Media Awards - Homework

The two favorites i chose from media awards, from the year 12 productions, are 'Labrat' and 'The Experiment'

If, i had to pick my favorite one out of the two i would lead slightly towards 'The Experiment' because of the editing, which i found looked really professional, and narrative concept.

Labrat 

Film Language:

 Mise-en-scene: 

At first, he is dressed like a normal teenager, and also gives information that highlights this (like this age etc.) which helps the audience identify with the character, presuming that these productions where aimed at a teenage/young adult audience. This however is changed as the narrative developers and he puts on the costume of the lab coat which added to making the video seems much more professional, which is also done through the prop of the chemistry set, and highlighted the importance of chemistry to the character. The fact that identification and professionalism is created through just the costumes makes this production extremely well made in my perspective.

The actors expressions and body language are also really good as they highlight each emotion successfully to the audience, when the character is tense and when the character is relaxed whilst telling his story, and how he is fully occupied with his passion of chemistry is all quickly highlighted. This is done simply without making it seem overly dramatic which i think also helps in professional looking pieces of work. 

The setting is in a school environment which not only has a practical use of making it easier to shoot but also helps the audience, again, to identify with the character. 

The positioning of the protagonist and props are also carefully thought out as when it comes to the chemistry set that is the only thing in shot highlighting his focus and when he is in shot its only him making it easier for the audience to pick up his emotions. 

The mise-en-scene overall helps the narrative to set the mood of seriousness and highlight the struggle and passion of the character all within 2 minutes. The theme/genre is also highlighted which i presume to be slightly sci-fi and drama

Cinematography:

Loads of close ups are used especially of the props, such as the camera and chemicals. This almost acts like a point of view shot and highlights the focus the character has regarding these objects. For things such as the camera, it quickly helps the audience to piece together what is happening in the scene without needing too much elaboration which helps to save time in the short 2 minutes clips. 

There are also close ups of the protagonist which helps to highlight his emotions thus helping the audience to identify with him. (extreme close ups also serve this purpose and also allows room for you to show of your focus skills with the camera)

Medium shots are also used when he's speaking to the camera and in the library which allows for an easy transition between the shots but also helps his body language convey a message and not just his facial expressions (which helps when you don't have professional actors). Moreover the MS help to convey the setting/location of each shot without another shot to highlight it, this again also helps to over complicate the scenes as well as save time in the 2 minute production. 

There are some high angle shots, eg whilst he is on the computer,to highlight the moments where the protagonist feels upset/hurt/vulnerable which helps to create sympathy with the character. Whereas low angle shots are used whilst he was in the 'lab' to highlight that is where he feels most dominant. 

 Sound:

Diegetic sound of the birds is used in the opening which helps to quickly set the scene. This is then followed by  non-diegeitc music which helps to set the mood of the scene to being more serious and soft, this is played behind the voice over of the diegetic sound of the teenager speaking to the camera which adds, again, to the seriousness of the scene and helps to evoke sympathy in the audience.

This parallel sound used helps the audience to pick up on the mood of the scene and therefore helps the identification process.

 Editing:

The main transition used where straight cuts which helped to give difference perspectives and allow it to be easier to edit the shots together. 

Fade in/out where used to highlight the memory sequencing which conveys to the audience that its a flashbacks which prevent confusion.

The beginning was mainly continuity editing as it helped to create a narrative and highlight a main sequence of events however towards the end this slightly became more like a montage as it showed various shots of the chemicals (which i think looked really good and gave them a chance to show of a bit)

MCCAT :

The overall use of the media language techniques was really good, even though there was a simplicity to the cinematography it helped to create a clear and simple narrative which was easy to follow without having too much editing disrupting it.

The conventions of the genre (sci-fi/drama) did come out through the mise-en-scene and the narrative and was highlighted also through the music choice at the end also. The drama element was also added to by the shot of him recording himself which is usually iconic of most sci-fi/drama/documentary types of films. 

There was a lot of creativity, especially towards the end as it moved slightly away from that typical story line of most teenage dramas and a lot of creative shot types where used regarding the chemistry equipment. 

