Preliminary task - Storyboard and Intial ideas

Storyboard

During our recent lessons we have been brainstorming ideas for our preliminary task in our groups of threes. we have also created a storyboard showing what we plan to film scene by scene with all the camera shots and other information. our preliminary  task is based on the thriller/action genre and includes three characters along with many proper like a car, a park and a river. it will also be filmed in many different locations including a park, a police station a forest and a river. we then created an animated version of the storyboard on premiere pro that matched the timing and how long we thought and expected each scene to be during the short film. we then posted this one our media your tube channel and it is also posted below.

we also thought about the clothing, music and  location of our short films so that we could be prepared and not thinking of ideas on the spot.


Clothing
Location
Music

Represention of women

Taken from the film statistics in 2014 of every one female there was 2.42 males on average in every film. Also out of  5799 speaking characters in 2014 30.9% were women and 69.1% were men. 

According to the Berchel theory of films each film is put through a tests and must go through 3 stages to pass. These stages are;

• Have at least two named females
• Have the two females speak to each other 
• Talk about anything besides men

It's surprising how many film actually fail the test and all the films we assumed would pass actually failed. For example films like Shrek, Toy Story, Harry Potter avatar and book of Eli failed the test. This is because people are totally unaware that this is happening because they are either so used it is and has grew up with it or that they have been taught like this. 

Female stars are stereotypically dresses very provacatly with little clothing so that there legs, chest, face and arms are all on show. For example in the opening scenes of the book of Eli there is a scene with one woman in it and 7 men which is shown to the left. All the men are dressed head to toe in clothing that are all in pretty good condition. The woman on the other hand is dressed in a skimpy top and skirt that show of loads of Bare skin. She is also not wearing any shoes and all her clothing is ripped. This is to show how vulnerable the girl is compared to all the men in the scene and is showing the girls as weak and tired. 

The fact that she is wearing less clothing is due to the 'male gaze'. The term the 'male gaze' was developed by film critic Laura mulvey in 1975 in her essay called ' visual pleasure and narrative cinema'. She states that the male gaze is the way ' visual arts and literature depicts the world of women from a males point view, presenting and representing them as objects for the males pleasure' this means that the director purposely dresses the females in less clothing and only picks actresses that are skinny, thin and have perfect proportions and figures to attract the males to watch the film and make it more exciting for them. There are 3 perspectives of this male gaze theory; the producer, the audience and the actors. As men dominate the film industry the producers know that sex sells and that the female serves as the mans visual pleasure.

Many post apocalyptic films do this but in some films you can see it before you even watch the films but by looking at the film posters. For example films and shows like defiance, the walking dead, falling skies and under the dome all have the males stood at the front of the poster with the women  while them showing they are more powerful and that the 'weak' women are stood behind them. 

One female that breaks these stereotypes is Jennifer Lawrence in the hunger games. In the film the hunger games she plays a character called Katniss evergreen and in the opening scene she is seen in a forest hunting by herself which is already showing us in the first scene that's she is strong and capable of looking after herself . She is not shown at the weak female stereotype. She is also shown later on in the film are the hero when she volunteers to fight in the place of her younger sister, she is being the hero because of her family and not because of a man or as the male hero. The typical hero is a man with maybe a women sidekick or a lover but Katniss is shown as the girl who will save her district . In the next hunger games film call catching fire :part two the war is still going on and Katniss is made the idol or the mokingjay that will save the world and her city. People are looking up to Katniss as a strong feminine figure not just as a pretty girl. She does not attracts the ment by dressing in skimpy clothing but instead she is wearing a full body suit with boots and a weapon and has barely any skin showing. This is not what a male audience want to see as it makes them feel overpowered and belittled as a women has saved the world. But even thought she is not attracting with the male gaze the film managed to make over $692,799,235 worldwide. The hunger games as a film also passes the Berchel test as she has multiple conversations   About her and her skills as a warrior and not about the men she is working alongside or against her. 

Narrative Theorys

Roland Barthes' theory
Barthes theory believed that all films involved two codes; Action and Enigma codes which  formed his theory. An Enigma code is where the audience are made to ask questions about the scene and then these questions are then revealed later on in the film. The also lets the audience predict what could happen next and will keep them thinking until it is revealed. the action code then follows the enigma code to follow on with the narrative. An Action code  is used to move the narrative along and answer the questions that were asked by the audience earlier on.


