Wednesday 10 December 2008

Analysis of two film extracts from two different eras (20 years min)



This is an still extract from the highly-rated boxing film Rocky and this particular extract is the 1st of the sequel. The lighting used here is mainly high-key particular on the characters which can be done to show their facial expressions and their body language, also the rest of the mise-en-scene is low-key lighting which makes them the main figure and very dominant. Their is alot of fast cuts and edits this is done to build tension and create an up-tempo flow to the fight to make it look realistic. Also the fast tempo cuts makes the audience feel more interested as they dont know what it going to happen next so the up-tempo flow to the game is exciting for the audience.



This is an extract form the movie Ali, I have to analyse this film to make it go well with the film Rocky, and to show contrasts and similarities. Similarly to Rokcy their is alot of high-key lighting used particularly when the fighting is going on which can portray hope for the fighters as to see who wins, also similarly to Rocky the rest of the mise-en-scene is low-key which can connote mystery and suspense as to what may happen next and portays the actors fighting as the main dominant figure, as to where all the interest is at.

Analysis of 4 film stills.



This is an still image from the film Gladiators. Gladiators is one of the most popular movies of all-time as is also an oscar winner. This particular still is a medium shot this may have been done to show the characters facial expressions and to let the audience in on the mise-en-scene that is being showcased. This image portrays the actor (Russell Crowe) to be powerful and very dominant as his body language also indicates to the audience his great staure. Their is also daytime footage used in this image which can connote natural and elegance, and also portrays the setting as elegant and nice. The props used also links well with the title "Gladiators" as the sword used connotes ancient and classical which again links to Gladiators.

This is an long-shot of Batman, as we can see all his features also the audience can also see the mise-en-scene around him which gives them a sense of belonging and interaction with the film, which can keep them interested. Also there is low-key lighting used which can mystery and suspense for the audience, ad also helps to create their own ideas about the characters through lighting. As Batman is a hero however the lighting portrays him as a villain which goes against conventions. This is an still image from the highly successful film Simpsons movie 2. This is a long shot as we are able to see all of the characters features also as the audience we are also able to see the mise-en-scene involved, also this long-shot helps the audience to develop an understanding of the environment. The lighting used is mainly high-key which portrays this family as happy and joyful and playful. This is a still image from the oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby. This is a medium shot as we are only able to see half of the actresses figure, as the main focus is on her and her trainer. We are not able to see the mise-en-scene but however can still tell the what the scene is. The main lighting used is high-key lighting this is used on the characters faces to make them the main focus and try to make them stand-out, the rest of the mise-en-scene is low-key lighting which connects with this well.








Monday 1 December 2008

Extension task 2- image and extract


This is an still image from the film noir genre.

The main lighting used here is high-key lighting which can connote happyness and mystery, also puts pictures in the audiences heads about who is the hero and the villain, however when the small occurence of low-key lighting is used it used on half the characters faces, which can connote mystery and suspense for the audience, also the contrast of lighting in one picture is the description of the term Binary.

Also the main source of lighting used is back lighting, this is done to show the Binary in the characters faces and creates shadows however this is countered by Filler light, also the Binary infers to the audience that both of these characters may be villains as the dark clothing also suggests this.


ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1950) Billy Wilder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkecXdR8t94

At the first few several seconds of this extract i was able to identify that there is a lot of high-key lighting used which can connote happyness and joy, also infers to the audience that they could be the hero or heroine.

However at 25 seconds of the extract, during the intercourse the main lighting used is low-key lighting which can connote a sense of uncertainty and mystery, and slso is a kind of juxtaposition as smoke also occurs when they are having intercourse and possibly suggests that they are villains.

