AS Media Studies 9607

Create an opening scene for any Thriller sub-genre of your choice. The opening sequence needs to set up a Thriller movie, introducing key characters and hinting at the story line ahead, setting up the plot that will unfold. It needs to have the following technical requirements;

It needs to follow the 180' Rule
Include shot-reverse-shot
Match on Action
Logo conceptualised and created by one of your group members
At least 2 Special FX from After Effects
2 - 2.5 mins long
Credits and title of the movie

Remember to think carefully about your sub-genre and try your hand at something new.

Have fun and remember to think smart, write down all your planning and log ALL changes, problems encountered and things learnt along the way for your CCR.

Planning Outline - Due Thursday 1st MAY

Here is your checklist to work through. Some things you should ALL do, e.g. concept treatment & storyboard) some things only you will be responsible for (e.g. storyboard/ script)

Pre-Production

1. Brainstorm (all include a version of this, show record of ideas developing into final idea)

2. Concept – HERE is the link for the template of how to do this
3. Treatment - see link HERE for template for how to do this

4. Storyboard (you can either print the template off our class blog, left side under ‘film templates’ or if you don’t have a printer, draw up your own template to use).
5. Script & Talent

6. Shot List

7. Location / Setting (do some research, find photos of the look you are after and places that could work for setting. Find some movies with setting / location that you want to replicate)

8. Props & costumes (again, find examples of EVERY prop and costume you want to use. What other movies have they used them in? What look and feel are you going for? What colours are going to be symbolic? What props are going to be used in iconography? Include lots of photos/ screenshots of movies and write about the ‘why’ you would make this creative choice).

9. Film Schedules

10. Call Sheets

PRODUCTION

11.     Lighting (you need a lighting plan. Show you have done some research to find lighting styles you like and want to replicate. Explain how you will get your desired effect).
10.     Camera (in this you include shot types and camera movement you want to explore and try out. Maybe it’s things like dolly shot where you want the camera moving or a high establishing shot? Get examples of what you want to try replicate and look up/ plan creative ways to get this. For a dolly shot you can put your camera on a wheelie chair, a tracking shot can be on a skateboard etc. Get creative! Are you going to use lots of close-up’s? Are you going to use lots of obstruction of vision in what you include in your shot? Whose point of view is the story told from?
9.     Sound – who is going to do this on the day? Then you all need to start researching sound. What do you plan on including in your sound? Hat soundtracks have you found? What sound effects? What movies or short films achieve what you want to achieve in sound and how will you use them as inspiration?

10. Director / time keeper

POST-PRODUCTION

11. Editing – look up some cool editing techniques like how to do a chase scene, how to do flashbacks, how to do fast paced edits, how to create a disorientated feel via editing. Do some research and have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with editing in this short film opening

12. Logo - design, placement/ animation (track all stages of designs, revision drafts, issues, decisions and finished product as well as treatment explanation for the above).

Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Audience case study - Netflix

Netflix stands as the largest streaming service globally, boasting 269.6 million paid memberships as of March 31, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL6zNexyt8o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMZPTnWpaWk

Streaming Services by Subscribers in the World

1.	Netflix	Subscribers	301,630,000	12/2024
2.	Amazon Prime	Subscribers (Estimate)	200,000,000	06/2024
3.	Disney+	Subscribers	124,600,000	12/2024
4.	Tencent Video	Subscribers	116,000,000	09/2024
5.	HBO Max	Subscribers (Estimate)	107,000,000	12/2024
6.	iQIYI	Subscribers	101,100,000	03/2024
7.	Paramount+	Subscribers	77,500,000	12/2024
8.	Hulu	Subscribers	53,600,000	12/2024
9.	Peacock	Subscribers	36,000,000	12/2024
10.	Hotstar

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

T1| Week 9 + 10 Thursday Classwork |Audience Research

Please work in pairs and work through this amazing document that has all the stats and information on how and where audiences are accessing media.

Audience Research.

Please use the links below and answer the questions. Make a blog post under the RESEARCH label and give it the heading; 'Audience Research'

WHere are the audiences

https://d3r9t6niqlb7tz.cloudfront.net/media/documents/NZ_On_Air_Study_WATA_2023_-_FINAL.pptx_updated.pdf

Check this link out for Global and NZ digitisation trends.

