from one shot/ scene to the next. A cut is to simply replace one shot with another very quickly for a continuous feel.
• Dissolve: The second most commonly used scene/shot transition is called the fade, whereby one  shot fades out while another fades in. This causes both shots to be visible without cross-cutting, this gives a more summarising often used to show a change in location.
• Fade: This transition shows a shot fade out completely to black, this symbolises the end of a section (or an end of a chapter) and gives the audience time to make an understanding of the scene they've just watched/ time to reflect.
• Jump cut: A jump cut is, in the simplest terms, a cut from one shot to another in which a continuity error is made obvious to the viewer. Where, for example, a character is shown from one angle wearing a hat, but when the shot cuts to a different angle the character is no longer wearing the hat. The jump cut is often not noticed on set.

How does the shot reverse shot help the narrative generate meaning?
          It helps put emphasis on a certain character and the line/s they are saying to pin point important facts about the story. Close ups can also be used in this way to show a character's reaction perhaps which is particularly important to the story.

Why is the 180 degree rule important?
          The 180 degree rule is extremely important in continuity editing, without it there would be obvious errors in terms of direction characters are looking for example. It is very noticeable when the rule is broken but is just taken as effortless realism when the rule is taken into consideration.

How and why is the point of view shot used?
          The point of view shot (or p.o.v shot) is used to show what the character sees, helping the audience empathise and build up a kind of connection the the particular character. The shot is normally formed from a stationary camera position where the character it supposed to be in the scene helping the audience see what he/she sees. The point of view shot can also be used to show the character's reaction to something.
          Alternatively, the point of view shot can be formed/generated with a mobile camera held by the character showing realistic hand shaking and natural movement with the character. This stylistic use of the camera is especially effective in a chase scene in perhaps a horror or thriller, it has great effect in that the scare factor works well, making the audience feel as if they're actually running away. Or that perhaps this could happen in reality, frightening them more so.

What is parallel or cross-cut editing?
          Cross-cut editing is basically two or more different actions taking place in different locations, the two or more separate actions are shown alternately one after another until perhaps they meet or one of the actions is completed. This is also commonly used in chase scenes to create suspense and build tension in the horror/thriller genre.

What editing techniques are used to create suspense?
          The use of some kind of sound track or music is extremely important in creating suspense and building tension. Music is always added during the editing process, timing is vital in order for the music to fit into the scene building tension and excitement in exactly the right moments. However, asynchronous music can also be extremely helpful in creating suspense, happy diegetic music played in a horror film for example can almost seem too normal, forcing the audience to become suspicious of what may happen.
          Cross-cutting, as mentioned earlier, is also important in creating suspense. Switching between the villain and the victim for example can be used effectively to see each characters reaction to a screeching floorboard for instance. The use of cross-cutting can be used to show the potential victims anticipation in waiting for something to happen, and the villains slow moving approach to the victim.
          P.o.v. shots can also be used in chase scenes to create suspense forcing the audience to anticipate the inevitable catch.

The mouse sequence in 'The Sandman - Paul Berry' - creating suspense
          The main element that makes the sequence tension building is the long, sustained, low pitched note in the score. This drone allows us to concentrate fully on the film itself while still managing to create a dark atmosphere. Sharp movements by the boy also help create tension. The large room with the small bed helps to emphasise his vulnerability along with the high angle shot also emphasising this makes us anticipate the entry of the villain.
         The image of the moon from a p.o.v. shot switching to the face of the villain makes the audience think about his possible entry more so. When the covers move (shown to us from a p.o.v shot) we expect something sinister and wait for this assumption to become reality. The way the time between movement becomes longer builds tension also, almost as if it's in slow motion.  The final element of tension building is the fact the boys head (when it is peering under the bed) is shown from the p.o.v. of whatever is watching him proving our suspisions that he is not the only being in his room.

Why is timing important in editing?
          In creating suspense, timing is critical. The climax of what the scene is building up to can't be too late on, otherwise the audience could begin to lose interest, but can't be too early otherwise the climax will not have the desired effect. The score must also be timed perfectly in tension building scenes to create the desired atmosphere; a loud crash/bang can be vital in simbolising the climax and creating the jumpy feel vital in most horror films.
          In terms of the continuity system the timing must be perfect in order to allow the plot to be followed with minimal error. Error's are extremely noticable in film so the timing from scene to scene/ shot to shot must be perfect.

The continuity system
          Continuity editing is the main term associated with making a scene appear continuous and just shown from different angles. The continuity system means every detail within the scene must be exactly the same as in the previous shot in order to eliminate visible errors. These responsibilties are normally put to the on set team rather than the editors, the script supervisor and director must be constantly on the look out for possibilities that there may be an error in the final scene as editing can only take place once the scene is finished.

Why does editing strive to be invisible?
          Editing must be invisible so as not to distract the audience from the story, the amount of different camera angles in one scene is normally very high so these must be subtle enough to appear realistic and keep the audience focused on the story. Changes in camera angle's and scene changes can be masked by music (diegetic and non-diegetic) and dialogue. Masking these changes can move the audience's concentration from picking out visual errors to listening to the music/ what's being said.
         The main focus of the audience should always be on the story (with the exception of a stylistic film) so editing should be kept minimal and subtle, following the rules of the continuity system.