Question 2: Genre (learning)

Technology (what)
Examples (where)
Theories (why)

Sound
Mise en scene
Camerawork 
Editing
Use example for all above

General: 
Laura Mulvey male gaze
Robert Stam genre is too hard to define, it doesn't exist and theorists have made it up

Music:
Goodwin voyeurism, star personna, lyrics and visuals, conventions depend on genre, intertextual references

Film:
Neale genre always changes and evolves
5 stages genre defines itself, classic, expansion of genre, parody and homage 

Question 2: Media Language (practice essay)

Explain how meaning is constructed by the use of media language in ONE of your coursework productions.

For our AS production, my group and I produced an opening sequence for our sci-fi/action film ‘Hacker’, set in London where- due to the main character Drea finding corrupt files on the government’s data base- a chase broke out between her and two special agents trying to damage the world. As a film opening, it needed to draw in audiences to make them want to carry on watching the film, showing and introducing the main themes, genres and setting. Therefore we needed to do this to create an effective opening, and we did this via media language- the way a producer conveys messages to the audience through the use of camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene. As our film was predominantly action, we needed to convey this message to our target audience.

From viewing previous action films such as ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002), we saw that a main convention of actions was that a lot of the shots were close ups or wide shots. We wanted to recreate this, so when editing our footage in the program Adobe Premiere Pro, we kept the same zoom on the shots that we had chosen to use when filming. We decided these shots would look effective to connote two meanings- the first that it is an action and secondly that audience viewers need to focus on the specific characters. To further these technological connotations, we used the program Adobe Premiere Pro again for the opening titles. We created a sci-fi typing look for our titles, with the fonts being in a green coding colour. As we used this font- inspired by the film Iron Man (2008)- it helped again convey this action/sci-fi theme and a world where a single woman is trying to save corrupt files being exposed to the world.

This exploitation of technology in our film plot follows the theory proposed by Levi Strauss about binary opposites being just as important as narrative, as without the idea of good vs evil we used we would have no narrative to incorporate and therefore no media language to construct.  At the moment everyone uses technology and many people prefer to text and e-mail rather than talk face-to-face. We wanted to develop this idea and create a film which wonders ‘what if these corrupt files get out over the internet?’ To emphasise the use of technology in our film, the beginning of the sequence shows a close-ups of the main character on a laptop, showing their thumbs typing away. We then crosscut these shots with close-ups of the special agent’s mouths feeding information into their ear pieces saying they had eyes on the target, relying on technology to include the conventions of our genre.

I believe that in making these important creative decisions we conveyed meaning well, and this was backed up with the audience feedback received. The majority of our audience understood our plot and gave positive feedback, and this was due to the fact that we could construct meaning by the use of media language.

Throughout our sequence, we see many wide shots of Drea being chased by the special agents which is most effective as she is our main protagonist.  This raises questions in the audience’s minds, such as ‘why is she being chased?’ and ‘what has she done?’ This follows Barthes’ enigma code, where media provokes audiences to ask questions. The answer to their questions are only revealed at the very end of the sequence, where we show a scene of her being cornered in an alleyway, we then know she is good and they are bad. The fact that we used a cut shot shows that this is an important part of the sequence, making audiences concentrate and read the text. The use of speech saying ‘well this’ll be interesting’ makes the audiences want to carry on watching the film.

In retrospect, viewing and evaluating a film opening, we could easily see how Levi-Strauss’s theory of binary opposites can be applied. This is shown as we dressed Drea in innocent colours and clothing and the boys in strict suits = dialogue and actions by the characters eventually reveal that Drea is the ‘goodie’ and the boys are the ‘baddies.’

From viewing all our camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene decisions, it is easy to see how media can convey a message through media language. This follows Stuart Hall’s theory of decoding/encoding- how producers decode a message and want audiences to encode it. Furthermore, theorist David Bordwell stated that in film, ‘every gesture and every camera movement is designed to shape our uptake’

I believe that in making these important creative decisions we conveyed meaning well, and this was backed up with the audience feedback received. The majority of our audience understood our plot, and this was due to the fact that we could construct meaning by the use of media language.

