Four Film Stills

In this image, taken from Bad Boys 2, a medium shot is used even though we can see the characters fascial expression in great detail. The shot is very effective as we can see both what the character is wearing and holding, also his expression. As a result the audience has an insight as to what the character is feeling and how this relates to what he is wearing.

Lord Of War

The image extracted from Lord Of War, consists of a long shot as we can see the character and his whole surroundings. The main subject in this image is the character, as we can clearly see him and his expressions. Behind the character we can see burnt down cars and bullet shells, which signifies what the film will be about and what sort of action will included.
Some backlight was featured to create a shadow on one side of the characters face.

Toy story

This image taken from Toy Story, again is a long shot as we can see the two characters in their whole surrounding and environment. This is effective as the audience has an insight as to what the setting is going to be like. This type of shot is frequently used in comedies and PG films.

La Haine

The still image which shows a character using a hand gesture, to suggest he is holding a gun, is a medium shot. This is because we can see some of the characters surroundings and the top half of his body. From this we can see what the character is thinking and the nature of him, as a person holding a gun is seen to be quiet bad and cold hearted. No colour is used in this image, which gives an old, grimy and evil look. From this more effect is added as it coincides with the character.

Two extracts

Sunset Boulevard



Throughout the extract, various shots were used. However the primary shot featured was a medium shot, as we can see the character and some of their surroundings. When scenes were more emotional, close ups were included to show the characters fascial expressions. In these scenes, the music changed from being loud and harsh to soft and gentle, to coincide with the situation. The music used is parallel sound.

High and low shots were also used depending on who the character was. Some characters appeared more superior than others as a low shot was included, however at other times high shots were present to demonstrate powerless characters.

Camera movement is quiet scarce in this extract, although tilts and pans were featured. This was done to show movement and follow the character while they are in motion.

Blood In Blood Out



In the second extract, the primary shot used was a long shot to show the character in all of his or her environment. This was done to help set the scene and create a more suitable atmosphere. When the director wants the scene to be more emotional and meaningful, a close up is used to show exactly how the characters is feeling. The sound used was all diegetic and there was no presence of non diegetic sound.

A number of low angle shots were featured in this extract , this was again done to create a sense of superiorness. As a result, the audience knows who has more dominance in terms of power. Not alot of camera movement was included in this extract.

Key differences

The primary type of shot used were different as Sunset Boulevard included medium shots and Blood In Blood Out featured long shots.

Sunset Boulevard had non diegetic sound, whereas the other extract only included diegetic sound.

More high angle shots were used in Sunset Boulevard.

Camera movement was not present in Blood In Blood Out, however Sunset Boulevard consisted of both low and high angle shots.

Film Noir

Film noir is a cinematic term used to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that are quiet ambiguous and sexually motivated. Hollywood's classic film noir period is known to be established from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography, while many of the stories have derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

The term film noir (French for "black film"), first applied to Hollywood movies by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most American film industry professionals of the era. 

The lighting featured in this image is a mixture of low and high key lighting, this could suggest that the character has two sides to them, maybe an evil and good. This is known as Binary opposition as it is the contrast between two similar but not so similar words. 

To show the characters fascial expressions a bright under and key light is used, as this brings out the actors expressions clearly.  Filler lights are absent here, as we can see that a shadow is created, although this is not the characters shadow, but a crow which could indicate the characters discreetness, as crows are seen to be discreet and fast. Also some bright light is focused on the prop (gun), so the director or producer wanted the audience to notice this, as it gives them an insight as to what the film is about. 

This scene taken from Saw 5, features low key lighting, which primarily uses filler and backlight, as the producer wanted to create a dark and gloomy atmosphere which coincides with the film as it is a thriller. At times the villain is shown to be in both dark and bright light, to show that the character has an evil side to him. Because of this, the audience knows who is the villain. 

Some high backlight is used, however this is done to make the scene look real and adds an authentic look. Because of the lighting, the audience feels more involved as this sort of lighting is used frequently used in thrillers and horror films. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zL3c52mwWSo

Still image

The costume used in this still image, is a smart suit which signifies power and respect. This is often used in gangster movies, as it indicates the actual boss therefore the audience expects him to be dressed accordingly. The suit also outlines the wealth and financial advantage the "Don" has, which also links with great power and respect.    

The lighting used in the image is both low-key and high-key, however to show the characters fascial expressions high-key lighting is featured. From this we can see the character has a plain, blunt face which could suggest no remorse or the actors coldness.

