Location recce

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recce_(filmmaking)

The link above is where I got the following definition of a Location Recce:

Recce  is a military term that has been borrowed by media production. derived from "reconnaissance" in the noun sense and "reconnoitre" in the verb sense. It refers to pre-filming visit to a location to work out its suitability for shooting, including access to necessary facilities and assessment of any potential lighting or sound issues, and is closely related to location scouting




















Location: S4. Science lab.

Pre-Production- Risk Assessment

Risk Assesment as media

Pre-Production- Character Costume

Main Character Development

Two Main Character Development

Professor (Daniel) Sloggett - Qualified, Biology teacher. Well-liked within the University, great teacher-peer relationships. Passionate about dissecting. Behind closed doors you see hidden obsessions and disgusting hidden secrets. A scrapbook that he keeps, filled with crime cases. Explicit separated body part images next to the biography of young female victims. Obsesses over The Milwaukee Cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer. Imitating his killings within his local area.

He was brought up with his mother after his father passed. Severely mistreated and neglected by her, he slowly developed a strong hate for females.

Being a smart man he graduated university and following more studies, entered into being a professor at Oxford University. Specialising in Biology - Dissecting animal parts and becoming heavily interested in the anatomy of the animal/human body. A documentary of Dahmer's quickly sparks an idea in Daniel Sloggett's head, surrounded by young women and the correct tools he enters an inescapable whirlwind of killing and dissecting innocent people.

Rebecca Addeley - Young, bright Biology student in her first year of University. A quieter pupil, didn't jump into the social pool as quickly as other students. Often walking around campus alone, focusing purely on studies. Has a slight curious liking towards Professor Sloggett, He tells her she has more potential than the other students and he will pull out all of the stops in order to ensure she succeeds.

She comes from a family that are unbroken yet not the closest. Frequent arguments arise between her parents. She has an elder sister of whom she is not close to, polar opposites. The sister Amy spends much of her life out late and dropped University in her second year, constantly threatened by her parents about being kicked out. She finds Rebecca an embarrassing sister to have yet would never allow Rebecca to be in any danger.

 
By Ella Mcleod

Pre-Production- Jeffrey Dahmer Research

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, was an American serial killer and sex offender, who committed the rape, murder and dismemberment of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.

From an early age, Dahmer manifested an interest in animals. Friends later recalled Dahmer initially collected large insects, dragonflies and butterflies which he placed inside jars. Later, Dahmer—occasionally accompanied by one or more of his few friends—would collect animal carcasses from the roadside; these animals Dahmer would dismember either at home or in an expanse of woodland behind the family home. According to one friend, Dahmer would dismember these animals and store the parts in jars in the family's wooden toolshed, always explaining that he was curious as to how each animal "fitted together." In one instance, he is known to have impaled a dog's head upon a stake behind his house.




Our murderer within our OTS is inspired by the killer Jeffrey Dahmer. We may remake some of the audio from the interview as though he is sat at home watching Dahmer on the television, getting ideas and inspiration for his next killing. In our OTS our killer goes from dissecting animals to dismembering humans much like Jeffrey Dahmer - his small fantasy turns into a huge obsession.
Research by Ella McLeod & Emily Blyth

Treatment

Definition-

 film treatment (or simply treatment) is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards  and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline and it may include details of directorial style that an outline omits. Treatments read like a short story, but are told in the present tense and describe events as they happen.

 

 

A world renowned biologist, Professor Slogget, has worked within Oxford University for over twenty years. His extensive research has brought him a large amount of respect within the hierarchical community of the scientific industry. However, as his obsession with body parts grows, mysterious happenings seem to occur. In efforts to live up to his idol the twisted professor begins his practise on animals however begins to realise that this does not satisfy him fully.

As a young student commits suicide, the world of academia is thrown into confusion as to her where abouts. Little do they know that Prof Daniel Slogget has stolen the body to perform weird experiments which were inspired by Jeffery Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. After finding himself bored of his usual routine Slogget begins to hunt for a new victim to help him master the art of dissection.