I found that there was a lot of attention to detail as what was meant to be shown was the only thing that came into shots and not too much was going on on each shot. Moreover they made the shots look artistic and well thought out. 

The technical proficiency was highlighted through the flow of editing, and the use of editing to highlight the flash back sequence. Moreover the opening shots of the grass and the ending shots of the chemicals showed how well they can use other effects such as sound, text on screen and focus. 



The experiment

Film Language -

Mise-en-scene:

The facial expressions and the body language of the characters is always clear to the audience through the choice of camera shots. This is extremely useful as it reflected how the character feels continuously adding to the story the narrative begins with. The constant show of emotion helps the audience to quickly identify with the characters in the 2 minutes of the opening. 

The setting of the forest helps to create the idea of isolation and signifies the dying of relationships and the human race which is all what the narrative is based around. The other settings such as the run down house helps to also create this idea of destruction and everything ruined. Whereas the memories take place in parks etc. which give them much more of a happy and joyful feel contrasting with the current locations and the mood that is created alongside it. This helps to convey the narrative and create identification with the protagonist, as the audience can visually see a reflection of how the character is feeling.

The overall dim setting of the current state and the bright  lighting of the memories helps to contrast the change that has come about, and the body language and expressions help to reinforce this change. This helps to convey the mood of the character and develops the theme of isolation and change which is usually a clear indicator of science fiction movie/teen drama genre. 

Cinematography:

Text on screen is used to introduce the narrative which is usually a convention of the sci-fi genre in setting up the narrative and making it seem futuristic with the graphics in the background paired with the radio like voice over.

extreme close ups are used a lot especially in the start which gives the audience the change to piece together information of the protagonist whilst the narrative develops which helps in squeezing in a lot more in just 2 minutes. 

medium shots are used to reflect not only the expressions and body language of the character but also the surroundings which work together the create the idea of things such as isolation and fear which helps the audience to identify with the protagonist a lot more easily. 

point of view shots are used to again help with identification as the audience are literally being put i the characters shoes and are forced to feel the same distortion and panic as the character.

pan whilst she runs in a long shot is used to help the audience get a sense of the face pace nature of the scene which helps to create suspense in the audience through the single action code of her running. The tracking shot is also used for this purpose as well as the pan around the protagonist to create the sense of distortion.  

close ups are used to help had focus to certain important things such as the photos and really reflect the emotions of the character.

Sound:

Radio over graphics creates the sci-fi genre feel to the clip straight away.

Voice over on video of the girl helps to put into place the narrative, as the images are in synergy with what the man in the voice over is saying. 

Non-diegetic music which is eiry is played in the background to help unsettle the audience and put them in suspense, this helps to create the certain mood for the scene and helps the identification process as they feel a fraction of how the protagonist may be feeling. 

her own voice over with the images of the current destruction are in synergy with each other which also creates identification and highlights the narrative clearly.

Diegetic sound of the videos of her memories highlight their importance and clarity to the protagonist.

Change in sound to more dangerous non diegetic music helps to shift the moon of the audience.

diegetic sound of the struggle again highlights its clarity and importance to the narrative. 

Editing:

A lot of straight cuts are used to help create a sense of tension when the pace is slow. The form used is continuity editing as it helps to create the narrative in a clear logical way and is much easier to create in the production process. 

Effects such as blur and tint where used to help create the mood of distortion and understand when there where much more deeper flashbacks taking place.

MCCAT - 

The overall Media language techniques used where clearly and strongly used and i think the best aspect was the cinematography and the editing as the effects and shots used helped to evoke a certain emotional response in the audience and stayed close to the conventions of the specific genre.

Conventions where played close attention to especially by the sound choice of the voice overs and the narrative choice and the way they used text on screen to highlight that sci-fi genre.

 Creativity was a strong point of the production as it wasn't like the other pieces of work at the media awards and the narrative was unique but still showed the key conventions of the genre.