Monday 24 November 2008

Media 3 Extracts

VIEWING OF THREE EXTRACTS FROM FILMS

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (COMEDY)
After analysing a brief extract of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I was able to pick up on many things within the mise-en-scene.
The extract I analysed had featured a lot of daytime footage, which can connote happiness and pureness, which is suitable for the type of film it is (comedy), also the lighting went well with the setting of the film which is Hawaii which is a hot and exotic island, also daytime-footage can also connote the lack of evil in the actors/ress’s as it gives a friendly feeling to the atmosphere.
The setting of Forgetting Sarah Marshall is in Hawaii, which is renowned for being exceedingly hot and wonderful. The setting of the film goes well with the genre of the film as comedy is known for being refreshing and stress-relieving and the setting of the film compliments this really well, as Hawaii also connotes this.
Also the actors/ress’s suit the movie really well and the genre of the movie, for example Russell Brand plays a key role in the film and he known for being a comical character with a bright personality and he suits the genre of the movie very well. The costume’s of the character is standard and normal, as they are harmless characters the costumes they wear go well with this as it is a more relaxed choice of clothes.

Scarface (GANGSTER)
Scarface is one of the most famous films of all-time, the gangster genre is very different to what I had previously analysed (Comedy) and I shall be picking out these differences.
The lighting used in Scarface is more low-key which can connote mystery and suspense with very few daytime footage used, this can connote the lack of happiness and joy in the actor/ress’s lives and connote the lack of happiness in the film in general, instead the low-key lighting can create a scary and frightful atmosphere. The only time daytime footage or high-key lighting is used in the film is when the main actor is spending time with a member of family, and low-key lighting is used when a crime or an offence is committed, the contrast in lighting can connote the two different lives one is living.
The costumes worn in Scarface is more reserved and formal, as the main dress code is dark suits which can connote mystery and almost business-like, the dark suits also connotes a sense of something being reserved and not giving a lot away.

Terminator 2 (SCI-FI)
Terminator 2 is also a very famous film and is very different to the two movies I had previously analysed.

The lighting in this film is mainly low-key; this connotes suspense, mystery and a certain level of uncertainty. The low-key lighting used compliments the genre of the film (SCI-FI) really well as sci-fi is known for being gloomy and mystery, and the constant use of low-key lighting creates a sense of something unexpected is bound to happen which creates a frightful atmosphere.
The costume of the main actor (terminator) is half-human half-robot like, as the strong metal on his body creates a sense of super humanity about the person, as he seems very unreal.

Monday 17 November 2008

detailed essay of Universal Pictures.



Mr Bean’s Holiday
Mr bean’s holiday was distributed by universal pictures.

WIKIPEDIA
(sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios),
Universal Pictures is a major Global American motion picture company. Its production studios are located at universal city, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are based in New York City. Universal Pictures is the World's second longest-lived American studio in Hollywood owned by Viacom. Universal Pictures and Studio Canal also co-produced several films, such as Love Actually(an $40 million-budgeted film that went on grossing $246 million worldwide).

20% of Universal Pictures is owned by Vivendi and 80% general electric. Vivendi produced films such as Mulholland Drive (which received an Oscar nomination). In serious debt, 2004 Vivendi Universal sold 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (including the studio and theme parks) to General Electric, parent of NBC. Also because of Hitler's dominance over central europe alot of films were produced in German.


UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
There are two main types of Universal Studios and those are UNIVERSAL ORLANDO and UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD and they both produce similar things however there are some key differences.

Universal Orlando is more to do with the actual image of Universal Studios as they accomodate people with their own hotels for tourists who have come to Florida for a vacation, as Universal Orlando recieves millions of visits per year approx (2 million). They also provide tours for tourists who wish to get a feel of what the theme park is like, They also provide Halloween horror nights which gets Universal Studios millions in profit as it seen as a major attraction.

To conclude, Universal Orlando is more to do with the advertising/financial side of Universal Studios and they one of the few media companies who do this, and have recently created a better brand loyalty as people know the name much better, and has given Universal soaring amount of profit e.g. In 2007 they generated an outstanding $200 million dollars.


