Thursday 17 May 2012

DO THIS ESSAYY!!!! analyse one of your media coursework productions in relation to media language

bring in a theory
analyse how you have applied that theory to your coursework production using specific examples
explain how this will impact on the macro
if applicable draw in an example from real media texts



Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to media language
Bring in a theory
Analyse how you have applied that theory to your coursework production using specific examples
Explain how this will impact on the macro
If applicable draw in an example from real media texts

Throughout my coursework productions in media studies I feel that my teaser trailer is the strongest production that I have created in relation to media language.

Micro elements
Own example
Macro example
Theory
Mise en scene – setting location

Genre
Audience
Representation
Neal- repetition
Pye- conforming to audience expectations
Sound

Audience
Representation
Narrative
Pye- conforming to audience expectations  ( bordwell and Thompson “ a chain of events in a cause- effect relationship occurring in time”
Todorov and disruption of the equilibrium
Camera angles

Audience
Representations
Barthes- connotations of this shot –
Editing                                                                                                                     

non-linear  (If you don't work in the film industry, terms like "non-linear editing" might sound foreign to you. To understand what non-linear editing is, first you need to know what linear editing is. Linear editing is when a film project is put together in an ordered fashion, from beginning to end. It's typically used when working with videotape, because digital video can't be cut and spliced. Non-linear editing means that a project can be altered and arranged in any order, much like you cut and paste within a document in a computer word processing program [source:Loehr].
Film editing traditionally was non-linear, because pieces of film could be cut and spliced into whatever order an editor chose, which was a slow and painstaking process. Today's non-linear editing world is a digital one, with all images digitized and manipulated with computers. Non-linear editing on computers first began with systems like AVID in the early 1990s, and now film and video material can be organized onto a timeline, where the editor can add transitions, effects and audio, then transfer the edited version to a tape, a DVD or the Internet [source:DiGregorio].
Today's non-linear timeline technology is especially useful in a process called a "split-edit." A split-edit is the process of combining A-roll and B-roll video. A-roll video is the main raw video footage you shoot of an event, such as a person talking on screen. B-roll video is just about any kind of additional video footage that you may want to add that gives additional meaning or context, like a zoom or close-up. A split-edit involves cutting a clip of B-roll footage into your main A-roll video to add emphasis [source: Collins]. This is a common technique used in documentary films. For example, an A-roll might show a naturalist walking through the woods talking about flowers, and a B-roll showing a close-up of a certain flower might be split-edited in without the audio being interrupted.


                barthes

Friday 11 May 2012

DO THIS ESSAY analyse media representation in one of your media products


Representation

You will need to do the same for this question; using the same table. You have the PP on Learnzone that sets out what to analyse for representations but you should also consider the following:

-         Genre representations
-         Representations of character – hero/villain/princess (Prop) – here you can link in narrative conflict; Claude Levi-Strauss and his binary oppositions
-         Representations of social group (social class, ethnicity, age, nationality etc)
-         Who is the audience being asked to identify with and how?
-         Note patterns of similarities and differences of these characters – are they stereotypical for the genre? Do they meet audience expectations
-         How is a characters attitude and values represented?
You should fill your ‘Micro Element’ area of your table with the following:
-         Mise en scene – including costume, props, location and colour
-         Lighting
-         Verbal Code - Language and sound (including music)
-         Technical code
-         Editing – consider the pace of editing
-         Symbolic code – mise en scene and how these elements sybloise their character; their attitude and values

Here are some examples of gender stereotypes (tending to be archetypal)

Micro Elements
Female
Male
camera angles
close-ups: private space
soft-focus
top-down shot: small stature
long & wide shots: public space
regular focus
bottom-up shot: large stature
color
secondary, soft pastels
primary, dark, metallic
pacing
slow
fast
lighting
soft, subdued, intimate
bright, glaring, public
sound
soft sounds, slow music
hard sounds, fast music


Everything in the media is a representation -  everything we see is being represented e.g. regions/locations, individuals, groups, places, nations, ideas
Questions we would ask when analysing representations:
§WHO or WHAT is being represented?
§HOW is the representation created?
§WHO has created the representation?
§WHY is the representation created in that way? What is the
§intention?
§WHAT is the effect of the representation?
Consider the representations in your c/w and answer the above questions in detail.