Rebecca Addeley, a young bright biology student, studying her first year at Oxford, believes that Professor Slogget is the perfect scientist to aspire to be. However as her sister, Amy, begins to get suspicious of the extra hours that her younger sibling spends at the university she starts digging into the trusted Professor and finds out some information that she wish she could forget. As she digs deeper into the secret life many secrets begin to unravel. Will she be able to keep her sister from harm?

By Reece Hopkins an Robyn Marshall-Dawson

Pre-Production- Equipment List

Film Institutions

Media Conglomerates:
-  A conglomerates has a lot of money to put into film production. They can also market their film through all of their subsidiary company's


Media Ownership:
- Massive multinational media companies own:

• Film Studios
• TV stations
• Record Labels
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Books
• Internet Platform.

Independents:
-  Some producers work outside of the major studios often British productions are made by smaller companies like warp films working with Film 4 or the BBC to try to secure extra funding and help with distribution.

TV Drama

TV Drama

This is are final edit of the Dr Who extract we analysed. We wrote about how the editing of the clip represented gender. I felt it was very helpful and not only was it useful to understand the editing we also gained more experience in editing the clip to write the information.

Breaking Bad Case Study

Period Drama Codes

Holby City Case Study

Television Drama Codes

What is a log line?

A log line or logline is a brief summary of a television program, film, or motion picture often providing both a synopsis of the program's plot, and an emotional "hook" to stimulate interest. The aim of this is to create enigma to leave the audience interested and asking questions. It is not a long summary only two or three sentences.

1. A logline must have the following

–       the protagonist
–       their goal
–       the antagonist/antagonistic force

2. Don’t use a character name

It has no intrinsic information and so is a useless word. Instead, tell us something about the character.


3. Use an adjective to give a little depth to that character
This is your chance to show some character. Beware of cliché, and also of the power of irony. It’s helpful if the characteristic you describe will have something to do with the plot.
- A mute sous-chef
- An alcoholic ex-superhero

4. Clearly and quickly present the protagonist’s main goal

This is what drives your story and it will drive your logline too. Make sure that the goal is present early in the script – if you don’t make good on your logline’s promise early enough the rest of the script won’t get read.
- A mute sous-chef wants to win the position of Head Chef at her boss’ new restaurant
- An alcoholic ex-superhero searches for his daughter

5. Describe the Antagonist

The antagonist should be described in a similar, but preferably shorter, manner than the hero. If the hero faces a more general antagonistic force then make it clear that they are battling something, not just life’s bumps and buffets.
- A mute sous-chef wants must fight off an ambitious rival to win the position of Head Chef at her boss’s new restaurant.
- An alcoholic ex-superhero searches for his daughter after she is kidnapped by his dementing, jealous former sidekick.

6. Make sure your protagonist is pro-active

He or she should drive the story and do so vigorously. A good logline will show the action of the story, the narrative momentum that carries you through the script. In some cases the protagonist will be reactive, but note, this is not the same as passive.

7. If you can, include stakes and/or a ticking time-bomb

These are very useful narrative devices that add urgency tou your script. If they fit in easily, include them in your logline.
- To save his reputation a secretly gay frat-boy must sleep with 15 women by the end-of-semester party.

8. Setup

Some scripts operate in a world with different rules to our own and require a brief setup to explain them, e.g. most science-fiction stories. Others have a protagonist whose personal or psychological history is crucial to the story and needs to be explained. Again, be brief.
- In a world where all children are grown in vats…
- Driven to a mental breakdown by an accident at work, an aquarium manager…

9. About the ending

Do not reveal the script’s supercool twist ending, even if it is the next The Usual Suspects. The story, and thus the logline, should be good enough to hold up by itself; a surprise ending should be a lovely bonus found when reading the script. N.B. This all changes when you get to writing your treatment.

10. Don’t tell the story, sell the story

Create a desire to see the script as well as telling them what’s in it. Loglines are like poetry, every word counts. Tinker, test, and tinker some more.

Bonus

If you can’t write a decent logline of your idea before embarking on the script, then maybe reconsider writing that thing. If it’s unfocused and muddled at the logline stage, it’s not going to get any better as you write.

http://www.raindance.org/10-tips-for-writing-loglines/

The link above is where I got my information which I have written above on log lines. I feel it was very useful and gives a clear explanation of what is needed to create a good log line. I would recommend to anyone looking on how to make one.