GUIDE2USF.COM

Here is a some detail about the costs Universal Orlando and its hotels:

3BR Homes $99 Per Night

4BR Homes $109 Per Night

5BR Homes $129 Per Night.


They also also offer exclusive offers e.g. Birthday offer:

Birthday parties start at $581 for up to 16 people and include park admission and cake and ice cream.

















Wednesday 12 November 2008

Peer Assessment of Trailer Analysis

Rohin
The lighting used in this trailer is DULL and LOW-KEY, also there is no bright noticable light in sight (DAYTIME FOOTAGE). This connotes pain, death and creates MYSTERY which integrates with the theme and genre of the trailer. The lighting used in the TRAILER, helps set the scene thus adds a professional effect to the trailer, which REFLECTS a real horror film, as a result the audience feels more involved with the production BECAUSE OF THE MYSTERY INVOLVED.
www- good analysis of why things were done e.g low key lighting.
ebi- more indepth analysis.

HARVINDER
A lot Of Close Ups Have Been Used In ‘A Rappers Ambition’,The Director May Have CHOSE to Use Close Ups to Emphasize Facial Expressions. Other Shots Have Been Used In A Very CLEVER Way As It Shows The MCs Progress Throughout The Trailer. ANOTHER EFFECT OF CLOSE-UPS IS VISUALLY SEEING HOW THAT PERSON IS FEELING AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH.
WWW-knowledge of shots and why its used
EBI- better vocab and spelling

JASPAL

The costumes which the actors wear in the trailer are CONVENTIONAL CLOTHING which teenagers living in west London wear, showing how anyone can be affected by bullying, as the girl in the trailer is a normal teenager, but she is picked on and made to feel different, THE EFFECT OF THIS IS THAT IT GIVES PEOPLE NOT FROM AROUND HERE A TASTE OF WHAT WEST LONDON IS LIKE, The actors themselves are young aged teenagers in 6th form to relate to the plot of the trailer. The setting of the trailer is in Greenford 6th form to show everyone that even people who are about to become young adults can be affected by bullying, and that this stuff happens when there are hundreds of other people around but nobody notices. AN EFFECT OF THIS IS THAT IT RELATES TO THOSE WHO ARE BEING BULLIED AS THEY GET THE RELIEF OF KNOWING IT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WWW- good analysis linked trailer to real life

EBI-better use of vocabulary more media terminology.





Sunday 9 November 2008

Dream School

My analysis of the production Dream School
Dream school is a music video produced by Habib Arabzada and looks into how Greenford High has changed since moving into its new school and looking at the multi-cultural society within London but particularly Ealing Borough. Also looks at what a good standard school Ggreenford High is by letting all genders, races and ages into the school and still produce qulaity result.

The lighting in Dream School is predemoninantly very low-key and more daytime footage is used this is done to show the naturality of the production and show the school exactly how it is and because their is low-key lighting you are able to see the production better and Habib himself.
However on 1:24 the background turns to black and white when Habib and Mr Bush interact and slows down the footage this may have done to show the great bond between students and pupils and make it stand out in the production.

Most of this production the cuts are fast and frequent showing different faces close-up, which promotes the different society Greenford High has and again emphasises the multi-culturalness of the school. However at the beginning this isnt the case as the production begins their alot of fades in slow motion to emphasise the old school and the great significance of it now that it is gone. On 1:36 in their dining hall their is a high angled shot of regular people enjoying themselves this angled shot gives an insight of what the school is really like and again emphasises its multi-cultiralism.

To conclude i believe this music video was produced very well and looked very much like a music video, this production showcased i wide range of shots and edits which shows the quality of the production and the production did not forget its main purpose which was to show the multiculturalism in Greenford High School and the fast edits to close-ups on peoples faces and different ages emphasises this.

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Self Evaluation

Self Evaluation
In this first half term i believe i have coped with what is a demanding subject and requires alot of concentration and organisation which i believe have met these requirements.

My attendance has been near to brilliant have attended the vast majority of lessons and have most importantly been engaged with these lessons and have interacted with the rest of the class.