Acting or the actor included in the image, is quiet effective as we can see his attention is elsewhere, and from his expression we can state he looks rather angry and unimpressed, which coincides with his role.

Make-up could have been used, maybe to bold or underline certain features of the character e.g. wrinkles. This shows that the Don is quiet old, suggesting he has been around for some time and is still in power. An airbrush could have been the primary applicant used in this situation.

In this still picture, no props are used because the suit and the expression is where the attention should be. This could have been done, to show that the film is quiet ambiguous about the type of violence used, or that the Don does not do the killing himself but gets people who are working for him to do so. Again, this is related to his superiorness, and the impact he has on others.    

The setting looks like a room, however due to the lighting we can not really make out where the character is based. This could indicate that the film will be shot in various different places. This is because the directors or producers do not want to give away to much information, which creating a form of enigma code. 

Peer Assessment

Harvinder - http://harvy92.blogspot.com/

Sound - A Classical/Techno Beat Has Been Used In This Trailer It Reflects The Struggling MC Find Wile They Are Getting Familiar Industry it Also Keeps The Audience Interested.

In the trailer, a rather unique beat/track is used, which merges the Hip-Hop and classical genre together. The tune is quiet up beat keeping the audience entertainment and focused. The music shows what audience the trailer is aimed at, as this music is the kind young and old teenagers would listen to.   

Suhu- http://x-suhu-x.blogspot.com/

The lighting of the trailer and the beginning institution that was used, Warner Bros pictures was dark lighting. The use of the dark clouds were all conventions used to create a frightening climax to the trailer in order to fulfill the titles credentials. The dark cloudsconnotes dark and intensifying trailer. 

Throughout Face of Fear the lighting used is low-key. This sets the scene for a thriller/horror movie, as lighting is a key convention is this type of genre. The use of dark, gloomy clouds creates a frightening and evil look, as a result the audience feels more involved, as this replicates reality. The lighting indicates the nature of a character (villain), as the darkness connotes death and evilness, because of this the audience knows who the key character is and what his or her role consists of.

Jehrique- http://jehrique-mcqueen.blogspot.com/

Actors used were important, and well executed as they featured a real life drug addict. I believe what separated this from so many other trailers was that the group had gone an extra mile by getting a real life drug addict, which could have been dangerous.

In the trailer crime, actors played a key role as they made the production effective and unique. The primary reason for this is that it featured real class A drug use. As a result, this adds authenticity to the trailer, and the audience witnesses a first hand experience of drug use. This is what separates "CRIME" from all the others trailers and productions.  The producers of "CRIME" actually went out and interacted with a drug addict, which was not done by any other producers, so we know that extra effort and time went into this production.

WWW- noticed what made the production different

          - mentioned why actors made the production good

          

EBI- Analysed the effect on the audience

     - used media terminology 

     - Analysed in detail

Pathé

Pathé was originally founded in Paris, France on September 28, 1896 by bothers Charles, Émile, Théophile and Jacques Pathé, during the first part of the 20th century. 

Pathé later became the largest film equipment and production company in the world as well as a key producer of phonograph records.

The driving force behind the film operation was Charles Pathé who had helped open a gramophone shop in 1894 and then established a phonograph factory at Chatou on the western outskirts of Paris. Successful, he saw the opportunities that new means of entertainment offered and in particular by the fledgling motion picture industry. Having decided to expand the record business to include film equipment, Charles Pathé oversaw a rapid expansion of the company.

Pathé has a major presence within the UK film industry, operating as a fully integrated studio. It is involved in all aspects of film- making, from production and development through to international sales and distribution.

One of the UK’s leading independent film distributors, Pathé Distribution releases around 20 titles each year, ranging from quality and specialised films to crowd- pleasing mainstream movies and genre titles.


Pathé have 11 films distributed in France and 9 in the UK in 2007. Nevertheless, they have 550 films in the film library.

Pathé have distributed the following:

- Adulthood, Crash, Deep Water, Wrong Turn and many more. 

Revolver Entertainment is a multi-award winning, marketing-lead, and all rights film distribution company based in the UK.

Revolver Entertainment is the 14^th largest film distribution company and the 20^th largest home entertainment publisher in the UK. The company are specialists in delivering maximum media coverage, with Revolver Books 357 records. Also, they won Oscars and they were nominated for a Bafta. From this we can see how successful and popular, Revolver is within its market. 