Rick Altman's theory
Rick Altman's  narrative  theory says that there is three pleasures that you get whilst watching films these are; Emotional pleasure, Visceral pleasure and Intellectual pleasure. Emotional pleasure is when the director tries to generate a strong audience repose for example laughing or crying. This can be show in many genres especially in romances or comedy's. The second pleasure which is Visceral pleasure is when the director tries to get a gut response from the viewer for example feeling sick, feeling of revulsion or nerves during a tense scene. This is also used in many genres but most commonly found in horror or action films. The third is an Intellectual pleasure which is when the director makes the audience figure out a puzzle or a mystery which gives them pleasure. For example when watching Crime Scene shows like CSI the audience will want to figure out the mystery alongside the character in the show.


Levi-Strauss Theory 
Levi-Strauss introduced the notion of binary oppositions as a way to consider the production of meaning with narratives. He said that all construction of meaning was dependant, to some degree on these oppositions, for example good vs. evil, male vs. female, etc


Nicholas Abercrombie theory
Nicholas Abercrombie said that the boundaries between genres are shifting and becoming more permeable. Meaning that the basic genres such as thriller, romance and comedy are shifting and merging together creating sub genres such as rom-com which is a romantic comedy.

Editing Techniques

Match on Action- A shot that cuts to another continuing piece of action movement between the shots. it allows the audience  to see a smooth action despite a cut in the shot. For example a man shoots a gun and the editor would preform an action match to make the gun shoot another person. An example of this is on the show 'Friends' when chandler is stood outside the door and then the shot cut and from a different angle to show him walking through the door.
Shot reverse shot - A shot that captures two people having a conversation and is likely to be used along side over the shoulder shot. It cuts between the two people so there not in the same shot. It can help create a contrast between the characters and make them seem different and highlights their differences.
Cross cutting - Where the editor cuts between two spate scenes in two separate locations at the same time the illustrates link between the characters. It can be a phone call in different locations or just to show the link between two different people for example during the godfather christening/murder scene


Jump cut - The move from one shot to another a very similar scene but missing a piece of action. E.g. A character walking from one side of the room to another but you don't see every movement. This creates a break in the continuity and disorientates the audience but increases the pace of scene. It could also be used when getting ready/shaving speed up the process or to draw out attention to things that the character is thinking about like a prop and then cuts to that prop.

Fast pace cut - This is to increase the speed and excitement in an action scene usually follows beat of the music. For example on the mission impossible host protocol trailer.

Wipe - This is used to move the action on without a jump cut and make the edit seen smooth and calm. for example in the film jaws when the screen cuts to the next every time a person walk past. 



Dolly shot - This shot zooms in and out at the same time to make the scene more tense and the audience more nervous whilst watching. for example during the jaws scene when the main character tells everyone to get out of the water.
Dissolve - when the first shot is on screen and the second shot starts appearing on top of it till all you can see is the second shot. Its used to link two similar scenes used to show time moving. An example of this is breaking bad as it uses it very often during the series.

Visual effects - This is when graphics are shown on screen like numbers, letters and dates. For example csi the intelligent person will have graphics around then to show the information and what there thinking. It can also be used to push along a storyline for example in I am legend.

Graphic match - this is used to match two scenes together and two link the shot together. For example blowing out a match and background turns orange or a young girl playing with a red doll and then cut to a woman holding a girl with a red dress.
Slow motion - This shot is used to slow down the pace. for example a fight scene throwing a punch like the watchmen opening scene or the zombie land opening scene.
sound bridge- this is when music is played during one scene and then carried on into he next scene. for example a character may be plain music over the radio whilst getting ready and then in the next scene when there driving or doing another action the music carries on over the top.

Alone - short film

Also during this lesson we watched a short 10 minute movie called alone. The short ten minute film is about a young man that is supposedly the last person on earth. It shows his doing his daily thing including brushing his teeth, eating and listening to his voicemails. It then shows him venturing out into the open and trying to find supply's, he ventures into a few houses and then as he is walking back a single light flicks on as he is waling down the street.

Our teacher then asked us to become a bit more creative and to come up with a few alternate ending that could of happened. in my group of three we came up with a few ideas. we suggested that as the light turned on then a bloody hand slipped down the window, hinting that someone is killing off each one of the surviving people on the earth. Another idea that we came up with that he may check his voicemails the next morning and have anew voicemail from his girlfriends asking him where he is and if he is okay this would make us wonder where everyone else has gone. other ideas in out class that we shared was that he may find some foot prints that aren't his or that he hears and mysterious noise like a bell, a voice or a child playing.

this is a link to the short film on YouTube.