Question 2: Narrative (practice essay)

Narrative

The traditional type of narrative for our genre of action is linear. This is evident in film openings for our genre that inspired us.  This means starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the story. Levi Strauss’ theory that says binary opposites are important in narratives such as good vs evil, women vs men, crime vs justice can be applied to our film opening as we had a good vs evil theme.

Regarding camera work in our AS film opening, we used a variety of shots to communicate the narrative of our film opening. This included close ups of the main character so people could identify with her and wide shots of both the good girl and bad guys, to show them at opposite ends of the camera and therefore opposite ends of the spectrum. These wide shots enabled us to show that the unique casting of a lead female in an action genre with a sci-fi feel was being chased by two male special agents. The theory proposed by Levi Strauss about binary opposites being just as important as narrative can be applied here, as without the idea of good vs evil we would have had no narrative to incorporate.

In terms of editing in our AS film opening, we used short cut shots and a variety of transitions to communicate the narrative of our film opening. The use of short cut shots coincided with the build up of fast paced music – all to create the effect of tension and drama that is typical of our genre. We used transitions such as fades and dip to blacks to make the narrative of good vs bad (Strauss) seem like the most important factor, agreeing with his theory.

For sound, we chose a song that built up really dramatically and when it reached its’ peak, became very fast paced to match the narrative of the genre. This made our sequence successful, as we were able to use sound to help incorporate Propp’s theory that texts need particular characters to develop a narrative. Also, that there are particular parts of a narrative that always happen, for example in our film opening – the good girl was being chased by the bad guys. The audience enjoys watching this and it gives them someone to identify with and also root for, which makes them more focused and interested in the narrative. The music aided this because as it built up, it was more evident that the particular part of the narrative was needed, supporting Propp’s theory.

For mise en scene, we used real costumes such as the special agents in suits with ear pieces and the female hacker in a black dress with boots and a coat to add a sense of realism. For locations, we filmed in train stations so that it was busy and added a sense of panic to the narrative. Also, we filmed in old cobbled streets so that it wasn’t busy to show a sense of loneliness and helplessness to the character in need of a way out. Mise en scene helped communicate the narrative as all of the above factors made the characters perform in a more successful way and therefore the storyline was more tight packed and Propp’s theory of needing something to happen highlighted the use of mise en scene.

We used narrative enigma, theses are codes that limit the audience to information, and it lets them have to figure what is going off in the story. This was evident when we opened with the hacker sitting typing on her laptop, and the special agents see her and mouth something into their ear pieces. This creates questions such as, who is she? Who are they? What has she done? Why do they want to follow her? This then creates an enigma so that our audience are pleased and will continue to watch.

To conclude, our audience viewers thought that our narrative was interesting and unique, as we used a female lead in an action genre with a sci-fi feel. This is not normally expected of this type of genre, therefore it was seen as cleverer and therefore interesting. Our genre was action which was highly noticeable with the help of factors such as editing, sound, mise en scene and the type of camera shots. Perhaps if we used more of an unrestricted narration, where information is given out in as much detail as possible with very little restrictions so the “narrative” is clear like an unknown theorist proposed, we could have made it even more unique and perhaps targeted an even wider audience – but that is the only thing that would have potentially made it better.

 

Question 1: Section A: Use of Real Media Conventions (practice essay)

Use of real media conventions

Over the two year course I have learned a lot about, not just what the conventions of particular forms and genres are, but how to use them in creative ways in my own work.

At AS we completed prelim tasks to practice how it would be to film and edit a film opening sequence. We were assigned a random genre (action) and from this were able to find out where everyone’s strengths were to put this into action for the real film opening. For example, someone who might not have been so good at editing was a strong performer, and someone who wasn’t a strong performer was good at doing the ‘paper-work’ side of things. The prelim task was also an insight into how much fun the real thing would be but also how much hard work and effort we each would need to give.

At A2 we improved the way we used the prelim task by having a more ‘heads on’ approach to it. We were able to thoroughly plan a storyboard and copy exactly a music video of our choice. This was a difficult task, as we had to follow each shot carefully and closely. The music video we chose had advanced effects, which helped us learn more advanced editing skills at A2 level. This prelim task gave us an insight into how much more difficult this task would be then at AS level, and how much more focus we would need to successfully complete this task.