The titles Revolver have distributed:

Kidulthood, 3000 Miles, Macbeth, Dirty Love and many more

Revolver Entertainment also produce, broadcast also they benefit from journalism, marketing, which boosts their annual income and power.

My three broadcast fiction texts

The three broadcast fiction texts that i have chosen to do is Goodness Gracious Me, East is East and Silver street. I have chosen these three aspects of media, as they all share similarities through the representation of Asians. Goodness Gracious Me and Silver Street both are or where broadcasted by the BBC, on radio and TV. The humour that coincides with all the shows, rises from how Asians act or speak, which indicates that the Asian community are no longer insecure about their culture or views, and that they can have laugh and joke about them. 

East is East- It is set in a mixed-race household with a Pakistani father and a British mother in Salford, in 1971. George Khan (played by Om Puri), the father, expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani ways, but his children, who were born and raised in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general. This is were the comedy arises from, as we see how the children try avoid being typical Asian children.  

Silver street- Silver Street is a radio soap opera, the first such to be aimed at the British South Asian community, and is broadcast on the BBC Asian Network. The storylines focus on the lives of a primarily British South Asian community in an English town of unspecified name and location, with themes generally related to issues that affect the daily lives of British South Asians and their neighbours.

Goodness Gracious Me- Goodness Gracious Me is probably one of Britain's best comedies and it's a shame it only aired for a couple of seasons. The show was comprised of sketches portraying a humorous take on Indian culture in the UK, poking fun at both Asians and British alike without causing offense. The four performers of the show- Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir and Nina Wadia- all threw themselves into their various roles, bringing their outlandish characters to life and clearly had much fun doing so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFL0w1ruiCM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-RGcNrA8eI

Fear or Fear

In this production there are a number of shots and camera movements present. An example of when a shot is used to create a certian affect, is the use of the close up, this is done to show the actors expression, as a result the audience knows how the actor is feeling and builds tension.
At times a high angled shot is used, this is done to show one character is superior then the other. To coincide with this, a long shot is used to show the surroundings, which helps the audience to visualise whats actaully going on.
In the trailer not alot of pans, tilts or zooms are used, however this could be seen as an advantage as sometimes certain camerawork could look unprofessional and very budgeted.

The sound used in the production is both diegetic and non-diegetic. This is becuase as the production is running we can hear the actors in the back, but the soundtrack is laped over the voices, therefore the non-diegetic sound is what the adueinces hears primarily.

In Fear Of Fear, there is one primary edit that is used constantly, which is the cut. This is when a series of shots are put together, to create build up and pace. However, there are some scenes which fade into others, but the editing is fairly fast and discreet.

The costume of the actors in the trailer are quiet colourful and casual. As a result the trailer seems quiet real, as the clothes featured are worn by urban teenagers. Becuase of this the audience sympathies for the actors, as young teenagers are seen to be helpless.
Becuase a character is wearing dark clothes, we can establish that he is the villian, as dark colours connote evil and death. The contrast between the characters, underlines the evil and the remorseless actor, out of the cast.

The lighting used in the trailer is dark , low-key and there is no bright noticable light in sight. This connotes pain and death, which integrates with the theme and genre of the trailer. The lighting used in the production, helps set the scene thus adds a professional effect to the trailer, which imitates a real horror film, as a result the audience feels more involved with the production.

The acting featured in the trailer was reasonably good, considering the roles that had to be played. The actors fitted into their characters very well e.g. the Villian, as he had to be very serious and fluent with his acting, so that the production looks even and same.
However, the make-up could have looked more neat and real, the reason being is becuase as times it looks very smugged and rushed.

The setting and props worked effectivly, as each of them helped set the scene. The setting coincides with the genre of the trailer, as the surroundings looks very effective. The main prop is the axe, which obviously connotes death.

Rappers Ambition

Costumes- The costumes that are worn in the trailer, mainly consists of casual, everyday clothes . The costumes that the actors wear, have not really been concentrated on, as the outfits are clothes we wear and see in out daily lives. However, most actors in the trailer are wearing hoodies and big, heavy jackets, this automatically sets the scene and we know what kind of an audience the trailer is aimed at.


Lighting- The lighting in the trailer is mainly dark, this is done to create suspense and build up tension. As a result, the audience knows that there is more to the story and makes them want to watch the actual film. However, at times the lighting is bright to show the characters face and expression.