Examples of Log lines.


-Title: Silent Night
Writer: James Luckard
Genre: Thriller
Logline: With a brutal serial killer stalking Nazi Germany at Christmas, the Berlin detective on the case gets reluctantly partnered with a Jewish criminal psychologist released from Auschwitz to profile the killer.


Title: Synapse
Writer: Matthew Sinclair-Foreman
Genre: Thriller
Logline: During a brain operation, a man has an out of body experience in which he witnesses a murder in the hospital. Debilitated by neurological post-op side effects, he must catch the killer before his investigation turns him into the next victim.

Title: Incision
Writer: Patrick Donohoe
Genre: Action/thriller
Logline: A black NYC coroner about to run for public office must struggle to prove his innocence when he is set up by white supremacists as the main suspect in a series of grisly murders.



My own Idea- Retired Father Sets out on a race against time as his son is mysteriously kidnapped. Evidence begins to show its not what the father had first suspected.

OTS designers

I feel in this video he is making very important and helpful points, such as how an opening title sequence should set expectations , it should make the viewer feel excited. Also Typography is an important factor as It should add to the tone and type of film you are producing. Just as he has done when producing his films. Which have turned out to be huge successes.

Sound in OTS

Foley-
Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass





Types of sound-
Sound can be divided in two areas:

• Diegetic
• Non-Diegetic

Diegetic- These are things that are generated within the picture such as dialogue.
Non-Diegetic- Things generated from outside the picture e.g. voice over, music.

Ambient sound is used to create realism.
Dialogue is an important part of diegetic sound, and depends on vocal delivery. A good actor can vary pitch, tone, volume and accent.


Soundtrack-Previously-recorded music chosen because of its fit to the rhythm, content and mood of a sequence. If a song, the lyrics may add meaning to the images. I feel this is key in an OTS as it sets the mood and atmosphere for the film.

Recording sound with a microphone- You will learn very quickly that, with a video camera, there is no such thing as silence. If you are filming indoors your camera will pick up what is known as 'room noise' Outside there is also a lot of background noise, or ambient sound - passing traffic, birdsong, wind, nearby or distant people, aircraft, reversing trucks, squawking sirens - a whole cacophony of sounds that you cannot control.


http://www.mediaknowall.com/sound.html

The link above is where I got my information on sound I feel it is very useful and is easy to understand I would recommend anyone struggling with sound to look at this website as it helped me a lot.

Credits – Length of / Number of / Placement of and Top Billing and Single Cards for Main Actors and timelines

Normally an opening title sequence credits can be anything from 2-5 minutes long, my opening title sequence will be around 2 minutes.  

The average number of credits per opening title sequence is around 24, starting with the main characters first and the director last. Titles must be consistent and around the same time per credit, for example the main actor cannot be 10 seconds whereas the director being 2 seconds. Each credit is usually around 5 seconds long, however can be longer.

Jennifer Aniston has a contract where her name only must be displayed on a card, this is because she wants to show the significance of her role. 

Analysis of TypeFaces/ Positioning and Movement

Typography- The Style and Appearance of printed matter.

Serif and San Serif-

Serif fonts are usually easier to read and therefore are used in most newspapers.

San serif fonts are mainly used on computers as they are much harder to read on print.

At the moment Sans Serif is most popular due to the fact many more people are using technology such as computers.

Typefaces are very important in an OTS because they help to establish the genre of the film before actually watching it. For example If they were to use a red colour this my connote that the film is horror or thriller. Also if a if a typeface was to be fast paced across the screen this may show the film is going to be fast paced and action.

Covention of the order of the titles in OTS

Order of the Titles:

• Name of the Studio
• Name of Production company
• Producer Name
• Starring
• Films Title
• Featuring
• Casting or casting by.
• Music or Music composed
• Production design or Production designer
• Editor or Edited by
• Director of Photography.
• Producer or Produced by, Executive producer.
• Based on the book
• Based on the characters
• Story or Story by
• writers or written by
• Director or Directed by.

Conventions of an OTS

The Conventions of an OTS

• Name of production companies.
• Director
• Producer
• Other key crew
• Executive Producer
• Top Billing actors
• The movie Title

                  

                  

                  

                  

                  

                  

                  

                  

                  

Conventions of Title Sequences from reigatemedia

History of an OTS

Making an OTS

Film Openings

Pre-Production- explination.