At AS, we found that conventions of an action genre were things such as ‘cat and mouse’ chases. We applied this in our film opening with a chase between the main hacking girl and the special agents; this was fast paced and successfully went with the conventions of action. Another convention of action is sinister, upbeat, nerve wracking music – we also applied this to our film opening. In an action genre, the characters always need to have a motive and a mission waiting to be completed, which is exactly what we gave to our audience through the mission of the main hacker trying to get top secret files for the ‘good of the world’ with the motive of getting them to safety. 

At A2 we developed our use of applying conventions further by thoroughly analysing music videos with similar genre to ours. From this, we were able to identify what we needed to include in our music video and practice these conventions through tasks such as lip syncing and mood boarding.

As AS we used conventional camera shots by using a variety of shots such as medium, close up and wide. By using such a versatile amount of shots we were able to show our skills with the HD camera we were using.

At A2 we pushed the boundaries in terms of camera shots by introducing a GoPro camera into our filming, not just a HD camera. The GoPro showed how advanced we were in terms of filming and camera work, and we were able to play around with different locations, such as a swimming pool. This made our music video successful and showed our skills with cameras as a group by using the same amount of varied shots at just like AS.

At AS we used mise en scene, editing and sound in terms of conventions with our genre. We made the main hacker dress in an appropriate way that would be expected of a female in an action film. The editing was fast paced and cut shots were quick so it matched the conventions of the genre. This was similar to the sound; the music was fast paced but built up dramatically, which is expected of an action genre like mentioned in the paragraph above.

At A2, we developed the use of mise en scene, editing and sound further. This was shown with the use of more specific and careful make up, costume and lighting. Emma wore make up colours that matched her outfit and were delicate and girly, the style of our music video. The editing was really short cut shots to follow influences such as Lana Del Rey’s music video for ‘Video Game.’ The sound was pretty set in stone as we chose the song, then matched the genre conventions to it.

To conclude – at AS, I was still learning about the concept of genre, and felt as though conventions were very much easily identifiable and set in stone.  I ensured that I followed lots of genre’s conventions in my AS work.  However by the time I reached A2, I learned that genre is much more of a “fluid” concept, less easy to define, especially within music, and this led to me being confident enough to both follow and challenge conventions of my genre, pushing the boundaries throughout which impacted my creativity.

Question 1: Section A: Post production (practice essay)

Post Production - how your skills have progressed and how they helped you in your productions

I have gone from knowing virtually nothing about post production to now being able to complete complex editing of video, sound and graphics.

At AS we used Premiere Pro to edit our film opening. This helped us significantly as we were able to gather all of our footage in one place and cut appropriate videos so that eventually we had a collection of videos in a sequence for a successful film opening. During this experience, we also learned skills to add effective transitions, audio or video. This would be transitions such as dissolve, fade or dip to black. We could also play around with volumes or add text and change the colour or font to make an effective title sequence.

At A2 we used Premiere Pro in a different way because we had a more advanced task. We used Premiere Pro to edit our music video. Similar to AS, we were able to gather all of the shots we had in one place and filter out the ones that were appropriate and the ones we did not need. We had skills from AS such as how to crop, edit and add transitions and effects which was helpful to not have to pick up from scratch again. However, we also added to these skills with more knowledge of Premiere Pro, for example being able to add filters that we had found on the internet over the top of shots to give it a vintage feel, or finding out how to get rid of the grid look on the swimming pool shots. Overall, combining AS and A2 skills for Premiere Pro produced a successful music video for us.

At AS we used tools for film sound to make the music build up when parts of the film opening were tenser. This meant using audio gains and fades when we wanted the music to be louder or quieter. This included the use an experiential fade, which meant playing around with the length of that to match it to the clip.

At A2 we improved our use for film sound by just advancing the skills we already had from AS. This meant using audio gains and fades, but more quickly and more successful as we already had knowledge of how to do it. Sound was more important for this task as it was a music video, so if we did not have this correct, we would have a problem. 

At AS we did not know much about Photoshop and it was a learning experience for each member of our task. We spent much time on google learning the tools and skills you need for Photoshop and eventually learned how to create an effective film opening poster for ‘Hacker.’ Skills such as crop, magic wand tool, eraser tool and red eye tool.