Opening scene - 28 Days Later

The classification of this film is an 18 due to the amount of aggressive language, strong violence and threat. This opening scene is a lot different to the other opening scenes I have studied as I fell like this one is straight in with the action and you can clearly tell what have caused the apocalypse where as in the road and the book of Eli it only hints at what has happened. its starts of with a group of 3 people two men and a woman breaking into a laboratory full of chimps and have a plan to let them all free as they don't agree with them being captured. a scientist then finds them as says that the chimps are dangerous and angry  and will harm them if they set the free. the group decide that the scientist is lying and is just saying that so they leave but the woman takes charge which is weird compared to other films where the woman is the follower. the monkey then attacks the woman as she sets him free which is again showing that the women are weak and make stupid mistakes when they take charge. the lighting is very dark at this stage and also has flashing red lights which suggests danger and fear for the characters. it also makes it more intense for us as viewers and we don't know what will happen. other things that make the audience feel tense and scared is when the chimps suddenly become loud and rattle loudly which makes us feel uncomfortable as well. The scene then changes completely to a white hospital bed which is different to the scene before which was very dark and dangerous to now being very peaceful and quite. the man looks very dazed and confused and he is not aware of what has happed to him. the hospital is empty and deserted which makes you wonder what has happened to everyone also it is very messy and things are all over the floor which again suggests what has happened to make everyone drop what they were doing to leave.

Opening Scene - The Road

During this lesson we watched another opening scene from the film The Road which is a post-apocalyptic film. The opening shot was establishing shots of a bright and colourful garden filled with bright flowers and a shot of a family playing showed happiness. this scene also includes a graphic match as after it shows the stills of the flowers it them shows a woman in a floral dress which is showing us she is as pure and delicate as the flowers. It could also link to fertility and birth as it is spring time and then cuts to the next scene when the woman is pregnant. Another graphic match in this opening scene is at the end of the first scene and into the next scene. the bright colourful flowers get blocked out by a dark door which shows the end of the positivity. This then matches with the next scene which is dark and gloomy and was a lot darker than the other shot but still had a bit of colour with the red and orange tones from out of the window which suggests fire. This scene included a man waking up in panic and started to fill up the bath tub whilst his pregnant wife questioned what was happening. Many people in my class was confused by his actions in this scene and questions why he was filling up the bathtub in a time of crisis. Some of the class thought that it was to conserve water and others thought it may be to induce labour. A sound bridge is used here as in the previous scene the man is running the bath and diegetic sound can then be heard again in the next scene when the man wakes up next to the waterfall. The next scene shows the world completely differently to what was have just seen.There is not colour left and it seems that the colour was slowly disappearing as the scenes moved on you can see this when he uses a panning shot across the lake and shows how destroyed the place is. The world is very achromatic and dull which suggests something severe has happened. There was a small hint during the opening scene which suggests that something severe has happened to the world when the young. It wakes up crying for his dad and the dad replys 'it's okay it's just another earthquake'. there is a scene that puts emphasis on a sign that says ' the valley of slaughter'  and then shows them walking into the tunnel this is suggesting that something may happen to them if they go into the tunnel. there is a shot used where the light is behind them in the tunnel like something is bad at the other end. This opening scene uses a lot of establishing shots to show how deserted and damaged the place has become. There were many other shots including, close up, crane shot and extreme close up to show the emotion of the characters or how little emotion that they have for example when the man opens the bin and finds human remains the close up shot shows us that he is used to it all. Long shots and mid shots are used to show how isolated they are and how alone they are. there as also a point of view from the young boy looking up at the mounted deer head as he has never seen anything like this before because there isn't any animals that have survived the earthquakes. The light at the end on the opening scene in the tent connotates positivity and that the two character are the last bit of positivity in the world. There are 3 character in this opening scene a man and pregnant women in the flashback and then the same man and a young boy in the present time. This gives us an indication of how the apocalypse has been going on for as the young boy is around 4/5 and the wife was pregnant with the young boy in the flashback. The sound in the scene is very slow paced and peaceful at the beginning to show the happiness and peacefulness, once the man wakes up from his dream the music suddenly stops and it shows the reality of the moment and how the peace has now gone. Mise en scene plays a massive part of the media industry and a few things that I analysied during the scene was the clothing and the characters possetions. The teddy bear that the young boy carries round with him shows his innocence in this situation and that also shows how young he really is. The family also carry round a trolley with them to put all there possessions in, there whole life is in the trollley which resembles homeless people in real life. Money and jewels were scattered across the floor and the characters walk over them without a care, this shows that the items are insignificant in this world and that they are of no value anymore. The the plot of the film is similar to the Book Of Eli and doesn't really give any indication about that has happened and why the place is so deserted. it gives slight hint so that you are questioning what has happened. The road has been classed at a 15 films sue to infrequent strong violence, language and gory images. this is also because the film includes sights of cannibalism and dismembered victims which is the guidelines for a 15 classification.

