Preliminary Task and evaluation

What have I learnt?
In this task I learnt a lot about different camera angles and the effect they have on the audience. We used an over the shoulder shot in the beginning which I felt made the footage seem more professional and would make the content more eye catching. I also learnt about camera angles such as match on action and shot reverse shot. The camera techniques made for a smoother feel to the final product.

Am I happy with my final piece?
I am reasonably happy with the final piece as we met the criteria which we were presented with. This included footage of  one character crossing a room and sitting opposite another character to engage in conversation. I also feel we took it to the next level by involving a story line that made for it to be more interesting that what we had been asked to do. We had though about the audience of our media product and had a clear vision as to what we wanted the final piece to look like.

What would I do differently next time?
If I was to do this task again I would probably keep the same storyline but perhaps work more on the different camera shots. For example we could have used more close up shots to connote how the individual characters were feeling. I would have perhaps used more editing techniques as we had kept it quite simplistic, I may have changed the colour treatment to seem more dark and dingy like a secret spy film would have. We could have also added credits throughout the footage to show off our editing skills.

preliminary task plan

Our preliminary test was a 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. 

Roles

Plot/Director - Zoe

Actor 1/Editor - Mary

Camera/Location Scout - Sinead

Actor 2 - Chloe

Mise-en-Scene - iPad, mobile phones, table and chairs

Location -BG08 (classroom within the college) and corridors within the same building. There will also be use of a staircase.

Ideas

1. Spy Mission - the video begins with the camera following Actor 1 down the stairs and through corridors until she enters a room. They will then take a seat in front on Actor 2, where they will exchange dialogue about the mission and Actor 1 is handed the iPad. Whilst the scene where Actor 1 is walking downstairs and running through a corridor will be shot from different angles, the whole scene in the room will be shot from the left.

2. Interrogation - the scene will start in a room, where the camera is facing a door. After two seconds, the door will be pushed open and a police officer (Actor 1) will be bringing in a suspect (Actor 2). They will place them in a chair and then sit in the one opposite. The camera will switch between a forward shot and over-the-shoulder shots but will always remain on the left of the actors in order to maintain 180 degree rule.

3. An exchange - Actor 1 will walk through a corridor, constantly looking over their shoulder and around as if paranoid. It will then show them opening a door and walking into a room where there is a person wearing a mask (Actor 2). They will sit in front of them and slide over a stack of money. They will exchange a few lines of dialogue before Actor 2 passes them a briefcase. Without another word, Actor 1 will walk out of the room and the camera shows Actor 2 taking off their mask before it ends.

Final Decision

My group have decided to go with idea one (Spy Mission) as we wanted to make our video have a slight comical theme to it and felt that it would be best to do it with this premise. We made this decision as we felt it make our video seem quite unique and we could be more creative with our script and with the editing of the clip. Below is the final script that we have created for this task.

Script

Chloe - Agent004

Mary - Agent003

The scene starts with Mary/Agent 003 receiving a text. The camera zooms up on the phone from over her shoulder so that the viewer can clearly see what the text is.

Mary/Agent 003 looks around, before running down a flight of stairs, shown at two different angles. We then see her running down a corridor, first at a mid shot and then at a long shot as the camera zooms out to follow her as she runs.

The scene then cuts to a room as Mary/Agent 003 attempts to cartwheel through the door, but fails. She glances around and spots Chloe before standing up straight and dusting herself off.


Mary/Agent 003

(singsong voice)

 "I'm hereeeeee" 

(Raises her arms in the air before rolling across a table and sitting in a chair across from Chloe/Agent 004)


Chloe/Agent 004

(Shushes Mary) 

“Quiet, you'll blow our cover” 

(Speaking in an annoyed tone)

Mary/Agent 003

"Ahhh" 

(Taps nose and winks)

Chloe/Agent 004

(Rolls her eyes before leaning across the table)

 “Well you're hear now so listen. Everything about us and this mission is on this device. Guard it with your life 003.” 