At A2 we improved our understanding of Photoshop by watching videos on YouTube of how to create a successful picture in Photoshop. As we were using Photoshop to create a six-picture digipak, we needed to extend our skills from AS level. This meant using the techniques we had picked up, but adding skills such as learning how to use sharpen tool, brush tool and quick selection tool.

At AS we got feedback after the production by filming people and asking them a selection of questions we had already devised. We then put all of these videos in Premiere and made a 5 minute video of feedback from peers, teachers and family members. This way, we had a range of ages and genders and received helpful and appropriate feedback to improve our final film opening sequence and achieve a mark to be proud of.

At A2 we improved post production feedback also by filming people and asking them a selection of questions we had already devised. We then put all of these videos in Premiere and this was added to a four page written questionnaire. This included questions to find out information such as how people watch music videos, and how they enjoyed our music video/ what could be improved. We also had a one page questionnaire online so that the computer could generate a solid conclusion of feedback for us – all of this aided the improvement of our A2 music video and we hope to achieve a successful mark for this task also.

My post production skills have developed hugely and has enabled me to take a simple piece of footage and turn it into something complex and creative.

Question 1: Section A: Creativity (practice essay)

Creativity - how your skills have progressed and how they helped you in your productions

Creativity is “the making of new things and the re-arranging of the old” e.g. the ability to have your own ideas and not just copy other peoples.  The ability to do things that are unusual and different are present in the following features.

At AS we were creative coming up with ideas by narrowing down the choices of genre within our group. We were then fixed on the idea of doing an action genre with a hint of sci-fi. This is quite a unique genre as the two both don’t usually work hand in hand but we were able to make a female the main character and also a Hacker which proved to be extremely different when researching similar genres and very creative.

At A2 we were more creative coming up with ideas by deciding that we wanted to film underwater shots with a GoPro in a swimming pool. Underwater shots in music videos are extremely rare (as we found out when researching this in music videos) because it is hard to get them right. However, we were able to have guidance from influences and film beautiful water shots which slotted nicely into our music video.

At AS we were creative choosing locations by deciding we wanted to film in a train station in London. This is extremely hard to do as it is so busy and the ‘extras’ around may look towards the camera or make a problem for our performers walking through. However, the shots ended up being really successful and unique not only within our class but within the world of film.

At A2 we were more creative choosing locations by choosing to film at a swimming pool. This was a decision that was the one that proved to have the most problems initially – hiring the pool, finding the costumes, using the GoPro. However, we were able to pull it all together and film water shots that were appropriate for our music video. Also, we decided to successfully follow the forms and conventions as one of our influences (Lana Del Rey) has American 1950s and 60s looks to her videos and with the Southend location and vintage filter effect we were able to add – we pulled this off.

At AS we chose costumes by dressing our unique female hacker lead in a black dress and black boots. We did not want her to stand out as she was ‘on the run’ from special agents, so this costume was effective for her.

 

At A2 we were more creative with our costumes by considering makeup and hair to follow the mise en scene elements we had learned at A2. Emma wore a lilac dress and matched her lipstick to this, considering her hair down and straight to give an elegant look. This was more advanced and thought about than any costumes, make up or hair we had for AS. 

At AS we copied conventions of the genre for example having music that built up throughout the film opening and added to the tense atmosphere of the ‘hacker running away from the special agents.’ The sci-fi element came with the title sequence we chose to use with the ‘green computer’ font which copied sci-fi conventions.

At A2 we were more creative with the conventions for example copying the whole ‘Americana 1950s and 1960s’ effect and incorporating a vintage filter reel. We also copied elegant lines and body positions that were much like in the music video for Beyoncé’s ‘Halo’ and feel that both were successful in being more creative than at A2 in terms of conventions.

At AS we used basic editing techniques such as crop, delete, audio fades and audio gains. These were good to learn at AS as they were basic editing techniques we needed to learn, however we needed to be more advanced at A2.

At AS we used basic editing techniques such as incorporating a vintage filter effect that we found on the internet, using black and white, fading people into shots and dip to blacks. We also used the skills we had learned at AS level which helped us create a successful music video.

