Timeline

November - Planning begins
December - Final location choice made: Wirral Way
January - Filming begins

February - Editing

Film - Final concept

A criminal will be chased by two police officers. Several different camera angles will be used to give the film a faster pace and a more professional feel. Fast paced music will play over the scene and there will be no dialogue on order to avoid audio issues. The policemen will wear suits on order to make them look professional while the criminal will wear a hoodie to give the impression that he is a delinquant. The film will be shot pn the Wirral way so that we have plenty of space to film and a large distance to run.

Final Genre

For our genre we have chosen to do an action/thriller in the form of a chase scene. The reason we have decided upon this is that a chase scene is a good way to start a film since it adds suspense and intreague, if done correctly. It is also a good way to use many different camera angles which will give the chase scene a faster pace.

Storyboards and Shot Prompt sheet

We have decided to use the third storyboard since the first was not detailed enough to allow for interesting camera anglea and the second ended poorly. The third storyboard closely resembles the second however the end is slightly modified to allow for a linear shot which slows down the pace as may be expected at the start of a film.

Audience Survey: Results

Based on the results I have gathered I have decided that, while we are still doing a thriller, it may benefit us to make it more action heavy with occasional comic relief. I have reached this conclusion since both action and comedy scored very highly on the favorite film genre question.

Preliminary Task

Final Production: Location Research

Birkenhead Park:

Pros:

• Light and dark locations available
• Open in day and at night
• Large space supplying a variety of film location options

Cons:

• Public area meaning it may be hard to get solitary shots

Millhouse Lane bus stop:

Pros:

• Easily accessible
• Well lit at night
• Open patch to the rear allows for second filming location

Cons:

• Cars will interrupt filming
• Grass on open patch is rarely cut

Bidston Woods:

Pros:

• Open space with many film location options
• Lots of natural light
• Quite secluded

Cons:

• Makes no sense in the context of the film whatsoever

Wirral Way:

Pros:

• Open with multiple filming locations
• Lots of natural light
• Easily accessible

Cons:

• Popular area - will be hard to film without interruption

Lingham Park (Alleyway):

Pros:

• Open with multiple filming locations
• Lots of natural light
• Easily accessible

Cons:

• Popular place
• Building in process - may be loud

Planning Final Production

My group has recently finished our preliminary task so we are now starting planning our final production.

Genre:

Thriller

Location:

Wirral Way

Costume:

Commissioner - suit

Murderer - hoodie, jeans

Props:

Fake moustache, gun

Lighting:

Daylight

Night time, lit by street lamp

Sound:

Digetic sound - bird noises etc., gunshots, talking

Non-digetic - music during credits

Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NNXRVN3

Stereotypes of Men and Women

There are many characters in the media, both male and female. While some adhere t the stereotypes placed upon their gender, some go directly against them. Here are some examples of some men and women who both challenge and adhere to their gender's stereotypes.

Male and female characters adhering to their gender's stereotypes:

Male

Jack Shepard (from TV's LOST) fits the male stereotypes. He is a strong character who leads the group.

Female

Shirley Bennett (from TV's Community) perfectly fits the stereotypes placed upon her gender. Shirley lives to serve her family and is deeply religious. She is also obsessed with cooking and baking. Shirley is the perfect stereotypical housewife.

Male and female characters challenging their gender's stereotypes:

Male

Morgan Grimes (from TV's Chuck) challenges several stereotypes placed upon the male gender. Generally, males are seen as the stronger gender. Morgan counters this stereotype as he is incredibly week and not brave (he squeals regularly). males in the media also, usually, control situations. Morgan counters this as he is never in control.

Female


Sarah Walker (from TV's Chuck), while remaining a sexual object for the male gaze, does challenge several gender specific stereotypes. For example, Sarah's primary role within the show is as a spy. This results in a lot of fighting. She fights the same way as the men in the show, removing the stereotype hat women are weaker than men. In addition there are several scenes in the show, such as clips of her cooking, that challenge the stereotype that all women occupy the position of housewives and are skilled at remedial tasks like cooking and cleaning.

Self Reflection

Having filmed our preliminary task, our team decided to reflect upon what went well and what didn't go quite as well:

Things done wrong:

• Struggled to turn on camera
• Wasn't quite sure how to film (It's the big red button)
• Never quite got the hang of the zoom
• I should have given better directions about when to start acting
• Said 'go' not 'action'
• Should have considered surroundings further (my reflection appears in the door)
• A scene had to change due to poor acting ability (Callum)

Things done well:

• Some of the shots look quite "professional" especially the over the shoulder shot of Riley
• We worked in unison quite well
• Close-up shot of feet went well

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Intro - Review

The intro credits to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy entails the dolphins' goodbye message, taken from the book, read by the narrator, Stephen Fry. The intro is effective as it, from the start, links the film to the book and establishes the overall tone. The scene also includes the message re-purposed as a a song. This is what establishes the tone as it takes the seriousness of the opening lines and creates a contrast, using the stupidity of the song, showing that this film is not going to be serious whatsoever. The opening camera shots are in a small format, only taking up a portion of the screen. This gives the impression that the footage was filmed on a camera phone which makes sense as the footage is of dolphins in a water park show. When the song sung by the dolphins begins, the shots finally fill the screen. This also makes sense in the context of the film as the dolphins in the film, as stated in the opening lines, are more intelligent than humans. The contrast of the humans' small shots with the dolphins' larger counterparts imply the message that the dolphins, being smarter, are getting a bigger picture than the humans.