THEORIES!!! 
 consider how the following can be applied to your c/w:
§Laura Mulvey (the gaze)
§Marjorie Ferguson (facial expressions)
§Trevor Millum (facial expressions)


analyse media representation in one of your media products



sentence structure for section 1b

draw on a theory/ quote
link the theory to your own example and how you've applied it to your own product ie how a conventional horror trailer does or doesn't use speech or limited and then add in a theory and then explain how the theory relates to your trailer and how your trailer uses the example or challenges the conventions- macro element audiece/genre/ representation

Thursday 10 May 2012

DO THIS ESSAY!!! Apply theories of narrative to one of your coursework productions





Narrative





§All media texts tell stories. The structure of these stories is called the narrative.

§A story must have verisimilitude (appear to be 
real) in order to engage us – how does your 
c/w have verisimilitude?
§It might seem more obvious to apply narrative
 theory to a film (see next 2 slides), but if you
created a magazine you need to consider the 
following:
§How is your magazine structured? How does
 the front cover lead the reader into the
magazine? How does the contents page lead the 
reader into the rest of the magazine?
 Consider enigma codes (Barthes) used in all 3
 aspects of your c/w. Analyse your dps in 
 to Todorov’s theory.







Opening sequences and


 narrative 
  

To introduce character (Propp)

• Establish narrative structure (Todorov)
• Captivate audience/interest
• Establish core themes (Levi Strauss)
• Introduce core iconography
• Establishes audience expectation
 through use of
generic conventions
• Establish sense of enigma (Barthes)



Narrative conventions of opening
 sequences

Predominance of action codes
 (Barthes)

• Significance of soundtrack –
 establishing mood

• Use of titles as credits/ event
 signifiers

• Pace



Analysing Narrative; The Micro Elements

Technical Code camera angle, intensity of lighting, editing, music

Verbal code how words, music or anything verbal creates a meaning for the audience

Symbolic code consider Barthes and his denotation and connotation. The symbolism of the props, costume, location, body language etc

Structure narrative structure; consider Todorov’s narrative structure (Equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium; or restoration of the equilibrium- BEGINNING OF FILM SEE EVERYONE LIVING A NORMAL LIFE, SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THEY OVER COME OR BEGIN AGAIN)

Character  Consider Prop’s character functions; what role does each character plain the moving the story on?

Narrative Conflict  any story involves a conflict, how have you represented and introduced this conflict through your trailer? Consider Claude Levi-Strauss and his theory of Binary oppositions ( GOOD VS EVIL)

Micro
Own example
Macro
Theory
Technical Code
Camera angle. High angle – to make character look like a victim, show vulnerability
Representation
Genre
Audience
Barthes
Verbal Code
Lack of verbal language suggesting and building suspense, uncertainty of character - not offering the audience too much information
Audience
Representation

Symbolic Code


Barthes
Structure
Non-linear
( did you challenging audience’s understanding of trailer narratives)
Todorov
Cause and effect
Equilibrium
Character
Reflected by mise en scene (specific reference to use of costume/props to represent the character and their role)
Representation
Audience
Propp
Barthes
Narrative Conflict

Genre
Levi-Strauss







Apply theories of narrative to one of your coursework productions

Micro
Own example
Macro
Theory
Technical Code- camera angle, intensity of lighting, editing, music
Camera angle-

Representation
Genre
Audience
Barthes
Verbal Code- how words, music or anything verbal creates a meaning for the audience

Audience
Representation

Symbolic Code-consider Barthes and his denotation and connotation. The symbolism of the props, costume, location, body language etc



Barthes
Structure- narrative structure; consider Todorov’s narrative structure (Equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium; or restoration of the equilibrium)

( did you challenging audience’s understanding of trailer narratives)
Todorov
Cause and effect
Equilibrium
Character – Consider Prop’s character functions; what role does each character plain the moving the story on?


Representation
Audience
Propp
Barthes
Narrative Conflict any story involves a conflict, how have you represented and introduced this conflict through your trailer? Consider Claude Levi-Strauss and his theory of Binary oppositions


Genre
Levi-Strauss