Evaluation of Preliminary Task

In the preliminary task I think we demonstrated match on action well, with the clip of Henry opening the door and the close up of the door handle opening. I think we also demonstrated shot reverse shot well by going from the shot behind Josh's shoulder, to behind Henry's shoulder as the other person spoke. We also demonstrated the 180 degree rule as when Henry walks towards the table after coming through the door he still appears on the right side of the frame. 

We met the brief as we demonstrated all of the required shot techniques and we filmed everything that was required in the brief and included dialogue between the two characters.

I found this task difficult at first as it was hard to get the camera in the right place to get a good shot without zooming in or out too much, but as we got into filming it became easier. We had an issue with filming as we had to re-film parts of the task due to losing some footage, we could not re-film the same footage straight away because the boys were wearing different clothes, so continuity editing would not have been achieved. However, we overcame this by filming from scratch as there was no other alternative. We managed to replicate the footage we had before as well as some new parts, which I think worked better than what we had before. 

By creating this task I have learnt how to use the editing software Premier Pro. I now know how to import video clips, import sound, add titles and how to export and upload videos to YouTube. I have also learnt to look more closely at framing subjects when filming, in this task there are certain parts where there is a lot of empty space in the background and the camera should be focusing more closely on the person in the shot. Also in one shot the boys' feet get cut off which makes the framing look messy even though there is plenty of space above their heads. I will look more closely at where everything in the shot is positioned when it comes to filming again. 

This exercise will inform my final opening title sequence as I know to watch the framing and editing of the clips. This exercise was useful as a learning curve as now I have become familiar with Premier Pro and all of the editing tools it offers. This will make the film more continuous as I become better at putting clips together. I will look carefully at framing in the viewfinder of cameras to create the best shot of the characters and I will also use a tripod again to prevent a wobbly shot. I will remember to include shot reverse shot, the 180 degree rule and match on action as well as other shots and camera angles that I have learnt about to create the best possible opening title sequence. 

The Preliminary Task

Task Brief:

''Film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom he or she exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue"

To be completed in groups of about 4. This task must demonstrate match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

It is essential the task meets the stipulations as outlined above.

My Preliminary Task: 'Cheat'

Storyboard for Preliminary Task

This is our preparation for our preliminary task. We created a storyboard to show what shots and angles we were going to film at, where our subjects were going to be and what props we would use. 

Drawing the first draft of the storyboard.

Final storyboard which we referred to when filming.

OTS Textual Analysis: Vertigo

In the Opening Title Sequence of Vertigo, the first shot is of a close up of a woman. We do not see the whole of her face which creates an element of suspicion. This shot uses the rule of thirds as she is positioned left to the shot, not central. The camera then pans on to her lips, then tilts upwards so both of her eyes are in the shot, they are full of tears which adds to the feeling of suspicion. Her eyes do not stay fixed on the camera, they move around which makes the viewer feel uneasy. The camera then zooms into an extreme close up on just the woman's left eye, then by special effects a swirl shape is created and spins around her iris. 

Incidental music is used throughout this OTS as when the film name 'Vertigo' appears on the screen, the eerie flute music turns into a harsh mix of lots of instruments together which is quite jumpy. 

The graphical swirl created in the woman's eye turns the shot into just plain black which creates another uneasy feel to the film as it is almost like a dark void. After all text has appeared, the swirl leads the sequence back on to the woman's eye, then the sequence ends and fades to black. 

OTS Textual Analysis: 21 Jump Street

In the Opening Title Sequence of 21 Jump Street, it starts with Eminem's 'Slim Shady' playing over the top of the cinematography. The music helps represent the genre of the film because it is young pop music.

The first shot is at a high angle looking down on an American yellow school bus. People start piling off the bus and the camera tilts down until one of the main characters gets off the bus. The shot becomes a stedicam as it follows this character walking forward towards the school and inside. 

Continuity editing is then involves as the camera then films the character at a mid-shot from the front walking through a door into the school. The 180 degree rule is used is the camera does not cross the 180 degree line so he appears on the right side. 

Throughout the OTS there is text writing between clips, the text is in red and blue writing and moves fairly quickly, which connotes that the film includes action and involves the police. 

The body language of the character shows that he is nervous, he gives an awkward looking smile and this could show that he is insecure about his appearance as he has braces on his teeth. His clothing shows that he is a typical American teenager because they do not wear school uniforms.