Pre-Production


Location- In the film industry there are many crew members working for 'locations'. A starting point for someone in this department is a location scout who must travel around the required location searching for appropriate locations taking photographs of each possible place. Bring them to the director for consultations which include some technical detail such as lighting, power and permission.

Technical-  

Encoding/ Decoding

 

 

Stuart Hall

 

 

 

 

Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist and a professor of sociology. He looked at the role of audience positioning in the interpretation of mass media texts by different social groups.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Encoding and Decoding.

 

 

Dominant Reading-  Audience fully accepts the preferred reading the way the author intended them to, so that the code seems natural and transparent.

 

 

Negotiated Reading-  This is when the reader partly believes the code and broadly accepts the preferred reading  but sometimes modifies it in a way which reflects their own position, experiences and interests.

 

The Oppositional Reading-  The readers social position places them in an oppositional relation to the dominant code, they reject the reading.

 

 

Media Power.

 

Hall was concerned with media power, including how it propagates particular social values , to create a dominant ideology. In other words framing public debate surrounding certain issues. E.g. the role of women, asylum and immigration and the welfare system.

 

Hall believes that the mass media create and defines issues of public concerns and interest through audience positioning

 

Polysemy is the capacity for a text to have multiple meanings. It is to do with how individuals interpret and decode readings in different contexts and cultures.

 

 

 

Halls Theory-

 

Halls theory has influenced me as it has given me the opportunity to decide what way I would like my audience to be thinking when I make my OTS, and how I would like them to analyse it. It would be ideal if I was able to create a dominant reading as then the message would be clear.



narrative 3 part structure.

Narrative - 3 part structure

Narrative and its 6 codes

The 6 Narrative Codes:

• Technical Code
• Verbal Code
• Symbolic Code
• Structure
• Character
• Narrative Conflict.

Technical Code:   This refers to all aspects of narrative construction that involve technical decision making. Therefore anything to do with camera angles and movement, lighting , props , shot framing and composition : design , layout and editing.

Verbal Code:   The use of language, written and spoken- and signs learnt in graphics. We learn a lot about a narrative from what we are told in this way, but the best narratives show not tell leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Symbolic Code:  These are signs contained in the narrative that we decide as being significant and have meaning. E.g. a ragged coat worn by a character may mean that they are poor and possibly hungry.

Structure:   Russian Theorist , Tzvetan Todorov suggest6s that all narratives follow a three part structure. The simple formula can be applied to virtually all narratives about a beginning middle and end.

Character: Todorov came up with his theories after making a study of Russian folk tales- there is usually just a hero + villain.

• Protagonist = hero (most screen time)
• Antagonist  = villain (gets in protagonists way)
• Heroine = prize for the hero = feminine heroine = male protagonist.
• Father = An authority figure who offers a reward tot he hero for completing their quest.
• Helper = helps the hero = side kick
• Donor = gives the hero something - a clue or power- which helps them complete their quest.
• Mentor = Teaches and guides the hero.

Narrative Conflict:
As well as Aristotle deciding that 'all drama is conflict' in the 4th century BC, 20th century theorist Claude Levi-Strauss suggested that all narratives had to be driven forward by conflict that was cause by a series of opposing forces. he called this the theory of Binary Opposition, and it is used to describe how each main force in a narrative has its equal and opposite. Analysing a narrative means identifying these opposing forces

light/dark	good/evil	noise/silence	youth/age
right/wrong	poverty/wealth	strength/weakness	inside/outside

and understanding how the conflict between them will drive the narrative on until, finally, some sort of balance or resolution is achieved.

narrative,enigma story and plot

Narrative:

Narrative is the order in which a film is told. In terms of Media and films narrative is the coherence/organisation of media texts (eg. the story). The human brain needs narrative to make sense of things. We connect events and make interpretations based on those connections. Narrative is correlated with genre as some genres have typical story-lines. (Beginning, Middle and End)

Narrative Enigma:

The purpose of this engages audience attention, maintains curiosity and interest within the narrative chain of cause and effect. (It is essential that you create enigma when making your own Opening Title Sequence - OTS). Enigma is something that can be seen as mysterious and creates curiosity. 