(Serious tone)


(Agent 004 slips iPad across the table to Agent 003 who clutches it to her chest)

Mary/Agent 003

“Don't worry you can trust me”

 (winks, stands and goes to walk away but stumbles and falls, dropping the device in the process. Looks up with a sheepish smile)


Chloe/Agent 004 

(sighs, shaking her head whilst looking down at Mary/Agent 003)

 “It's going to be long mission”

My favourite hobby task and evaluation

What have I learnt?
Throughout the production of this task I learned about the process of producing a short media product. This task made me think more about audiences for media products and how to put across the message and emotions we want the audience to feel.

Am I happy with the end result?
I am not very happy with the end result as I feel it looks rushed and not to a standard that we could have achieved, this could have been because we were short for time. The editing of the product was not the best it could have been as there are parts where people in the background make noises that interfere with the content of the video.

If I could redo the task what would I do differently?
If I was to redo this task, I would make sure firstly that the planning stages were more thought throw, including a storyboard. We came up with our idea and started shooting which, looking back, was not a good thing to do. I would have also used a boom in a studio to record the dialogue, this could have been placed over the top when editing and would have minimised the background noises.

My favourite hobby plan

The brief for this task was to create three minutes of footage around the theme of my favourite hobby using a variety of shots and then edit footage down to 1 minute.  Must include walking to location (10-15 seconds) and a sat down discussion of hobby (1 min).

Examples of shot types, angles and movement types.

Roles

Actress - Zoe Brant

Director - Mary Lawson

Camerawoman - Sinead Grace

Ideas

1. Horse riding.

2. Watching films.

3. Socialising with friends.

4. Reading.

Final Decision

The group has decided to go with the idea of horse riding as this was the hobby that the actress favoured over the four and so we felt that we would be able to gain more footage and create a more personal feeling to the video. We have decided not to make a specific script for this as we wanted it to    seem more natural and so instead the director would ask questions but not include these in the final edit. Instead, we have created a list of shots to include so that we still have a structure to what we want to specifically film - it is only the dialogue that is impromptu.

Shots/Angles To Be Used

- Long shot

- Medium long shot

- Close up

- Extreme close up

- Medium shot

- High angle

- Birds eye angle

- Eye level

'Walking to Location'

The video will start with Zoe walking down a corridor at a medium shot, which will zoom out to a long shot. It will then switch to a set of stairs as it shows her walking up them. The dialogue portion of the video will be shot sitting on a set of stairs as this will allow us to not be interrupted by noise. There will be many different shot types used in the dialogue part as this will make it more interesting than if it were just to use one shot type (e.g medium shot). Once the dialogue is over, it will then show her walking downstairs from a birds eye view.

Sound

Diegetic Sound- Sound whose source is visible on screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: voices of characters, sounds made by objects in the story, music as represented by coming from instruments in the story place.

Non Diegetic Sound- Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied by to be present in the action: narrators commentary, sound effects added for dramatic effect, mood music.

Camera shots

Close up- shows detail of subject and can create emotional connection for audience.
Extreme Close up- A tightly framed shot showing extreme detail, perhaps eyes or mouth.
Mid shot- Shows subject in some detail whilst still giving some context
Wide shot- establishes the context and setting for the subject.
Low angle shot- Can give the impression the subject matter is powerful.
High angle shot- Can give the impression the subject is vulnerable.

Creating a music magazine cover

I decided to place the image in the middle of the cover so that the text frames the photo which draws more attention to the image of Ashleigh who will be a main feature in the magazine. I chose to put the image in black and white to connote a sense of mystery.

I decided to put the mast head at the top of the page so that readers can easily see what magazine it is, in this case 'Rush'. I chose the font Myriad Pro Black Condensed Italic because it looked as though the text was in a rush and was moving at speed. I chose to make the font white because it contrasts with the black theme and instantly stands out and is recognisable to readers.

Next I placed the models name at the bottom of the page 'Ashleigh Darling' the reason I placed it here was because there was a lot of black on the page and I felt there needed to be a splash of colour, to make it look more appealing and to grab readers attention. I chose to use the font Myriad Black Pro Condensed so that it fit in with the theme of the masthead but that it didn't take away from the brand name 'Rush'.

