ACtivity
1. Watch all of the clips below
2. write down your 'big picture' ideas for each one
3. Write down any evidence for these ideas in the 4 technical areas
4. Pick 1 and write an opening pragraph that articulates your main ideas in a nutshell.
(for you it will be the last one as we did the 1st 2 in class)
Opening Sequence setting up representation of main character
Establishing characterisation through conversation
Today I want you to watch this clip of how Alfred Hitchcock creates suspense and make some notes that will inform how you go about creating suspense in your preliminary task.
Psychological Thriller
Here's some resources to use for your project as you explore the codes and conventions of a psychological thriller (use aspects of these ideas to inform your creative decisions as you plan);
Black Swan - hallucination scene
Foundation Portfolio exemplar - Shattered
(use of mirror with different reflection)
3. 'Fractured' trailer - a good example of a film where you don't know what's real
- look at colour grading and mise-en-scene in this trailer
4. Psychological theme ideas - use this in your concept + treatment
https://nofilmschool.com/psychological-thriller
Creative Critical Reflection
Filming + Editing
This week is set aside for editing and filming.
Make sure you work through the following;
1. Find a good tutorial to teach you how to use DaVinci as a beginner
2. Get your footage sorted and imported into the program
3. Find soundtracks/ scores/ sound effects and use an MP3 converter to make it into a file able to be imported into DaVinci
4. Create a basic timeline of your video within DaVinci
5. Add in your group logo at the start
6. Use at least 1 After Effect
7. Add in a title and credits
8. Create a ROUGH EDIT that is ready for feedback
This concept of PIRACY can come into an essay on;
- Audience trends
- technology
- ownership
Look up the piracy stats for your case studies and see what you can find.
Task for today
1. Create a blog post where you record an update of your filming process. What is the plan? WHat have the challenges and roadblocks been to filming? How have you worked around this?
2. Upload any version 2 documents that you've edited (storyboard/ shot list / call sheet, etc)
3. Make sure you have all technical gear ready for filiming (charge batteries, check SD cards etc.)
4. Make sure you're both on the same page about the way your filming will work
Study Guide for test Thursday 11th April 2024
Know the definition of and context in which to use the following terminology;
- Monopoly
- The Big 5 (who they are)
- Oligopoly
- Funding
- Independant films
- Conglomerate
- Subsidiary
- Horizontal + Vertical Integration
- Synergy
- Cross-Media Convergence
- Franchise
- Web 2.0
- NZFC and what their role is
Hi guys!
Hi team,
Today we are recapping and going through Ownership as a full exam question topic.
We will look at the following aspects of ownership in the film industry;
- Monopoly
- The Big 5
- Oligopoly
- Funding
- Independant films
- Conglomerate
- Subsidiary
- Horizontal + Vertical Integration
- Synergy
- Cross-Media Convergence
- Franchise
Once we have covered these, you will have some time in class to research examples in your case studies, of CMC, synergy, H + V integration.
Take a look at the article on Disney below;
On your notes on ownership, make a list of issues outlined here that arise from Disney being so massive. Include any recent acquisitions and what this means for the film industry and audiences.
Then take a look at this link below;
Write down some details of how big Disney's reach is
Hi class
Here's our class video that explains some context for our audiences + institutions work we are about to embark on;
Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market.
In the American and international markets, the major film studios, often known simply as the majors or the Big Five studios, are commonly regarded as the five diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85% of U.S. box office revenue.
Since the dawn of filmmaking, the U.S. major film studios have dominated both American cinema and the global film industry.[5][6] U.S. studios have benefited from a strong first-mover advantage in that they were the first to industrialize filmmaking and master the art of mass-producing and distributing high-quality films with broad cross-cultural appeal.[7] Today, the Big Five majors – Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures – routinely distribute hundreds of films every year into all significant international markets. It is "nearly impossible" for a film to reach a broad international theatrical audience without being first picked up by one of the majors for distribution.
The Big Six remained dominant until 2019, with Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox including TCF. This resulted in a new "Big Five" for the first time since Hollywood's Golden Age. Paramount and Warner Bros. are the only early Big Five members to remain as majors today.[8]
Definitions
Who are the Big 5?
What is a Subsidiary
What is a Conglomerate ?
Case Study
Disney - write some key facts and information found in the videos below to bolster your Disney case study
Case Study requirements;
- a NZ film (What we did in the Shadows)
- a Hollywood Blockbuster (your choice)
(some good ideas are Black Panther or any Marvel Avenger movie,
- an Indi-film (one not made/ funded by a big Hollywood production studio)
- A film that didn't do well (The Interview)
You need to know EVERYTHING about these films.
- date of release
- what their budget was
- what they made on opening weekend
- what gross earnings were for the film
- who directed it
- any A-list cast / actors?
- controversy or context around it - if any?
- who distributed the film?
- who funded the film (Indi - if so? How did they fund it? - crowd-funding etc)
- what did critics say about it? reviews and how it was received by the public
- how was it distributed? (DVD / streaming platform etc)?
- Marketing campaigns - what was marketing budget / what ways was it marketed?
Time for the next homework assignment. This is DUE ON Friday 22nd March.
Classwork
Today we will go through some ways each technical element can be used to create meaning.
Activity
Work your way through these clips from the Netflix TV drama series called, 'Maid'.You will need to hand this in for marking at the end of Wednesday's lesson.