Actors- The actors in the trailer fit the characters role very well, this is because the acting looks fairly professional and real. At certain times, were the actors expressions should have been plain and serious, were featured in the trailer quiet effectively. But, through out the whole trailer, they were some scenes that could have been re-shot, due to the acting. But overall it was fairly good acting.


Make-Up- In this type of a film or trailer there is no make up used. However, there were not many scenes that needed any use of make up anyway.


Props- In the Trailer, a small number of props are used, mainly microphones and equipment used to record or produce music. As a result the audience has an insight as to what is going to be featured and shown in the production, also what the the actual film is about.


Setting- The setting of the trailer consists of normal streets, roads and alleys, however some scenes are shot in a recoding studio and on a train. This is done to show the audience what features in the film and to create pace.

Adulthood Trailer

 

The audience for this movie are aged between 15-30, we know this because there is certain language used in the movie that a specific age group can relate to. However, this film is also aimed at the older generation to inform them how harsh and dangerous society can be.

The conventions appropriate to the chosen genre include specific clothing e.g. hoodies and baseball caps. Also throughout most of the trailer their is dark lighting, this could connote revenge or hate. 

The audio in the background consists of music from the grime genre, this gives us an insight as to what type of characters will be featured in the film. The music is quite up beat and sets the mood and tone of the movie, which helps us understand what the movie will include. 

The camera shots used in the trailer vary, as there are a mix of close ups, medium and long shots. The close ups show expression on the characters face, as a result we know how the character is feeling, which aids our knowledge about the film, as we get a picture of what the film is about. 

The representations reveled in this trailer is that money is not a massive necessity, nor is revenge or violence. Representation of the youth today is portrayed in a negative way in this trailer as it outlines how teenagers behave and act.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWC0BCYUp8

Self Evaluation

Attainment- 1

I have given myself this grade, as in my media exam i achieved a grade A. From this you can see the level of work i put in, whether i am in class or at home.

Effort- 1 

The effort i put in lessons is excellent in my opinion, as you can find me contributing and always working hard, which enables me to finish my work.

Punctuality-  2

My punctuality is not perfect as i have been late a couple of times, however in general i am normally on time for my lesson. 

Submission and quality of homework- 2

My quality of homework, is not the best, but i always have met deadlines and produced some sort of work. I think one in four of my homework's, is not to the best of my ability. 

Ability to work independently- 1

I believe that i can work effectively  independently, as well as working in a group. When needed i can adapt myself to work in a group, however i feel i can work independently just as well.

Quality of Writing- 2

My quality of writing is not poor but it can be better. However, the quality will get better as i am motivated to work even harder.

Organisation of media folder-2

Even though, i do not use a media folder, my orgainsation of my media book is reasonably good. This is because, each piece of work i produce is labelled with what teacher the work is for and what date it was produced on. 

My organisation could be better, as i have some sheets which are out of place, however i will order them very soon.

Oral contribution in class- 1

My contribution in class is very good, as i always have something to add or say. This is probably one of my strongest points, as i think every lesson i have said at least 2 or 3 points.  

Media Awards

1st Place

Personally, i believe that the documentary "Crime", should have taken the best media studies production 2008. This is because, it showed some real life issues, that will appeal to everyone at one stage in their life. It reviewed, the effects of drugs and showed this through a first hand experience.  

In the documentary, a series of edits took place, which i thought were excellent. The scene consisted of a numerous number of shots of various drugs, however the shots matched the music. So whenever the song looped the shot would change. I thought this was very effective and creative. 

The song list was chosen very well, as the music matched the documentary, therefore the sound helped set the mood. 

2nd Place

From seeing the opening to Herbal Remedy, i thought the production was very well constructed and thoroughly thought out. The shots included were very effective and quiet creative. One Sequence that intrigued me was when you saw a Marijuana plant gradually growing and sprouting. I thought this feature of the production was fairly good. 

The editing and the positioning of these shots were shown after a sequence of other shots.

Also, similar to "Crime" to sound selection to "Herbal Remedy" had  relation to the production it self which was about Cannabis. I thought this helped get the message across and was a successful feature.  

3rd Place

Even though, producing a film in the Bollywood genre was quiet challenging,  the producers and actors in "Kuch To Hua Hai", pulled of the production rather well and the film was a success in my opinion. 

There are many conventional shots in Bollywood films, such as when the male playfully chases the female around trees, representing innocence and virtue.