I next added the dateline, issue number, price and barcode to the magazine. I put the date line and price in the top left and corner, the issue number in the top right corner and the barcode in the bottom right. I used Myriad Black Pro Condensed Italics font in white as to not attract too much attention but so that the information is visible against the black background. Because the barcode was now in the right hand corner of the magazine I had to move the text at the bottom so that it fit in.

Next I added tag lines to the magazine. I used the same blue colour that I used for 'Ashleigh Darling' for the main points in the tag lines and then white for the extra information. The reason I did this is so that readers see the main point

music magazine cover analysis

Analysis

This magazine is aimed at pop music fans, especially fans of Katy Perry. Looking at the colour scheme and font used I would say this particular issue is aimed at girls, this is because there is a pink background and quite a feminine typeface used. Also, by using Katy Perry as the main cover image and having the words Katy Perry in big font as the main cover line fans of Katy Perry will be more drawn to buy the product.

The mast head of 'Billboard' is in the same font which is associated with the brand. This is so that even from a difference you instantly recognise that the magazine is Billboard. Also, fans of billboard will recognise the magazine and pick up a copy straight away.

The colour theme is pink, black, white and yellow, this is reflected in the dress worn by Katy Perry in the main image of the magazine. The colour scheme is iconic and will grab readers attention when they walk past it in a shop.

The magazine could be improved by making some of the tag lines a bit easier to read, so they could put it in a bigger font size. The reason for this is that if someone is a fan of billboard but not of Katy Perry then they may be pout off from buying it if they think its all going to be about her. They should make some other tag lines bigger to attract other members of their target audience.

The denotation of 'Katy Perry' is that she is on the front cover of the magazine however the connotation is that she is the main feature though out the magazine.

The denotation of "Billboard" is that it is the masthead and brand of magazine. The connotation behind it though is that the audience know that it is going to be about pop music and they have an idea of what will be inside, just from viewing the masthead. 

Magazine analysis

The target audience for this magazine is women aged between 16-30, there fore the typeface used is in the colour pink. This is so that it stands out to the target audience and straight away you can tell that this is a magazine for women.

Right at the very top of the magazine it says “Britain’s No.1 women’s magazine” this again emphasises that this magazine is for women but it also makes readers know that what they are reading in meant to be number one in the country.

The use of Cheryl is for celebrity endorsement, this will entice fans of Cheryl to pick up the magazine and so this could bring a new audience to ‘Glamour’ magazine. This also lets readers know that it is quite a popular, well-known magazine if they have someone famous and well known to all on the front cover.

The text surrounds the picture of Cheryl like a picture frame to make her stand out even more. The subheadings are big and bold to show readers some of the content that will be inside. This means that if they see something that stands out to them they will want to buy it.

The words of the subheadings, which are in bold, have been chosen for a specific reason. “200 men” is in a different colour to the text that follows it because as the magazine is aimed at women, the word men may attract them to want to know what the article is about.

The colour scheme of the front cover is very much pink and black, therefore Cheryl is pictured wearing a pale pink dress so that she doesn’t take away from the text which surrounds her.

Next to the picture of Cheryl there is a main cover line which is in big black font, this is used so that you know that they talk about Cheryl within the magazine and that she is a main feature. 

What is media?

MEDIA

• The main means of mass communication.

 Types of media:

1. Internet
2. Magazine
3. Theatre
4. Books
5. Social networking
6. TV
7. Music
8. Film
9. Radio
10. Mobile phones
11. Newspapers
12. Adverts

Genres:

• Romance
• Horror
• Thriller
• Comedy
• Fantasy
• Action

Glossary

Keywords:

Skyline: Headline across the top of the page, above the masthead.

Masthead: Informational material explaining the idea of the whole magazine, usually at the top of the    page.

Buzzword: A word or phrase, which is usually jargon, that is fashionable at that particular time or in a particular context.

Tagline: Catchphrase or slogan

Cover line: short statement that allude to or describe the articles inside.