OTS Textual Analysis: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

In the Opening Title Sequence of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it starts with quite intense music playing which gives a creepy feel to the sequence. The first camera shot is a close up of some skulls and bones against a wall, the use of these props connotes danger as they symbolise death. 

The camera tilts downwards from the skulls, where a snake appears out of a small hole at the bottom of this wall. As the snake's head travels past the camera, the shot moves with the snake and follows it in the form of a hand held shot. The camera is placed at a high angle so it is looking down onto the snake as it moves. Whilst the snake is moving, soft but eerie music is playing, with whispering voices every so often which give an intense feel as the audience do not know who the voices belong to because there are no people in sight. 

After filming the snake, the camera then tilts upwards to show a statue with a skeleton there. This adds to the dangerous feel created by the skulls and bones previously as it again symbolises death. After this, the camera tilts upwards into the sky, then back down again where an establishing shot of a graveyard is shown before the main film starts. 

The whole sequence has been filmed in a long take, probably filmed by using a track and dolly to create a movement effect.

The lighting is very dim, which gives an eerie effect and this is further given by the snake as this is quite a sly animal. The skull props on the wall symbolise that the scene is a dangerous place as these symbolise death and decay.

Textual Analysis - What is it?

'Textual Analysis' is a methodology in film for studying the content of communication.

1. Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition  

Camera shots:

Establishing shot: helps to establish the scene by showing the audience the location that the actors are in.

Master shot: the main shot of the scene that is returned to often. Directors often film these as wide shots so the audience can get their bearings as to who is in the scene. The director then uses other shot sizes such as close ups or medium shots to cut into the master shot so that the audience can get a closer look at the actors. 

(This is a master shot from a crime scene in Pretty Little Liars) 

Close-up: this frames the actors closely so the audience can clearly see them within the master shot. 

(This is the close up shot of two characters from that same crime scene in Pretty Little Liars)

Mid-shot: is filmed from about the waist upwards of a person/people. It is used so that the viewer can get a clear shot of their facial expressions in unison with their body language. 

Long shot: shows the full body of a person/people and shows their body language, similarly to a mid-shot. 

Wide shot: can be used for an establishing shot, frames most of the action, or a landscape or people in a scene.  

Two-shot: where two people are equally framed. 

Aerial shot: a shot taken from above, could be from on a crane or in a helicopter, used often to film over the tops of tall buildings. 

Point of view shot: looks as if it is the view from a characters eyes, but can also be a view from more than one character, this is a 'shared' point of view shot.

Over the shoulder shot: a shot of someone/something where a person's back of the head and a shoulder is used to show what or who they are looking at.

Angle:

High angle: camera is positioned high so that it is facing down on a person, object or view. It creates the sense of  vulnerability, weakness or inferiority.

Low angle: camera is positioned low so that it is facing up to a person, object or view. It creates the sense of strength, brave, superiority or authority.  

Canted angle: camera films at an angle, this gives a sense that something is not right and that something bad is going to happen either to a person or object, or that a view is dangerous.   

Movement:

Pan: the camera moves both left and right (panoramic).  

Tilt: the camera moves both up and down.

Track and dolly:  a dolly is what the cameraman/woman sits on this to create smooth shots that move in or out from, or on to a subject and enables the camera to pan, tilt or rise up and down. The track acts as a railway track for the dolly to sit on this and move along.

Crane: camera is positioned on top of a crane to film characters from above or to move upwards and away from them.

Stedicam: where a cameraman/woman wears a body armour with the camera attached on the end of their arm. These are used to allow maximum freedom and movement as well as creating shots that are steady and flow nicely. However, it involves a specialist to operate and can be expensive to use compared with a track and dolly. Below is an example of a stedicam shot from the film 'Goodfellas'.

Hand-held: where the cameraman/woman holds the camera for maximum flexibility of the type of shot he wants to use. It is a specialised skill and takes years to train somebody to be a professional at this so that the shot is not 'wobbly'. It is most often used documentaries and news reports. When used in dramas or feature films it creates a feeling of realism or the feeling of being present in the film.

Zoom: magnification that brings the viewer closer into the action.

Reverse zoom: reduces the image size, brings the viewer further from the action and into the bigger picture of the frame. Zoom's are less popular due to the more advanced shots provided by a track and dolly, but they are used for visual effects in music videos, for example.

Composition:

Rule of thirds: when the main subject of a shot is aligned by the use of a grid, the subject is placed on the cross sections of the grid. This creates good framing.