Sexism in music videos

Girls on Film - Duran Duran

Views of video:

Feminism
Feminists would look upon this video poorly for the following reasons:

• The women are purely decorative and serve no real purpose, unlike the men who play instruments
• The women are not appropriately dressed (things are on show), contrasting the fully dressed men
• The males are seemingly dominant and spend the majority of the film gawking at the women
• The male gaze invites the viewer to join in
• The women use particularly suggestive body language

Post-Feminism
The post-feminists would think this video was great for the following reasons:

• The women appear confident and strong
• The women are embracing their attractiveness
• There are particular shots (such as the woman defeating the sumo wrestler) that make the women appear stronger

Reservoir Dogs Intro Credits - Review

This intro introduces the characters, crediting their actors as it does so. In this intro, the main characters are walking through a car park with The George Baker Selection's "Little Green Bag" playing over the video. The characters walk in slow motion which was achieved by doubling each frame. The intro is suitable to the film as it shows how calm and collected the characters are which is necessary information at the start of the film. Additionally, the intro sets the tone of the film by showing the main characters walking in slow motion, which makes it effective as this tone is carried throughout.

Survey - Plan

Preliminary Task - Plan

Storyboard:

Shot Prompt Sheet:

Representations of Stereotypes

In society, we have expectations of certain denominations based upon race, gender etc. These representations are often based strongly upon stereotypes, especially those exaggerated by the media.


Age:
In the media, youths and young adolescents are often portrayed as quite rude and are often obsessed with either themselves or social media/technology. This is the stereotypical view of teenagers, however, this is not necessarily true. The older age groups are often portrayed as weak and feeble and not capable of much. This is not necessarily true however there are exceptions where older people are portrayed as much more outgoing. While this is not very accurate it gives a much more positive image about old age. The middle aged group is hard to comment upon as, since this is the most used age group in TV, they are often portrayed in multiple ways depending on age, genter etc.

Gender:
In the media, females are generally portrayed as the lesser sex. They are portrayed as weaker and are often depicted doing remedial tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Men are generally stronger and engage in more "masculine" jobs like firefighter. There are exceptions, such as in TV's Chuck, however in these circumstances the roles are usually reversed making the man weaker and the woman stronger. Men and women are very rarely equal.

Race:
People normally appear differently depending on their race. The Caucasian race is depicted either normally or as superior while other races are often portrayed as minorities and appear in quite stereotypical roles.

Disability:
The disabled are often portrayed poorly in the media as they are generally portrayed as weak and thus normally appear to be the victims.

Socio-economic status:
generally, the lower your class, the worse you are depicted. In the media the lower classes are portrayed as delinquents who partake in drinking and drug abuse, like the characters in TV's Skins. The higher classes are often portrayed as quite snobby and rude and often dress in luxurious clothing that would not normally be worn. The middle class is the best portrayed class in the media as they are portrayed as normal human beings.

Nationality:
Foreigners are often portrayed poorly in the media. They are generally portrayed as different and strange, for example Indian women are often seen wearing shawls that they would not normally wear as everyday clothing. Depending on their nationality people may also be treated as evil in the media. In American media the British are often depicted as evil (like Hans Gruber in Die Hard) and in British films like James Bond the Russians are often the villains.

Sexuality:
Homosexuals are somewhat of a rarity in the media. When they are shown they are often portrayed in a negative manner since they often act in an extremely camp manner or are shown going for any man they can get. By far the heterosexuals are shown in the best light since they get to act like normal people. Bisexuals are very rarely depicted.

Linear Shots

A linear shot is one long continuous shot taken with a moving camera. Linear shots are used most commonly in dramas. This is because these long shots are useful for setting the tone of a film/TV show. For example, a shot tracking a man walking down the street can show, via his posture/expression/etc., what mood he is in and thus whether the film has a light or dark tone.

This episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

was filmed almost entirely as one continuous shot

POV and Over the Shoulder Shots

POV (Point of View) Shots:
POV shots are not the most commonly used shots in film and TV. They are used to show the perspective of characters or objects in the world or to hide the identity of specific characters. These are most commonly used in horror films to show the perspective of the creature/murderer approaching a character.

Over the Shoulder Shots:
Over the shoulder shots are commonly used in conversation. This is because it allows the viewer to see the person talking from the perspective of the other person while keeping them in shot. These shots are also used to hide the identity of speakers in conversation or to show an object in the hands of a character.