Main cover line: Usually this is the name of the person who's on the cover or is the main content inside.

Main image: The image on the front cover of a magazine.

Date line: Date the magazine was issued.

Barcode: On the front cover of the magazine, gives information of the product code and is used when       buying the magazine.

Mise en scene- everything in the scene.

Verisimilitude- truth/falseness of something, how realistic it is 

Connotation- deeper meaning of something

Denotation- straight forward meaning

Verbal communication- speech and dialect 

Non verbal communication- writing and body language

Narrative- a spoken or written account of connected events; a story 

Diegetic sound- sound whose source is visible on screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film.

Non-diegetic sound- sound whose source is neither visible nor has been implied to be present in the action.

Mise en scene- Everything you can see in a scene, e.g, props or costumes.

heTo:  mary lawso

180 Degree Rule: A basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the two characters or objects in a scene, and by keeping the camera on one side of the axis, the same characters are always on the same side of the frame, the first character always being on frame right and the second always on frame left. The only exception to this is if the camera pans over the axis so that we can see it move across the line ourselves.

Protagonist: The leading character or one of the main characters in a narrative.

Antagonist: A person who actively opposes or is hostile towards the protagonist in a narrative.

Foil: A character, often the antagonist but not alway, that serves to highlight one or more attributes of another character, often the protagonist, by providing contrast.

Jump Shot: A cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from different angles.

Eye-Line Shot: Associated with the continuity system. Based on the premise that the audience will want to see what the character is seeing. For example, a character is watching TV and the shot will cut to the TV.

Demographic: Aspects of the target audience, for example age, gender or income. It is used so that we can shape the the media text to appeal to a specific group.

Stereotype-  A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Archetype- A very typical example of a certain person or thing.

Typecast-  One disadvantage is that it makes us ignore differences between individuals; therefore we think things about people that might not be true (i.e. make generalisations).  

Convergence- combination of two or more media platforms.

Synergy- the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Cross media convergence- the way that different products are produced and distributed on different platforms.

Vertical and horizontal integrated institute- 

Marketing- The process of raising awareness; targeting an audience; creating publicity through various methods.
 Distribution- The way the film gets to screens; distribution company

Exhibition- The way we view; getting the film to a paying audience.

Media Ownership- is dominated by the Big 6 Media Corporations.These exist as conglomerates.

Cross Media Ownership- is the ownership of multiple media businesses by a person or corporation. These businesses can include broadcast and cable television, film, radio, newspaper, magazine, book publishing, music, video games, and various online entities.

Technological convergence-Is when one particular device has many other features than its primary use. A device which originally had one primary purpose has evolved into doing similar tasks to other devices.

Before and After,draft magazine

 Before: This photo has not been photoshopped. The background is plain and the photo itself hasn't been corrected with the eraser tool. The background needs to be changed because at the moment the clothes blend it in it looks very boring and not eye catching at all. The photo itself needs to be touched up so that it is neater. The fly away hairs need to be removed and the jumper looks too baggy and unflattering in the photo.

After: This is the photo after it has been photoshopped. The fly away hairs have been erased and smoothed out. The background has been swapped with a more interesting pattern that fits my magazine type. The baggy top has been shaped using the eraser tool. I decided to choose the background that I did because it suits the theme of beauty and health. It also complemented the clothes worn in the photo as you don't want the picture taking away from the contents of the magazine. I decided to place my image in the middle of the magazine so that the contents surrounds the photo like a frame. This way readers are automatically drawn to the cover and then the contents of the magazine. The colour scheme for the magazine is pink, white and black. However i decided to chose a blue texts for the contents, this is so that they stand out against the pale, muted background. 

The layout conventions I used included using a big bold masthead situated at the top of the page to grab readers attention. I also used cover lines to give readers information of what they can find within the magazine. The barcode is in the bottom left hand corner and the price and date are in the bottom right, this is so that the audience knows how much it is but that it is not the main attraction. 

My magazine could be improved by changing the size of the text so that it stands out more, this is because I feel like the photo is the main thing that the audience will see, however I want it to be the cover lines that are spotted first.