 Attention to detail was also a strong point as they made sure the feeling of isolation was crated in the parks and that the setting of the house looked properly destructed. 

Technical Proficiency was extremely well as they edited it so well with the key conventions of the sci-fi genre with the certain radio like voice overs, the graphics used behind the text on screen, they where all cleverly put together and in time with the voice over.

Summery:

What makes a good practical production.

Firstly, i believe that a lot of planning must be put into make each production. Both the videos i chose seem to be carefully thought out before hand and therefore have a clear narrative and shots that take place at each transition helping to serve a purpose which is vital in that part of the scene.

Also, the productions i choose are simple and clean. By this i mean that there isn't too much going on, in order to make a good practical production you must not get carried away with trying too fit in too much into the 2 minute frame you have been given. However, this said, the productions that had too little going on weren't too pleasing to watch either and therefore a good piece of work must have a good balance on how much is going on and being told in each given time frame.

Another thing which is consistent in the productions that i enjoyed where that the cinematography and narrative are extremely important in order to keep the audience watching. This doesn't mean other aspect should be forgotten, such as the sound and editing, however it indicates that if we don't over complicate these aspects and keep them simple it is more likely to result in a good end production. 

On of the major things, however, are keeping to the brief and task at hand. All the productions that where nominated had been a 'silver lining production' and presented on channels aimed at young audiences and the narratives where done so that they would attract this younger audience.

On of the more practical things are that all the productions we saw had a short period of time to present a gripping introduction into the screenplays and in order to do this they used cinematography smartly so the audience can piece together part of the narrative and the scene doesn't have to take extra long in explaining a simple part of the narrative (again this is achieved through carefully thought out planning before hand) Another important aspect is the locations, most the productions (excluding the Las Vagas one because well that's just too hard to aim for) took place in easy to access locations which means that if the shots or something else technical goes wrong you can always go back and re-shoot easily (trust me i learnt the hard way at gcses) 

Potential Questions for the BBC

1) Why aren't they reporting on what's happening in Punjab because it meets a lot of news values, and if they are unable to why haven't they reported on the occurrence Sikh protesters had with the police in London(extremely relevant to the UK)

2) Did she know what position she wanted to work at, if so how did she go about doing so?

3) How does the BBC make the big decisions on what to and not to report on? (regarding international advents)

4) How much control does the current government have over the decisions you make despite the fact your mission statement claims to be impartial.

Film Language: Editing

The 'rolling boulder' sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Notes:


The first scene fades in from black straight to a medium close up shot of the protagonist highlighting straight away his facial expression of pure concentration thus causing the audience to quickly recognize and reciprocate this reaction towards the scene. In this shot you also notice that the stone/artifact is placed closer to the camera shot which highlights its importance instantly as the shot shows that the protagonists reaction is towards this artifact. The shot then slowly zooms out into a larger medium shot which helps to set the scene that the hero is in and also notice that he is reaching into his pocket and begins to pull out a bag. This creates the enigma code of what is he reaching into his pocket for? 
The audiences question is quickly answered as there is a straight cut and a close up shot of the sand falling to the ground with the stone still in view in the background. This quickly causes the audience to create some link between the two. Once this sand falls fully out of his hand other straight cut takes place and a high-key, long shot is used to set the scene of the vulnerable position the man is in thus causing the audience to recognize that he may be in danger which therefore help to build up suspense. 
Another straight cut takes place right away to a medium shot of him about to replace the stone with the sand. This shot choice helps the audience to once again register the hero's expression and therefore build slight identification with the character due to out awareness of how he is feeling through each scene. There is then another straight cut to a medium shot of another character where we can see his expression being full of anticipation and desperation. Another straight cut and we are back to the protagonist, this shot/reverse/shot used helps the audience to feel the heightened emotions of anticipation like both the characters present in the scene.Once the protagonist replaces the artifact the camera slowly zooms out and a straight cut occurs to the other mans expression (medium shot) and the camera slightly zooms back in. 
Another straight cut (SC) back to a medium shot (MS) of the protagonist and the tile sinks in. Then a SC takes place back to the other character with a MS of his body language and dropping facial expression highlights something has gone wrong which evokes worry in the audience as they quickly understand that this isn't a good situation. This is then confirmed by the next straight cut to a shot of the protagonist slowly turning back, followed by another SC to a long shot (LS), which helps again to set the new scene occurring, which shows the audience the building falling apart. In this shot the protagonist only looks small and the low-angle shot of the building highlights that the hero is in an extremely dangerous situation. The protagonist then begins to run towards the camera and we straight cut to a LS of him jumping down the stairs. From this point on the editing begins to speed up from the previous slower editing.
We are then bombarded with various SC. First we SC to a LS from behind him, then SC to a LS from the wall as a pan follows across the wall. Then a SC to the man running followed by a LS of the pan moving along the wall again. SC to a medium close up (MCU) of the hero from the front as he runs to the camera, another SC and we see a birds eye view of the protagonist still running then another SC to a medium shot (MS) of him jumping down to take cover. From this point onward the editing finally begins to slow down. 
a lot of eyeline match as the protagonist contemplates weather he should trust the protagonist or when hes trying to get away from the life threatening situations. 