My homework has been satisfactory however can be largely improved with the right help and guidance form teachers however i dont feel im one of the worst in the class at present.

Pineapple Express Trailer Review

Pineapple Express Trailer Review

Pineapple Express is a comical film which combines the use of drugs and humour together

Unusually in this film the name of the film is to told at the beginning which sort of goes against the typical conventions of a movie trailer, this may have been in order to let audiences know the name straight away and can link the title to the actual events in the trailer.

Unlike Other trailers this movie goes beyond the 2minute mark which a typical film trailer would and shows alot more content of the movie which can be a disadvantage as audiences would have seen the best parts already in the film and the actual film may not live up to its expectations.

Because this film is an action/comedy movie a connotation of this would be to have fast cuts and quick edits to add tension and a certain amount of suspense to the movie, and Pineapple Express doesnt upset the convention flow with a series of fast cuts and edits showing the most comical parts in the movie without giving too much away.

Sunday 2 November 2008

Media Awards 2008
My Top Three:

Face of Fear: I believe this film was directed brilliantly and I strongly believe this film should have won the overall award for the best film, as it was hard-hitting and made to look very realistic, the actors looked like they knew exactly what they were doing and worked well together. Also the make up on the villain was executed brilliantly and contributed to a wonderful viewing. The editing were the villain burst out of the shed to lightning sound was very good as it made him look very powerful and larger than life.

Rapper’s Ambition: This film looked into depth of how hard it is to succeed in the music business, which I believe a lot of people could relate to as there are many youths who wish to go down the music path but find it difficult to succeed in. Also this film looks at how the youth has to go through other routes in order to be successful e.g. selling drugs. There were a lot of fast cuts in film which added to the tension that was created and was mainly acted in the streets where most of the rapper’s grow up.

The Monologue: This film was the first GCSE production seen in Media Awards history so they deserve a lot of credit for producing a unique yet mind-boggling trailer, in which the main actor talks about his love for something which presumingly was a girl but later find out it was his love for guns, and haunts him in the end. The black & white editing was excellent as it was unique and made the main actor stand out even more, also the voice over was there to implement what the actor was feeling which also was unique.

Sunday 19 October 2008

CRUNCH




C R U N C H

My Audience profile is:

Age: 16-25

Class: C2/ D

Interests: Sport, Cars, Women

Aspirations: Average office worker

Income: £20-35,000 per annum


Crunch is a young men's magazine, which strives to include as much relevant information a young male between 16-25 requires. For example Sports, Cars, Censored Women and Mens Fashion.

My prefered target advertisers would be an established yet modern advertiser, however must be linked to the type of magazine i wish to publish.

Those advertisers are:

BMW

Fragrances e.g. Armani

Sporting Goods- e.g. Soccer

Other Luxurious Cars

Clothing

Stores- e.g. TOPMAN, Republic and Office

Music- e.g. Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, and Garage

The reason in which i have selected these brands and products is because they are relevant to my magazine and my target audience can relate to it because of their age.