Write down for each one;
- Big picture ideas (who is represented and how)
- plan of techniques/ conventions used to portray this meaning in each clip (in a grid with 4 tech areas referenced)
Maid clip – interview at cleaning co.
Maid clip – bear hunt
Maid clip – family dinner
Today we are going to look at some active and some passive media theories.
VIDEO FROM CLASS LESSON
Activity -
Create an extension to your slideshare that has these theories all explained in your own words and examples of it.
Passive
- Hyperdermic Needle theory
- Two-step flow theory
Take a look at these videos that explain what happened in 1938 when a radio broadcast of a fictional story, caused panic.
Make some notes for yourin regards to how this story illustrates Stuart Hall's idea of audiences reading the media's dominant reading. Also, relate this to the hyperdermic needle theory.
Active - Uses + Gratification Theory
Today we are going to look at Blumler and Katz's uses and gratification theory.
Here are the 2 videos we will watch in class, for your reference if you want to revisit them. This theory should be referenced and explained in relation to Question 2 of your. CCR.
According to their research, goals for media use can be grouped into five uses.[7] The audience wants to:
Hi class
Reception theory as developed by Stuart Hall asserts that media texts are encoded and decoded. The producer encodes messages and values into their media which are then decoded by the audience. However, different audience members will decode the media in different ways and possibly not in the way the producer originally intended.
Stuart Hall states that audience members adopt one of the following three positions when they decode the text:
Dominant, or Preferred Reading - how the producer wants the audience to view the media text. Audience members will take this position if the messages are clear and if the audience member is the same age and culture; if it has an easy to follow narrative and if it deals with themes that are relevant to the audience.
Oppositional Reading - when the audience rejects the preferred reading, and creates their own meaning for the text. This can happen if the media contains controversial themes that the audience member disagrees with. It can also arise when the media has a complex narrative structure perhaps not dealing with themes in modern society. Oppositional reading can also occur if the audience member has different beliefs or is of a different age or a different culture.
Negotiated Reading - a compromise between the dominant and oppositional readings, where the audience accepts parts of the producer's views, but has their own views on parts as well. This can occur if there is a combination of some of the above e.g. audience member likes the media, is of the same age as you and understands some of the messages, but the narrative is complex and this inhibits full understanding.
Many factors could affect whether the audience take the dominant, oppositional or negotiated reading.
Age
Beliefs
Culture
Gender
Life experience
Mood at the time of viewing
CLASS LESSON VIDEO
Hi class
PART A - Thriller Analysis
Today I want you to watch each of these 2 opening sequences and write a few bullet points on the techniques they used that built suspense.
Pay particular attention to the TITLES and how they work in the first one.
In the rest of them, think about the 4 technical elements and what was particularly effective in the techniques they used.
Embed the links in your own blogs too.
LINK 1 - Until 2.40mins
LINK 2 - A thriller scene
Hi everyone,
Here's the video from class explaining this homework task...
This homework is due next Thursday 7th March :)
Let's take a look at James Bond, Skyfall's opening credits;Hi team,
I want you to answer the dollowing questions about your practise shoot;
1. What went well?
2. What was a challenge?
3. What will you do differently next time?
Include some footage and comment on what you want to get better.
Hi,
Today for class we are meeting to discuss your Preliminary Task! You are going to work in partners to create an opening sequence.
Today's work is to brainstorm an idea with your partner. Scribble it on paper but create a neat version that will be uploaded to your blog. Then you are going to make your way through the list below for next week's classwork.
Your Preliminary Task brief is as follows;
BRIEF:
Create a short scene (around 1.30mins) in an action-thriller that has the following elements;
- 180' Rule
- Shot-reverse-shot
- Match-on-action
- continuity editing
- at least 2 characters
- at least 2 lines of dialogue
- a chase scene of some sort
- a character opening a door and coming into a room/ building to demonstrate your understanding of match-on-action.
- iconography, codes and conventions that make your media text recognisable to the viewer as belonging to the genre you're creating.
Write a few paragraphs explaining how the 4 technical elements create meaning in terms of TENSION and SUSPENSE which are the main goal of a thriller movie.
Hi guys!
Here's a video I made for when I was away that we never got to. It goes over some of the technical aspects of breaking down shot types.
Have a watch of my video for today;
1. File the technical elements, the glossary and common shot types handouts
2. watch these 2 videos below
3. Copy the YouTube video URL into your own blog and write a short blurb about what you learnt
4. Make a Canva document of your own with examples of the following shot-types
(you can take photos on your phone, upload to your computer and then embed them into your blog post)
a. close-up
b. extreme close-up
c. establishing shot
d. mid-shot
e. low angle shot
f. high angle shot
g. canted angle
h. point of view shot
i. over-the-shouler shot
Hi,
Well done in making it to AS level Media Studies this year! It's going to be a fun ride :)
By now we would have had a chat where you would have been spoken through the year plan and given an overview of what lies ahead.
Here's your checklist of what to do today;
1. Crate a Gmail accout to use for school (this should be sensible and include your name somehow)
2. Create a blog with your Gmail account and full name using Blogger.com
3. Email me at bianca.dewit@cityimpactchurch.com with your log in details for your Gmail as well as your blogger link (username and password)
4. Create a Youtube account using your Gmail you've just created
Once you've done that, have a look through solme of the blogs of previous students and star to get an idea of what you're required to do this year.
Looking foreward to chatting about this course, more!
T-Bianca
