Creative Reflection options

Good afternoon -


Remember you have the multi-faceted presentation powers of the Internet, literally at your fingertips - use it!

Here is a site that has links to varying software and sites for our creative reflections.  Remember to use the links from the recent class handout, and feel free to come up with your own ideas for a creative presentation of your reflective process.

As a final key, be brave enough to refine your ideas.  Very few ideas are perfect at the moment when inspiration first hits you.  Think about it.  Talk with others, get their input.  And of course, Google is your friend.


- T. Marcus

Get set...

Hello everyone!


Well done on the first edits.

Where to go from here:

• Finish any "polishing" on your edits, export the video
• Complete your mini-critical reflections on the task - I recommend you practise using some of the resources on your Web 2.0 handouts!  (bubbl.us / slideshare.net / etc)
• Do the above in your time.  Schedule use of Media Studies room with T. Marcus if needed.
• Due 9am Tuesday 31st March

While you're doing that...

• Plan out Preliminary Task 2!

Second filming task brief-

• Two characters
• Both walk to a meeting place (together or separately is fine)
• An object is given to or taken from one of the characters
• Short chase sequence - resolved one way or the other!
• Two lines of dialogue
• A "discovery" or "revelation" moment
• 1 - 2 mins maximum length

Technical elements required:

• Use at least one extreme-wide / establishing shot, one close-up (CU) and one extreme close-up (ECU).
• Use 180-degree rule
• Use shot-reverse-shot
• Use match on action
• Use Thriller conventions

• Consider the Critical Reflection questions as you prepare for the main task!

Once again, the Critical Reflection questions can be found on the syllabus handouts from earlier in the year, or in your notes from when we wrote them out for discussion.


Remember to keep Reflection notes for blogging!  Notes should include-

• Process of research, planning and production
• Include refinement and changes
• Reflect on key moments
• Include individual contribution to any and all group tasks
• You may share "global" resources such as the storyboard and script for your critical reflections

- T. Marcus

Premiere Pro Training

Hi everyone!


EDIT:
Remember - all sound fx & tracks brought from home must be brought to me directly rather than loaded onto your machines!


It's finally here!  Editing and film practice will take up a significant portion of our class time from here to the end of the term.

As such, here's a helpful link for editing training.

I'll add resource links shortly.  Happy practising.


- T. Marcus

Opening Sequence analyses and Saul Bass

Hi everyone,


EDIT / UPDATE:  REMEMBER the Opening Sequences analysis is due WEDNESDAY 18th.


The sub-genre research is looking very comprehensive; colour me impressed.  Keep it up!

For your investigations into opening titles, remember we look into at least one sequence designed by Saul Bass, the man responsible for the stunning opening titles for Vertigo.

Mr. Bass was highly productive during the course of his career, and other film openings you may want to look at include The Man With the Golden Arm and North by Northwest (another Hitchcock film).

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.


- T. Marcus

Conventions and analysis - due date

Hello everyone,


I'm encouraged by the depth that we're getting to in this assignmment!  Keep going!

The project will be due this Friday.  We will also use a portion of today's class to assist with meeting that deadline.


- T. Marcus

On your marks...

And so it begins!  It's time to start researching for our Foundation Portfolio task.

For now, I'd like us to do the following:

FIRST -

Research thriller sub genre codes and conventions.  Familiarise yourself with the types, and blog your findings on a post titled Thriller Sub-Genres: Codes & Conventions.  (This will assist you when you plan your filming!)

SECOND -

Research four opening sequences from thriller films (I suggest you include Vertigo, since we did this one in class).

• Upload the sequences to your blogs, and 
• analyse them to answer the following question:

Why is it engaging, and how does it conform to institutional codes and conventions?

(So their use of Sound, Mise-en-scene, costume / make-up, enclosed spaces, weapons, setting, editing, etc. - use your notes, and more research on the interwebs is also a good thing.)

Good luck!

- T. Marcus

Activity 2.9 - Case Study

Hi everyone,


EDIT- For your case study research, primarily you should be thinking about how audience behaviour might determine necessary alterations for period drama production!


Hope you were inspired by the YouTube vids we watched the other day from some peer level work at other schools!  Meantime, we're getting on with some theory work.

For Activity 2.9 on page 93 of your course books, we'll be having a look at Andrew Davies as a good example of a period drama writer.  Below are some helpful links in doing your research.

Period dramas
Andrew Davies' work, listed on IMDb
Andrew Davies, life and general info
Pride & Prejudice (one of his better known adaptations)


This is just a starting point!  Find your own sources of reviews by either critics or historians, as well as researching different approaches Mr. Davies has taken in producing his work.

Remember, the focus is not a research project on Andrew Davies, but rather an investigation into how period dramas are produced, what conventions are implemented / promoted and how this is done.

Enjoy!


- T. Marcus

Tonight's Reading - Vertigo A2-Level analysis

Hi everyone-


Thought we would benefit from reading this.

Read it for ideas and an example of appropriate depth, sure; but also make certain you have isolated key  extracts where the student has explored our key elements and / or the four forces of media analysis!

Please click here.  Happy reading.


- T. Marcus