There were certain restraints on our creativity in place from the exam board, we had to make a music video, digipak, poster etc. These rules did limit our ability to be creative to a certain extent.

It is not easy to just be creative. We actually needed to do practical things like research, paperwork, storyboards etc. to allow us to develop our creativity.  Without solid research and planning, being creative was impossible. We needed a balance of organised and creative people in a group to be successful.

Often it is a learning process where you start by being told what to do, then you try doing things on your own and then you end up being confident and skilled enough to experiment which leads to creativity.  We had to make mistakes at first to be creative.

Question 1: Section A: Digital technology (practice essay)

Digital Technology – how your skills have progressed and how they helped you in your productions

Digital technologies have a had a massive influence on media production over the last few years and since I started in Year 12 I have learned a massive amount about how to use them and what the benefits are of using them.  They in turn have had a massive impact on the quality of my finished products.

At AS we used Premiere Pro to edit our film opening. This helped us significantly as we were able to gather all of our footage in one place and cut appropriate videos so that eventually we had a collection of videos in a sequence for a successful film opening. During this experience, we also learned skills to add effective transitions, audio or video. This would be transitions such as dissolve, fade or dip to black. We could also play around with volumes or add text and change the colour or font to make an effective title sequence.

At A2 we used Premiere Pro in a different way because we had a more advanced task. We used Premiere Pro to edit our music video. Similar to AS, we were able to gather all of the shots we had in one place and filter out the ones that were appropriate and the ones we did not need. We had skills from AS such as how to crop, edit and add transitions and effects which was helpful to not have to pick up from scratch again. However, we also added to these skills with more knowledge of Premiere Pro, for example being able to add filters that we had found on the internet over the top of shots to give it a vintage feel, or finding out how to get rid of the grid look on the swimming pool shots. Overall, combining AS and A2 skills for Premiere Pro produced a successful music video for us.

At A2 we needed to use social networking sites to promote our music video for multiple reasons. Firstly, so we could receive appropriate and helpful criticisms to improve. Also, so we could create the illusion of a ‘fan base’ and post pictures or statements on Instagram and Twitter to keep our fans up to date on what our band was doing. This proved to be an effective way of gaining evidence that our band was being promoted, with screen shots of posts on both social networking sites. Using Twitter and Instagram was also a way of keeping up with the ‘modern times’ and added a sense of realism. Most artists in this current day will use social networking sites such as Twitter and Instagram to gain viewers of their new music videos by promoting them through ‘countdowns’ or giving away small clues – so this is what we tried to do and it was successful.

At AS we used YouTube to add all relevant videos we had made, for example our storyboard or our audience evaluation question. We also uploaded drafts along the editing process of ‘Hacker’ and were able to receive appropriate feedback for our film opening so we could continuously improve it before the final draft was due. Our final film opening was also uploaded to YouTube which is a helpful site for AS students as it is popular in modern times and you can see how many views you have or comments of what people thought.

At A2 we used You Tube in a similar way because we also uploaded all relevant videos we had made. For example the lip syncing task, all three band members interviews with relevant channels, the storyboard, a teaser trailer, tour promotion, release promotion and all drafts during the editing process. Much like AS, we were able to receive appropriate feedback for our music video so we could continuously improve it before the final draft was due. The other videos were all helpful to our task as they all helped to promote the music video and give our fans ‘teasers’ and little snippets of what was to come. Alike AS again, our final music video was also uploaded to YouTube which helped us out once more as we could see how many views we had or comments of what people thought which aided our evaluation.

At AS we used Digital Cameras to film all of our shots that we needed to include for the final sequence. We stuck closely to the storyboard and it was a helpful piece of technology as it had a flip camera so the actors on the other side could see what the camera people were filming and therefore give a good performance and as it was also HD the quality of our film opening was decent.

At A2 we used Digital Cameras in a similar way because we also used this piece of technology to film all of our shots that we needed to include for the final music video. We did not stick as close to the storyboard because it sometimes looked better when it was more spontaneous and did not need such a close story line as it was a music video and not a film opening. The flip camera also helped the performers give a good performance and as it was also HD the quality of our music video was decent. In addition, we used a GoPro camera which proved to be extremely effect in the creation of our music video. The features of this camera enabled us to film under water and get clear, beautiful shots. Although we could not see what we were filming at the time, when watching it back this proved no problem as we were able to crop or edit the specific parts of the video that we needed and had a decent amount of water shots.