 link to the road opening scene on YouTube

Opening Scene - I Am Legend

During this lesson we studied the film opening to I Am Legend. we were again asked to focus on certain things, the setting, plot, characters, gender and camera settings. the first scene is a voice over talking about the sports and what team is winning this weekend. It then reported back to a studio news room with to women one news reporter and a doctor. the doctors name was Dr Crippen which rang some bells for us as an audience as Dr Crippen was a murderer in the 1900's and was a well known case. this hints that she has the same intentions as the original doctor. the news reporter claims that she has cured cancer and the she has cured everyone she has tried the vaccination. she is hesitant with her speech and goes of on a tangent about drunk drivers and policemen which makes us believe that she is not serious about what she is saying. the next scene is a blank screen with writing across the screen which is used to push the story along or to keep us updated if the story is moving along to fast. the next scene a group of establishing shots all in a row which is showing us where the film is set. these shots also show us that something severe has happened as the streets are empty and deserted which has either forced the people out of the city or that there has been multiple deaths occurred. the establishing shots also show us that the city has been deserted for over a year as the Christmas decorations are still up and swinging in the wind. the next shot is a crane shot which is typically used in New York scenes to show how busy the city is when its flooded with people and yellow cabs. however this scene is used to show how empty and deserted the city is except for the single red car the is driving down the street. the main character is a black masculine male played by will smith  who has played the hero in many other action films for example Men in Black and I Robot. This is also very similar to the Book Of Eli which also has a black male as their main character. this opening scene also involves a German Shepard which is similar to The Book Of Eli which involves a cat. The scene uses a lot of camera scenes including a long shot, panning shot, crane shot close up, tracking shot and a point of view shot which I thought was interesting as it was the point of view from the front of the car. The film I am legend has been given the BBFC classification of a 15 due to the use of strong and frequent violence throughout the film. The film also have scenes where animals are being killed which is why it has been given the 15 classifications.

 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksGH1NN8TBA- second part of the opening scene that couldn't be embedded

Opening Scene - Book Of Eli

During today's lesson after learning all the camera shots and angles we watched the film opening for the post-apocalyptic film called The Book Of Eli. We were asked to think about and jot down ideas about the setting, plot, camera shots, character and gender. The opening film began with a long tracking shot showing us the setting which was a dark and eerie forest set in the late autumn. this tracking shot also suggested some of the plot as it has a close up of a gun on the floor and then showed us a dead man laying along the floor which suggest whatever apocalyptic event occurs was horrible enough for a man to commit suicide. this also suggest that there is nothing to live for anymore and that was the mans only choice. there was 3 character during this opening scene a cat, the dead man and an unrecognisable person. I think that the character is male as they looked quite strong and masculine which is very stereotypical. the setting also showed leaves falling which suggested that there has been a death of that their will be many more throughout the rest of the film. other shots that I saw was a crane shot, panning shot, a mid shot and an extreme close up. there was also a point of view shot from a cats point of view which is quite strange as is not typically what directors use. I think the shot was used to show how vulnerable that cat was before he was shot. the shot showed the cat looking into the distance and the man could not be seen in the shot showing the cat didn't know what was about the happen and how innocent it was. this opening scene doesn't hint to what the rest of the film is about so it doesn't really make me want to watch the rest of the film as the opening scene is supposed to grab your attention and make want to watch the rest of the film. This film has a classification of 15 due to the amount of violence and the detail of the injuries. it also includes frequent use of strong language and moderate threat.


link to the opening scene on YouTube

Camera Angles, Movements and Sound

Camera shots

Establishing shot

This is used by this director to set the scene and to show the viewer what environment they are in. if any character are in the shot they are barely visible.