Questions;
1. How many of the world's population are currently connected to the internet? (slide 6)
2. How many of the world's population are active social media users? (slide 6)
3. What are the top 5 social media sites used globally? (slide 10)
4. What two age-groups have the largest contingent of social media users? (slide 12)
5. What percentage of NZ's population are connected to the internet and what percentage have social media? (slide 15)
6. What are the top 3 devices used to consume media in NZ? (slide 18)
7. How many hours a day are NZ's watching/ streaming online TV services? (slide 19)
8. What percentage of internet users in NZ swatch videos online and what percentage stream content via the internet? (slide 28)
9. What are NZ's top 5 social media sites? (slide 33)

Check out this link for trends within NZ for media consumption

Questions;

1. Who are considered 'i-gens' (page 3 )
2. In what ways are i-gens connected and using digital technology? (pg 4)
3. How would you describe the relationship with i-gens with the content of the media they are consuming? (Summarise page 5)
4. In what way does social media play a part in influencing i-gens activity in whether they watch a film or not? (p7)
5. List the emotional motivations that drive i-gens to watch movies at the cinemas and what in general do they like about it? (p8 & 10)
6. Comment on why i-gens opt to watch movies online at home (p 9)
7. What do the i-gens say is negative about the cinema experience? (p11)
8. Use page 13 to write a few sentences about how i-gens should be marketed to if you are trying to get them to watch your film
9. Use pages 14 - 19 to write a few points about the way i-gens prefer to engage with media and what they want out of a media consumption experience

Thursday, 27 March 2025

HOMEWORK : Due THURSDAY Week 11

Hi class,

You have 2 tasks due for Thursday, last week of T1.

1. Final Edit

2. CCR

Remember

PRESENTATION is important (check you have pictures/ photos / colours and that the writing and placement of graphics or backgrounds isn't distracting)
BLOG TOOLS - each question needs a DIFFERENT blog tool EMBEDDED into blog

Question 1
How does your product USE or CHALLENGE conventions? How does it represent social groups / issues?
(Think sound, lighting, narrative structure, editing, camera work, symbolism and iconography)
- make a list of conventions used, are they conforming to the norm or challenging the normal thriller conventions?
- This needs to be at least 5 slides with DETAILS and showing links to clips/ movies you used as inspiration. Do NOT just list things, EXPLAIN them, show photos of what you wanted to achieve as a convention and what you did achieve

Question 2
How does your product engage with audiences? How would you distribute it as a real media text?
(What effect does it have on audiences? What emotions do you evoke in audience members?)
- Think about and comment on the following;
- Who is your target audience (use demographics research we did in class - GEN Z/ i-gen content.
- Why would this appeal to this audience range?
- How are you going to distribute this product BASED ON what you know about your target audience? (Do they go to the cinema? What sort of marketing would you use? What examples of viral marketing would you try and copy? What platforms would you make this available on and how?)
- characters (what characters did you choose to use? Can audiences identify with any of them? Are they scary / mysterious? Is there a vulnerable character that the audience sympathises with?
- narrative - what sort of story line does your film have? Think about narrative structure - are there certain aspects of the story that are revealed at the end? Is there enigma in your story? Is there a cliffhanger?
- point of view - is your film made from a certain point of view?
- How does the thriller genre in general 'hook' or engage audiences? (do a bit of research)
- What editing/ music choices have you used to build suspense and engage audiences?

Question 3
How have your PRODUCTION skills developed throughout the project? (pre-production, production and post-production. What have you learnt to do?
- comment on the learning process. What did you find hard? What did you enjoy doing? What was a challenge and
- what were peer revision/ comments on your rough edit? What did they suggest you change? What did you end up changing?
- what went well in the filming process that you'll do again? What will you do differently next time?

Question 4 - How did you integrate technologies into this project?
(Software, hardware and online)
- Photos! List photos, screenshots, videos and explanations of every website, software, Youtube tutorial, camera, sound gear/ microphone etc, you used to plan, write scripts, look up info on sound effects, convert Youtube music to MP3's, edit, after effects etc