Wednesday 15 October 2014

research and planning: staged levels: analysis and understanding of Genre - linked to Audience/Industry/Exhibition

We are studying the 
Media area of FILM
The product is AN OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE
The genre is FILM NOIR

RESEARCH & UNDERSTANDING:
You must include  on your blog Genre studies and analysis to evidence your understanding of how it is constructed and understood. You could use tables, talking head videos / comparisons/primary and secondary research. You must have deconstructions. 

WHAT ARE CODES AND CONVENTIONS?
This refers to the conventions, aesthetics and representation codes of your chosen media area. 
The codes and conventions in media can be separated into 3 distinct groups 
Technical (camera techniques & shots),
Symbolic (ie clothing, colours)
- Written and audio (music etc).

including:
  • structure
  • form
  • narrative
  • colour
  • editing
  • character / representations
  • mise-en scene
  • camera and editing work
Conventions
Definition: the ‘rules’ that are generally understood and accepted when producing a media text in a particular genre. they are long accepted as the norm by an audience and although you can change them as genres evolve if you do it too fast the audience will be confused. 
stage 1
Action: upload examples of Opening sequences in the Film Noir genre.  Deconstruct and Denote showing understanding of the above
stage 2

the conventions, aesthetics and representation codes of your chosen media genre: 
Codes
Definitiion - Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning - they are really firm and almost never broken. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic
there can be  a number of codes:
  • character codes
  • plot codes
  • structural codes
  • cultural codes
  • production codes
Action: research and identify the codes of an OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE. Use the list as summarised above to guide you. Present your findings in an interactive form: PREZI, EMAZE or VOICETHREAD

stage 3
how your intended genre meets the needs of your Target Media Audience: 


  • identify your audience and explain what they like
  • genre habits
  • prefered reading style - active / oppositional / passive / frequency.....
  • expected generic pleasures
ACTION: complete the class tasks into audience. Present your understanding of 

  • the target audience for this genre
  • the target audience you are aiming at
present it in one post


stage 4
how your genre meets the needs of your Media Industry:


  • what are the implications for the Industry
  • cost/ profit
  • distribution
  • exhibition
  • audience responses
ACTION: we will cover the elements of a media industry at a later date - you will need a post exploring the British Film Industry, how they select a product, market and distribute it to a targeted audience, how they generate income and identify successful products to help them do so
you will need evidence of all 4 stages to get the highest marks

this site may be of use http://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/Media-concepts/Codes-and-conventions

Wednesday 8 October 2014

AFL summary and Tips for Success

Lily - i need your blog address

I am in the process of assessing and commenting on all your posts: this assessment will generate the assessment grade on your next reports and identify who is in need of intervention
THERE are a number of issues that are recurring as I assess - please take note

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
  1. Never hide posts - if they are unfinished add DEFAULT to the title bar BUT make them live
  2. the more secondary content you use the more it looks like you are a weak student so: if you use other peoples material - analyse and criticise it / then produce your own versions - this is especially true if it is other students work
  3. check your settings - make the blog entries the feature - this means it should dominate so choose background wisely, make the blog the maximum widths, make the writing/colour choices so that it is easy to read
  4. make sure you regularly review your own blog - there are some 'post later/I am going to do.....later' type comments so do go back to it and finish / reflect on what you have learned.
  5. Your Blogs should be pretty full by now - only 2-5 posts is simply not enough however good they are - look at the list lower down this blog of what we have covered
  6. make it interactive - add images/links etc
  7. deactivate the word verification option - it drives me nuts and slows down the process of assessment
many things trigger blogs being blocked - look out for them - here are a few


  • trigger words - violence/racism/aggression/sexism...
  • links that are not word urls
  • links to sites that link to others that are blocked -(look for Urls that use numbers and symbols) - if necessary just remove the hyperlink and add the address only
Activity 1: (30) minutes - the following are examples of 'found' presentations on opening sequences to films - take time to read them and discuss your findings in pairs before adding the actual slideshares and a review of them in a post on your own blog. You are making judgements on what makes a good clear and knowledgeable presentation - this will help improve your own

Starters questions to ask your self:
  • how successful are they at identifying conventions?
  • who is the audience?
  • what is the purpose of the presentations?
  • is the format successful?
  • did they identify ALL of the conventions accurately?





activity 2: (20 minutes) on your blog construct a bullet point list of what you think are the core conventions of an opening sequence to a film - adding links to research by you will increase your mark