Shot Reverse Shot

These shots are commonly used in conversation. This is because these shots involve a series of separately filmed shots edited together to make one scene. However these differ from match on action shots since the shots edited together will be the reverse of each other. For example, in a scene where two characters are having a conversation shots of each character could be edited together so that the viewer can see who is talking while they are talking. This allows the viewer to see facial expressions and queues that allude to a deeper meaning in the overall story.

Match on Action

Match on action involves a series of separately filmed shots edited together to make one continuous scene.  This type of shot is commonly used in action movies for fight scenes containing several characters at once.

ABC1

The ABC1 table deals vastly with stereotypes. The ABC1 Table is used to show how specific films would be marketed at specific audiences. For example, escapism films (like Fast and Furious) are more likely to appeal to those in the C2-E range. While, the more dramatic films (like Schindler's List) are more likely to appeal to those in the A-C1 range.

Special Shots

Usage:
There are several types of special shot:

1. Two Shot
2. Over the Shoulder Shot
3. Interviewee looks/talks into space in the frame (and towards the interviewer)
4. Moving subject walks into space
5. Tilted frame
6. Low angle shot (looking up)
7. High angle shot (looking down)
8. Point of view shot

Example:

In this scene from one of the Harry Potter sequels, a high angle shot has been used. This is because Harry has just been knocked to the ground by a dementor. The low angle shot is used to show how powerless Harry is in this scenario as he is being looked down upon by the dementor and the viewer.

Medium and Long Shots

Usage:
Medium and long shots are used to show the viewer the environment/setting surrounding the character(s) on screen. This relieves tension as the surroundings are no longer a mystery to the viewer and because of this comforting effect, these shots are often used in comedies. These shots can however be used together to create a dramatic effect in needed, for example a scene could start with a BCU that then panned into a MLS (Medium Long Shot), slowly revealing the surroundings to the viewer.

Example:

In this scene from Cowboys & Aliens, a MLS has been used. This is used for several reasons. Firstly it shows the surrounding environment of the main character and that the streets are completely clear, creation a sense of tension. Secondly the shot shows the light of an alien ship in the distance in front of the main character. This shows that viewer what the main character will be up against which creates a further sense of tension as the shot also shows how unequipped the main character is. The MLS has been used so that the viewer can see that the main character is equipped with nothing more than a revolver pistol in his battle against an alien ship.

Close-Up Shots

Usage:
Close-up shots can be used for a myriad of reasons. For example, they could be used to hide a background/setting from the viewer however they could also be used to exaggerate the emotion on an actor's face. They could also be used together for different effects, for example, a big close up could pan out to a medium close up, slowly revealing the environment to the viewer.

Example:

This is a shot from the film Taken. This BCU (Big Close Up) shot is used to create a sense of drama. This effect is achieved as, in this scene, the girl depicted is unaware of her surroundings which is a terrifying situation in which to be. The viewer, by not being shown the surroundings thanks to the BCU is pulled into feeling the terror felt on screen by the main character's daughter.

Thriller: Mise en scene

Costume:
Police
Hoodies/jeans (delinquent clothes)

Makeup:
Wounds

Props:
Guns
Knives
Other weapons
Drugs

Setting:
Alleyways
Diners
Apartments
Drug production locations

Lighting:
Dark
Police car lights
Helicopter spotlights

Stance:
Depressed (hunched over)

Use of colour:
Red/blue for police car lights

Sound:
Sirens
Gunshots
(Possible) Narrator

Comedy: Mise en scene

Costume:
Big bow ties
Big suits
Regular/casual clothes - depending on setting


Makeup:
None to little

Props:
Banana peel
Rake
Deep puddles

Setting:
Depends on plot (e.g. Parody)

Lighting:
Bright
Sun

Stance:
Normal stance
Confident

Use of colour:
Bright

Sound:
Boing sounds
Laugh track

Horror: Mise en scene

Costume:
Cloaks/capes
Blood/wounds
Black/dark clothes
Torn clothes


Makeup:
Gore
Wounds

Props:
Various weapons
Detached heads
Pumpkins

Setting:
Woods
Cabins
Castles
Apartments
Abandoned buildings

Lighting:
Dark/dull
Torchlight
Fire
Candles/lanterns

Stance:
Cowering
Towering with raised hands

Use of colour:
Red

Sound:
Screams
Strange noises (depending on monster - e.g. The Grudge)
Heavy breathing

Action: Mise en scene

Costume:
Vests
Uniforms

Makeup:
Bald/shaven head
Wounds


Stance:
Aggressive
Muscular

Lighting:
Explosions
Native(natural)
Lighting
Muzzle flash

Sound:
Upbeat music
Gunshots

Setting:
War zones
Buildings
(Destroyed) Cities

Props:
Guns
Knives/swords
Various other weapons

Use of colour:
Red (blood)
Yellow/white/orange (Muzzle flash/explosions)

Mise en scene - Setting the scene

Costume
Makeup
Props
Setting/location
Lighting
Stance
Use of colour
Sound - diegetic/non-diegetic

Researching Genre Conventions

First Post

Hi, I'm a year 12 media studies student and this is my blog.