Depth of field: what is in focus in a frame. It is a focus puller's job to alter the camera lens to the correct focal distance so the object or actor is in focus. Shallow depth of field is used so that only important objects or people are in focus as this makes them stand out more prominently against anything happening in the background. Deep depth of field is where everything is in focus, it is generally used in a landscape and as an establishing shot.

Focus pulls: when the camera changes focus during a shot. This is used to change focus from one object/person to another.

2. Editing  

Shot-reverse shot: one character is filmed looking at the other character and the camera cuts back to the other character looking at the first character. 



Transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe: Editing Techniques - Other Transitions

Jump cut: camera moves from one scene to the next quickly which creates a sense of distortion or speed. 

Cutaway: interruption of a continuously filmed action by filming something else.

Insert: a shot of part of a scene, filmed from a different angle or focal length from the master shot.

Superimposition: putting one shot on top of another so that for a second they blend together.

Long take: camera stays filming for a long time, no editing is involved.

Short take: shot is cut by editing, in an action/adventure film lots of short takes are used to show the action.

Slow motion: a shot that appears to be slower than normal.

Ellipsis: a break in time as it is implied in the film's story, e.g. a film's that story is set over days, weeks, or years.

Expansion of time: when a scene starts off in real time, then gradually or slowly increases in speed.

Post production: the editing done on a film after all filming has been finished.

Visual effects: where imagery is either created or changed to create shots which look realistic, but would be impossible to be filmed in real life, e.g. a shooting.

3. Sound

Dialogue: the speech of characters.

Voiceover: pre-recorded non-diegetic sound which is used commonly in narration, to tell a story but the person speaking is not shown.


4. Mise-en-Scène

Production Design:

Location:  where was the scene filmed?

Studio: a private facility where filming takes place.

Set design: set the mood of the film, can tell what the genre is, e.g. a graveyard creates an eerie effect that could connotate horror.

Costume/make-up: shows the situation/status of characters.

Props, lighting, colour: sets the mood for example with the mood of danger, props such as knives/weapons can be used, lighting such as fire can be used and colour such as darkness can be used.

Facial expressions: movements of muscles in the face which show how a person is feeling, e.g. someone smiling shows happiness.

Body language: movements of muscles throughout the body which show how a person is feeling, e.g. someone trembling shows fear.

These technical/visual codes can help the viewer with these aspects of representation:

             

·            Age

·            Ethnicity

·            Sexuality

·            Class and status – including star status

·            Physical ability/disability

·            Regional identity

·           Gender

Syllabus, Grading of Coursework and Levels

Syllabus

Exam:

Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation – TV Drama (50 marks)

Section B: Institutions and Audiences (50 marks)

Coursework:

Preliminary task and making an Opening Title Sequence (OTS) (50 marks)

Grading of Coursework

Research and planning – 20 marks

Construction (your final OTS) – 60 marks

Evaluation – 20 marks

Preliminary task: completed in groups of no more than 4. Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Main task: to create the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes. All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s) with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.

Evaluation: the evaluation stage consists of a series of questions, which are to assess what you have learnt from the coursework and your ability to evaluate this process throughout.

Evaluation Questions:
1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

 

 

Levels

 

Level 4 (16–20 marks)

• Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed.

•There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.

•There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

•There is excellent work on shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.

•There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.

•Time management is excellent.

 Level 3 (12–15 marks)

•Planning and research evidence will be complete.

•There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience.

•There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

•There is proficient work on shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.

•There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.

•Time management is good.

 

Level 2 (8–11 marks)

•Planning and research evidence may be partially incomplete.

•There is basic research into similar products and a potential target audience.

•There is basic organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

•There is basic work on shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.

•There is a basic level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.

•Time management may not be good.

Level 1  (0–7 marks)

•Planning and research evidence will be incomplete.

•There is minimal research into similar products and a potential target audience.

•There is minimal organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

•There is minimal work on shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•There is minimal care in the presentation of the research and planning.

•Time management may be very poor.

TV Drama Exam Work (Editing Analysis)

In our lesson today we did an editing exercise where we incorporated skills of editing using Adobe PremierPro (useful for coursework) and textual analysis of the editing part of Question 1 in the exam. 

We watched an extract of Doctor Who from a past exam paper, and discussed how representation of gender is displayed in the extract in terms of editing. We recorded film clips of our ideas that we would write into an essay and then using PremierPro, edited our clips over the top of the extract, as what we were discussing was displayed in the extract. 

 

 

Breaking Bad Representation Case Study

Holby City Representation Case Study

Period Drama Codes

Television Drama Codes by heatherlarkin