Activity 3: original analysis of Se7en ( 40 minutes in class then 60 minutes - homework) - writing to communicate YOUR understanding of CONVENTIONS and STYLE

task 1
follow the link to the page at Artofthetitle.com / read all of the reviews, interviews, articles and watch the drafts - take the time to really look and to understand what is there - think about the 4 key media areas for understanding and assessment: MEDIA AUDIENCE, MEDIA INDUSTRIES. MEDIA REPRESENTATION, MEDIA LANGUAGE 

task 2
create a post called 'RESEARCH: THE CONVENTIONS OF AN OTS; a post add links and explain which conventions of an OTS are being met / being challenged  in the opening sequence to  SE7EN - choose the format of your explanation it should be suitable to show images and text

task 3 - ."the opening sequence is considered one of the most innovative of its era". Discuss how true you think this statement is (max 200 words) using at least one quote
Homework: for next Wednesday: complete activity 3;  tasks 1-3 and  repeat Activity 3 with a film of your choice. add it all to a new post with hyperlinks

Extension tasks - this will raise your grade
1 - choose another film and compete task 1-3 using that film for study - it should be one that is evident on www.artofthetitle.com   
2 -  -  explain which conventions you have used in your own Sweded film: which would you use if you would do it again? - add this to a post with an upload of your Sweded film

remember WG11 is open Tuesday-Thursday lunchtimes for support with Blogging

Friday 3 October 2014

Research - Representation of character

Quote: Film Noir is

 “a new cinematic technique that made use of dark or dim lighting effects, dreary settings, filtered lights and generally dark themes and characterizations. Noir scenes are made from interesting camera angles and with dramatic close-ups and shadowed lighting. Frequently the stories use of smoke-filled rooms, views of light filtered through venetian blinds, seedy downtown areas with neon lights, dark wet streets to heighten the noir effect. “

Resources 
- the worksheets you were given, cameras and props
Q:\Art & Media Faculty\media\KS5\AS\MAIN PRODUCTION UNIT FILM NOIR\genre style and links\FilmNoirIllustrations_files
Q:\Art & Media Faculty\media\KS5\AS\MAIN PRODUCTION UNIT FILM NOIR\genre style and links
http://www.lafterhall.com/

Driving Question & Focus:
Representation is about combining images, styles and symbols to creative meaning for an audience. Film makers do this through actors, lighting props, locations, pose and expression. Your challenge is to stage, create and capture a variety of still images that evoke the Film Noir era: work creatively in teams to take and edit images that meet the conventions of the genre Film Noir showing an understanding of how representations are constructed

Step 1 - classwork: take a familiar Fairy tale, myth or nursery rhythm and storyboard it using Film Noir genre style conventions - focus on character

Step 2 - using the worksheet as support: organising a photoshoot: using cameras to create moody, melodramatic portraits in a film noire style – you can work in the studio or around the school. Use the majority of the lesson and free time to experiment with lighting, pose and props. We are in WG11 where we have the studio and the darkroom as well as the main classroom. Try to capture at least 30 images (but the differences can be subtle – variations in expression / camera angles etc). Get them uploaded asap. Then use photoshop to edit the images until they look like the fit the Film Noir Genre.

step 3. -Contextual understanding and comparison of representation: Aim - to show understanding of representation using comparing existing stills/ / photographs with you own original/created still images.  
Reminder:

Representation is about combining images, styles and symbols to creative meaning for an audience. Film makers do this through actors, lighting props, locations, pose and expression.
Your challenge was to stage, create and capture a variety of still images that evoke the Film Noir era.
Construction task:  creating representations create moody, melodramatic portraits in a film noire style
First: 
Edit simply – use adjustments such as saturation, exposure and curves plus simple crop methods
Try to create a range of images that are effective representations of
Male
  • Hero (Protagonist)
  • Villain (Antagonist)
  • Antihero (Transforms form the Antagonist to the Protagonist)
  • Sidekick (Police/ Moral Majority)
  • Extras (Side plots/Workers/Crowds)

Female
  • Femme Fatale - Sexuality, Danger, Risk, Antagonist, Forbidden.
  • Girl Next door (Redemptive Woman) - Salvation, Honour, Sacrifice, Courage, Redemption

Second 
Create a PowerPoint or multi-media presentation where you effectively compare and contrast your own work against representations from existing Film Noir texts. Use Media Language and images. Then upload it to your blog