A straight cut and there is an over shoulder shot of the other man apportioning as the dialogue takes place and with another straight cut we can see a over the shoulder shot of the man and more dialogue takes place. This editing helps the audience to identify and feel a connection with each piece of dialogue that takes place. Then both men turn and there is a straight cut of the stone door closing and we, as the audience, understand at this point both characters are in a dangerous situation and need to get out. A low angel shot the takes place as the camera tilts and looks up at the other man, from this the audience begin to suspect that maybe this character is more evil and most likely our villain of the movie. There is then once again another SC to a close up of the protagonist then a SC to an over the shoulder shot of the hero throwing the stone to the villain.From this point on-wards the editing begins to speed up once again. 

There is the a SC to the villain and this shot/reverse/shot highlights the villain's perspective that he needs to run away and then he does. SC to the protagonist in a MS which reflects his angry expression.  Then there is a SC to a LS of the hero jumping and then editing begins to slow down once more.

SC to a LS from underneath the protagonist highlights the extent to which he can fall highlighting the danger involved. SC again to a high angle (HAS) LS then another SC to a MCU of the man holding onto the ledge then a SC to a LS of the stone door closing in front of the camera and the protagonist on the other side, this highlights that the protagonists is on the wrong side of his aim and safety. SC then to a CU of the hero's feet on the stone cliff and a SC to a MS of the man trying to grab the week. There is then another SC to a CU of the protagonists happy expression. Next a SC to an ECU of the weed snapping followed by a SC to a MS of the man slipping. This shot/reverse/shot highlights the danger and highlight the panic the protagonist feels helping the audience to identify with him. Sc to a CU as the mans restrained expression is highlighted as he nearly falls out of shot but manages to hold on just in time. Sc to a LS of the stone wall closing quickly highlights to the audience now is still not the time to celebrate and this is quickly followed by a SC to the man still holding in in a MS. This shot/reverse/shot highlights the determination in the protagonist. He then slowly begins to pull himself up. SC to the shot of the mans legs at the bottom of the cliff then another SC to a MS of the hero pulling himself up and finally making it up. Another SC to a HAS of him running using the same previous angel as before. SC to a MS of the stone wall closing which builds up sudden tension but just in time the hero rolls in and the camera tracking shot is used to follow his movement until he is standing again. Another SC to a MS of an old skeleton on the wall and he camera pans helping to set the scene, then another SC to the hero in a MS where we can see his expression. The camera follows his movement with a tracking shot until he nearly bumps into the body of the protagonist who is positioned closer to the camera using a medium close up. SC to another CU of the hero's hand picking up the stone from the floor and the camera then slowly tilts up following the movement, then another SC to a MS of the protagonist's back then the camera movies to a medium close up as the protagonists begins to turn around. This is quickly followed by a SC to a LS of a bolder falling down through a LAS highlighting the threat to the hero's safety. Then a SC takes place to behind the bolder as the hero runs away. From this point on wards the editing speeds up once again.