Long shot

This shot is used by directors to help viewers understand the link between characters and their environment.  The shot will show the character from head to toe with a small part of the background shown too.

Mid shot

A mid shot shows the characters from the waist up and helps the viewers become more familiar with the character and help them understand their motivations. This shot helps as you can see the facial expressions and body language.

Two shot

A two shot simply shows two people in the frame and the shows the viewer the relationship between them both.

Close up

A close up shot shows the head and shoulders of the character to shoe emotion and facial expressions this allows the viewer to see how the character is feeling. It can also be used to show the importance of a certain object that is important to the plot; this could be a gun or a letter.

Extreme close up

This shot is similar to a close up except it focus’ closer on an object which makes it intense for the viewer as this is an unfamiliar viewpoint for them to experience.  This shot may be used to focus on the eye or an object that need a lot of emphasis.

Point of view

This camera shot is from the characters point of view. The viewer will be seeing I through the characters eyes so they can feel like they are in their position or it can be used to show vulnerable or powerful a character is.

Camera movements

Tracking shot

A tracking shot is used to for multiple reasons but is usually used to keep the viewer involved and to keep pace in the film. A tracking shot is used with the following equipment; a dolly and a track to keep the camera steady when moving around. The camera can be moved towards a character to draw the character and to make them familiar. It can also be moved away from a character to show the end of a scene. A tracking shot can also be used side to side which keeps pace in the film.

Tilt shot

This shot is used to reveal a character, whether it’s to reveal their clothing, the props or an insight to their personality.  This movement involves moving the camera up or down on an axis. This shot can also be used to make a character look more powerful and dominant as they would be show from a low angle.

Zoom

This shot is similar to a tracking shot but you simply change to focal length of the camera to imitate how you create a tracking shot.

Arc shot

This shot includes moving the camera in a semi-circle or full circle around a character or object to increase the intensity of the scene.

Crane shot

A crane show is used above the character or abject to make them look powerless and less dominant.

Panning shot

This shot involves moving the camera from left to right. This is used to show a broad area of a shot and can also be used alongside the point of view shot to show the character looking around a room for an item or in a conversation alongside multiple characters.

Sound

Diegetic sound

Is a sound that can be heard by actors in the scene. For example and car driving past or a door shutting.

Non-diegetic sound

Is a sound that cannot be heard by the actors and are added in post filming

Internal diegetic sound

Is a sound that can be heard by the character and the viewer but is not actually real. For example a character hearing voices in her head is something that the character and audience can hear but no one else can.

Sound bridge

This is when music is played during one scene and then carried on into the next scene. For example a character may be plain music over the radio whilst getting ready and then in the next scene when there driving or doing another action the music carries on over the top.

Introduction



 

My name is Lauren Chapman and I am currently living in Nottingham. I am attending Ashfield post 16 and I am studying three subjects including media, photography and BTEC travel and tourism. All three subjects appeal to me in different ways. Media appeals to me as I studied it as a GCSE and I really enjoyed it. this also means that I know the basics of media and my projects that I did during that course like making film posters, magazines and how to analyse clips of film will help me during this course. I also think that it goes well with my other subjects like photography which I am really passionate about. The two subjects link well together and the skills in use in photography will help me in media and vice versa. I feel like I am a very creative person and that will help me in these subjects and will help me pursue the career I want in the future. 

 

I want to pursue a career in the media industry weather it in the filming sector or in another sector I am happy to keep my options open and I think studying media at a level with help me with whichever path I decide to take in the media industry. 

I have lived in Kirkby in Ashfield all my life with my parent and my younger brother. In my free time in enjoy binge watching my favourite shows including pretty little liars, the walking dead and prison break all of which are a thriller/horror genre which is my favourite. Music is also a big part of my life as I love going to concerts and music festivals because I love the atmosphere and the different people that you meet there. My music taste is very mixed and I like many different genres. My favourite artists at the moment is the weeknd , drake, Chris brown and the script. I listen to music constantly throughout the day and my Spotify has a playlist for every type of music/mood.  I also love traveling and exploring new places which I use as locations for my photography. I enjoy exploring the local area and finding new places to shoot but I prefer venturing out further to London, Manchester and Edinburgh. This will also come in handy for media as you constantly want different locations to film in. Also in my free time I like to spend time with my family and small group of friends. As we are only a small family we enjoy having family days out or lazy days where we can all hang out. I think being in a small family I am a very independent person as my mum and dad brought me up like that which will also help me during this course.