Thursday 9 October 2008

AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION TO YOUTUBE

2:00 Numa Numa and the Celebration of Webcams.=> created year 2004 december
5:53 The Machine is Us/ing Us and the New Mediascape=> He started with text on paper and what it means not just about people, about linking people in new ways, every 6 months there is new way. when we change, media change.
12:16 Introducing our Research Team=> 10 undergraduate students, data uploading, students can take notes and upload at any time.
12:56 Who is on YouTube?=> Over 50% of youtube viewers are aged between teenage and 34. 13:25 What's on Youtube? Charlie Bit My Finger, Soulja Boy, etc. => 92 year old playing piano most commonly uploaded are home videos. viewed over 30 million times. redone over 2000 times 15% are remakes of the video.
17:04 5% of vids are personal blogs addressed to the YouTube community, Why?=> the loss od community over time
17:30 YouTube in context. The loss of community and "networked individualism" (Wellman)=> less free time isolation
18:41 Cultural Inversion: individualism and community=> express: individualism, independant, commercialisationvalue: community, relationships, authenticy
19:15 Understanding new forms of community through Participant Observation=> the core of our methodology, have to understand it to exerience it.
21:18 YouTube as a medium for community=> build community through webcams
23:00 Our first blogs=> people basically film themselves and put their videos on the net, they edit and retake to make it look perfect; hair, type of shot etc.
25:00 The webcam: Everybody is watching where nobody is ("context collapse")=> The way that we look and pose and remake ourselves for a webcam trying to be somebody else when nobody is there, when in actual fact the whole world can see you.
26:05 Re-cognition and new forms of self-awareness (McLuhan)=> everybody and anybody may be looking at you, including yourself.
27:58 The Anonymity of Watching YouTube: Haters and Lovers=> " some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and the naked hatred." - Lev Grossman - time magazine. dec 13th 2006.
29:53 Aesthetic Arrest => people are overwhelmed with what they have infront of them, so they just sit cultural tension. craving connection.
30:25 Connection without Constraint=> people are connecting through youtube.media do not just distance us,they connect us in different ways,but sometimes that distance.

Sunday 28 September 2008

Web 2.0....WHAT IS IT?







WEB 2.0 is a living term describing chaging trends in the use of the World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, sharing information and fuction of the web. Web 2.0 has led to the development of social- networking sites, video sharing sites and blogs.

Here is the hierachy of the WEB 2.0:

Level-3 applications, the most "Web 2.0"-oriented, exist only on the Internet, deriving their effectiveness from the inter-human connections and from the network effects that Web 2.0 makes possible, and growing in effectiveness in proportion as people make more use of them. O'Reilly gave eBay, Craigslist, Wikipedia, del.icio.us, Skype, dodgeball, and AdSense as examples.
Level-2 applications can operate offline but gain advantages from going online. O'Reilly cited
Flickr, which benefits from its shared photo-database and from its community-generated tag database.
Level-1 applications operate offline but gain features online. O'Reilly pointed to Writely (now
Google Docs & Spreadsheets) and iTunes (because of its music-store portion).
Level-0 applications work as well offline as online. O'Reilly gave the examples of
MapQuest, Yahoo! Local, and Google Maps (mapping-applications using contributions from users to advantage could rank as "level 2").

In recent years not only are we media consumers, we are now seen as the media producers for example youtube.


Here is a an outline of the difference between WEB 1.0 and WEB 2.0:

Web 1.0 was about reading, Web 2.0 is about writing
Web 1.0 was about companies, Web 2.0 is about communities
Web 1.0 was about client-server, Web 2.0 is about peer to peer
Web 1.0 was about HTML, Web 2.0 is about XML
Web 1.0 was about home pages, Web 2.0 is about blogs
Web 1.0 was about portals, Web 2.0 is about RSS
Web 1.0 was about taxonomy, Web 2.0 is about tags
Web 1.0 was about wires, Web 2.0 is about wireless
Web 1.0 was about owning, Web 2.0 is about sharing
Web 1.0 was about IPOs, Web 2.0 is about trade sales
Web 1.0 was about Netscape, Web 2.0 is about Google
Web 1.0 was about web forms, Web 2.0 is about web applications
Web 1.0 was about screen scraping, Web 2.0 is about APIs
Web 1.0 was about dialup, Web 2.0 is about broadband
Web 1.0 was about hardware costs, Web 2.0 is about bandwidth costs

To conclude, WEB 2.0 affects me personally because without it as a media consumer i would still be using dial-up broadband, 1 to 5 tv and cameraless phones. These are things that we take for granted a bit too much in the modern day world. As a whole before we would be the media consumer where the tv producers decided what we watched and social networking didnt exist, but since WEB 2.0 has been introduced we are no longer consumers we are producers and we control the machine and the cycle.

Here are some links to WEB 2.0 if you are still unsure.