The film was effective as it actually looked like a Bollywood film. So the production looked very professional which helped the audience get into the film. 

Internet Regulation

Firstly, being able to access ideas from all over the world will create a problem, as some people's views or ideas will clash and cause a confrontation. 

Some images might offend or disturb other users, as they may find certain images inappropriate or misleading. 

I think, internet providers like AOL or SKY should help regulate the internet. However, some people may argue that this is violating their basic human rights. 

On the other hand, to make the internet more safer and user friendly, internet provides should be able to look into what people have been doing and what sites they have visited.

A new organisation will have to be created in order for the regulation of the internet. This committee will need to have access to all mainstream websites, to monitor any inappropriate captions or uploading. Also they will need to have permission to assess all the websites a person has visited.

Some internet users will have a problem with someone watching what they do on the internet. Therefore some websites should have a strict age verification process, so that people of a certain age, cannot consume specific content.  

An anthropological introduction to YouTube

 In 1948 ABC was produced, however Youtube had formed more hours of programming in six months than ABC's full 60 year run

Youtube produces 9232 hours a day, in-contrast to the 385 on TV channels

200,000 of the videos last 3 minutes

88% is original content

Numa Numa and webcams  

The founder established the song from a viral video

An estimated number for the amount of view times for the video is around 600,000,000

Machine is using us:

Every 6 months there is a tool which connects with us in a new way. As we change so does the media

The actual music is a source from Africa, and it was first shown on digg.com

The video was number one and within months it was translated into 12 different languages, which allowed a huge number of people to interact with it

Research team:

10 undergraduate students who take notes on videos and upload videos

Who is on Youtube?

over 25% of videos has someone 35 or over. This is very similar to teenagers

What is on YouTube?

The most common videos on YouTube, are home videos e.g Charlie bit my finger. these videos have been viewed over 30 million times and redone over 2000 times

15% of all YouTube videos are remakes or remixes of existing videos

5% of all videos are personal vlogs addressed to the YouTube community, why? the loss of community over time

10,000 of the 20,000 videos a day are addressed to the YouTube community

YouTube as a community

no-one really knows who they are taking to

First vlog:

each are repeated once

The webcam: Everybody is watching were nobody is:

feels like the most private place but actually is the most public

Re-cognition and new forms of self-awareness:

whatever you post you know that someone will eventually see it

The Anonymity of Watching YouTube: Haters and Lovers:

you are anonymous so no one knows who is watching

Aesthetic Arrest:

People can carry on with what they want, while they are watching a video

The public are allowed to express themselves without having to worry about the norms they have to follow within society

Connection without constraints:

Judging on how a person wants to connect, YouTube offers that sort of connection

free hugs: A hero for our medicated culture:

300,00,000 views

copied into hundreds of videos

YouTube- Striving for popularity

In order to be seen by viewers, you have to do something unique and unordinary

you need to catch the editor's attention, if you want to appear on the feature page

An early star: emokid21ohio

this was a fake in 2006

YouTube's Authenticity Crisis: the story of lonelygirl15

viewers suspected she was a fake, which turned out to be true, as she was made up by 3 writers. This was actually a soap opera

Reflections on Authenticity:

Viewers don't fully trust YouTube

Serious playful participatory media culture

you never will know were the camera will be and if the video was to be uploaded on YouTube

Networked Production: The collab. "The Message" and the message of YouTube

persons remain anonymous

the most responded video, is on YouTube

Poem: The little glass dot, the eyes of the world

The Little Glass Dot is Wesch's poem, it talks about the webcam being the eyes to the world

Conclusion by bnessel1973

Many people believe that the videos on YouTube are produced for the hopes to change the world

Youtube brought him life again, as it became a from of therapy or remedy and it allowed him to act how he wanted to feel

 

WEB 2.0

WEB 2.0 allows us to create our own media as producers and consumers. Because of this we can cater for our own needs within the media market, which allows us to chose what we want to watch and when we want to watch it. As students we have easy excess to high speed internet connection, which permits us to do alot of work on the internet itself. WEB 2.0 has changed the media, due to social networking sites, video sharing sites, wikis and blogs. Sites such as Facebook and Youtube are examples of this. The internet era is unbelievably popular, and is arguably more popular then television. Television which has been around for over 40 years has been decreasing in popularity, due to the internet which was discovered about 10 years ago. When the internet era reaches it's peek, TV critics are worried that the internet has the strength to overpower the usage of mainstream TV.