At AS we used Fireworks/Photoshop to create a film poster to promote our film opening. This was a difficult programme to use as no group members felt confident with Fireworks or Photoshop. After taking time to learn and play around with the programme, we were able to produce a really great film poster.

At A2 we used Fireworks/Photoshop in a similar way but did not struggle as much because we had picked up the skills for Photoshop in AS level. We made the whole digipak on Photoshop, this included six individual panels in black and white, with text and images. Picking up the skills at AS really helped us save time at A2 level for the music video digipak as we had so many other things to be doing – wasting time on learning Photoshop would have set us back.

Digital Technology has enabled me (a consumer of media) to become a producer that can not only make a higher quality media product, but edit it and distribute it to a wide audience.

Question 1: Section A: Research and planning (practice essay)

Research & Planning - how your skills have progressed and how they helped you in your productions

Research and planning have played a huge role in all of my production work so far and hence my skills in research and planning have developed massively.  My research and planning have made my production work develop in terms of quality. 

At AS we used questionnaires to make sure we had an appropriate set of questions to ask fellow students and teachers what they thought of our film opening and get valuable feedback to improve.

At A2 we improved our use of questionnaires by devising a four page written questionnaire to get feedback for our music video. This included questions to find out information such as how people watch music videos, and how they enjoyed our music video/ what could be improved. We also had a one page questionnaire online so that the computer could generate a solid conclusion of feedback for us – all of this aided the improvement of our A2 music video.

At AS we used focus groups to assemble a group of people to participate in a discussion about our film opening before it was launched and to provide feedback. This proved to be useful as it was a smaller group of people who came to a screening of our film opening and were more of our target audience (teenagers interested in action and sci-fi)

At A2 we didn’t use focus groups as much as we found that the majority of students in our class were our target audience so there was no need to narrow it down – we were still able to get appropriate and useful feedback to improve our final product.

At AS we examined real opening sequences such as Catch Me If You Can and Iron Man in order to see how action/sci-fi film openings use font and colour to have effective title sequences. Also, in order to see how they use forms and conventions and other factors such as mise on scene to have a successful film opening.

At A2 we improved our research / analysis of real texts by thoroughly analysing multiple music videos of any genre that related to the theorists we were using. We then furthered this by analysing music videos of a specific genre once we had chosen our particular genre. This meant looking at music videos of the genre ‘indie’ – such as Lana Del Rey’s music video for ‘video game.’ This then enabled us to look at similar album cover genres and improved our research from AS level.

At AS we used storyboards for planning every single shot we wanted to film in our film opening. This meant working out how long the shot would be for, what type of shot we wanted to use (e.g. close up) and where the shot would be filmed. The storyboard was followed closely in order to get a successful film opening.

At A2 we improved our use of storyboards by matching the shots to a lyric timeline. We were able to plan our shots even more thoroughly than at AS level as we planned what would be filmed/performed for every single word of the song and every single instrumental. We closely followed our storyboard as this was a successful way of filming all the shots we needed and then were able to narrow this down when editing and add successful effects.

At AS we completed prelim tasks to practice how it would be to film and edit a film opening sequence. We were assigned a random genre (action) and from this were able to find out where everyone’s strengths were to put this into action for the real film opening. For example, someone who might not have been so good at editing was a strong performer, and someone who wasn’t a strong performer was good at doing the ‘paper-work’ side of things. The prelim task was also an insight into how much fun the real thing would be but also how much hard work and effort we each would need to give.

At A2 we improved the way we used the prelim task by having a more ‘heads on’ approach to it. We were able to thoroughly plan a storyboard and copy exactly a music video of our choice. This was a difficult task, as we had to follow each shot carefully and closely. The music video we chose had advanced effects, which helped us learn more advanced editing skills at A2 level. This prelim task gave us an insight into how much more difficult this task would be then at AS level, and how much more focus we would need to successfully complete this task.

Research and planning skills have changed me from a producer of basic media texts, into a producer of complex quality media texts.  Research and planning skills are essential to making someone a better, more creative producer of media.