SC to a LS in front of the hero as he is running away then another SC to a M/LS of the hero running away and there is a pan shot following this movement. A SC to a LS as the hero runs out of frame is used then another SC to a MS in front of the hero as he is running away then another SC to a LS in front of the hero as he runs away and then a SC to the hero jumping in a LS. This is where the clip ends. 

Throughout this editing sequence parallel music that is non-diegetic is used to help build up suspense and emotion within the audience at certain periods of time. There is synergy with the pace of editing and the non-diegetic sound used which work together to either cause more suspense in the audience with slow editing and sound or to work up the thrill of the genre by faster editing and sound. 

The overall transitions of the clip consist of a lot of straight cuts from which some are quiet fast which puts them on the borderline of nearly being jump cuts.The scene also uses only one fade in to introduce the scene. So overall the transitions are very simple as they helps to keep a clear linear narrative.

There is continuity editing in this movie as it helps to build up suspense and excitement which are crucial for the action and adventure genre.


Generally, slow cuts build tension while fast cuts suggest action and excitement.
slow cuts used when they're trying to build up tension and suspense as there is a build up of enigma codes such as will he survive, will he make it?
fast cuts are often used when the want to build up and excitement of the chase and usually follow action codes building up the narrative at an extremely fast pace. 

There are quiet a few juxtapositions that take place such as the villain/protagonist or the hero/danger or even the dead villain and the alive hero. 

Cinematography

Scream

(first minute only)
At first we get the text on screen which introduces us to the movie title and then are zoomed straight into the image of the phone. This is a high angle shot suggesting to the audience that we are looking into the scene and almost creates a vulnerable feel already, we know the phone is extremely significant as its the first thing we see in a medium close up shot yet we know that there are much more important things in the scene. We then follow the tilt of the camera towards a medium shot of a girl who we will immediately see as the protagonist as she's the first person we see, the audience can then make a direct link between the camera and the girl suggesting that the narrative may revolve around this concept.The fact that the girl is smiling when she first picks up the phone and speaks pleasantly to the caller helps the audience to create an idea of what the personality of the character is like just within the first 20 seconds thus helping the audience to identify with the protagonist, The camera then slowly zooms in highlighting focus on the character once more.
There is soon a tracking shot which quickly reinforces the idea that the narrative may be following this characters life. The tracking shot remains a slight medium shot and highlights the change in expression of the character that another shot may have not, this also helps the audience to understand the emotions of the character.
The character then walks off shot whilst the camera remains in a medium shot of the garden and the window reflection creating the question in the audience whats outside?(an enigma code) and highlights the fact that its dark. This is followed by a long shot highlighting the fact that its dark. Which is a typically iconic of a horror movie to be set at night.
Soon a Long shot/establishing shot of the house takes place which highlights the sense of isolation just as the enigma codes begin to take place of who this caller is and why he keeps calling her.

Film language: Sound presentations and homework

The conversation 2

This clip uses diegetic sound frequently, there is a lot of the diegetic sound whilst the dials rewind, the clicking, the conversation of the characters, the speech at the end, the sound of the traffic and the church music to name a few.The is no non-diegetic sound which i think is due to the fact that the director wanted the audience to be actively listening to the main character and be in the same mindset as him, this would cause the audience to feel more connected to the movie and understand each concept on an emotional level. There is a lot of parallel sound when we see the man typing and the male and female character talking outside however when the man is listening in onto the conversations contrapuntal sound takes place as we can only see the man in the calm room focused on his work but you can hear the sound of traffic carrying over foe example. 
There is a sound bridge at about 2:00 minutes into the clip when the church music carries over before we see the scene and the camera is still on the man listening. 

There is only limited music in the scene to add a more focused and attentive attitude with the audience. The dialogue is the speech at the end that we hear without any other distracting diegetic sound yet the conversation between the other man and women is interrupted by the diegetic sound of the traffic.