Difference between the narative story and narrative plot:

A narrative story is what happens in the film which includes a backstory as well as those projected the story whereas a narrative plot is the order in which the story is told.

For example the series of events from a narrative story could be in this order:
Crime Conceived
Crime Planned
Crime Committed
Crime Discovered
Detective investigates
Detective Identifies criminals

However, the story events could be re-arranged in a different sequence to make the narrative more interesting, for example the plot could be:

Crime Discovered
Detective investigates
Detective Identifies criminals
Crime Conceived
Crime Planned
Crime Committed

Genre Hybrid and sub genres

 

Film Genres

 

 

 

 

 

Film genres are identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that have similar techniques or conventions such as:

 

• Content
• Subject matter
• Structures
• Themes
• Mood
• Period
• Plot
• Settings
• Recurring icons
• Stock Characters
  
• Narrative Events
• Situations
• Motifs
• Styles
• Props
• Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neale (2003) points out that generic norms and conventions may be recognized and understood by audiences, readers and viewers. Genre frames audience expectations, whereby viewers bring a set of assumptions with them and anticipate that these will somehow be met in the viewing experience. This brings audience pleasure. The demands of commercial practices necessitate that generic forms must somehow ‘guarantee meaning and pleasure’ in order to locate and retain a sizeable audience to justify a return on substantial investment. 

 

 

 

 

 

How genres have changed overtime.

 

 

Genres change and develop because of changes in the culture or historical period in which the genre is being produced. The Western solo hero who was popular in the 1940s and 1950s evolved into the group of heroes in the 1960s and 1970s with Rawhide and Bonanza—shows that reflected a shift in the workplace to that of the group in the corporation or company during that time. And, with the increasing interest in urban crime and international espionage in the 1970s and 1980s, the Western was replaced by the police/detective and the spy/thriller genres.

 

 During the Great Depression, audiences flocked to movie houses to view Hollywood romantic comedies as a way of escaping the grim realities of everyday lives characterized by poverty and deprivation.  During the 1990s, with the increased production of films and the control of media conglomerates over the types of films being made, an increasing number of formulaic genre films were produced. Film studios needed to attract large audiences in order to make a return profit on the millions they invested in high-production, special-effects films, so they turned to safe, familiar genres and sequels.

Hybrid Genres





 

a genre in fiction that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres. As opposed to the (literary and political) conservatism of most genre fiction. They are three or more genres or a mixture of sub-genres.

 

 

 

 

 Sub Genres


These are identifiable sub classes within the larger film genre, with their own distinctive subject matter, style, formulas, and iconography.
 For example:

Adventure Sub Genres:



 

 





Define genre

Genre- refers to the method based on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed.

What is a thriller film?

What is a thriller?

Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror. Films of this genre tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced.

 

The suspense is terrible," says Gwendolen in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), before adding, "I hope it will last." This witticism contains an intriguing paradox. Why is it that we both fear and enjoy being frightened? Alfred Hitchcock always thought it started in a mother's arms, when she says 'Boo!' to her child, who is first startled and then delighted. In the cinema, this sensation might have originated in the first public screenings of films by the Lumière brothers in 1895. "A train appears on the screen," wrote Maxim Gorky in a memorable newspaper review. "It speeds straight at you - watch out! It seems as though it will plunge into the darkness in which you sit..." Some audiences did indeed flee the theatres in terror, but they must have returned, because the cinema had soon established itself as the most popular mass medium of the early twentieth century.

The link I have used helps to re-imbed the feeling of emotions, excitement and exhilaration through the variety of old, classic thrillers provided. Recent examples have tended to lack that political and social edge and have been slick but relatively conventional in their dramatic strategies.

Audiences went to the cinema not simply to see but also to feel something which they would not ordinarily experience in real life. At one extreme, they were enthralled by the ingenuity of the dog in Rescued by Rover (1905) as it discovers the whereabouts of a kidnapped child.

 

Rescued By Rover 1905.

 



39 Steps 1935

                         Classic Hitchcock thriller about spies, secrets and Scotland.

 

	Defence of the Realm (1985)
	Tense 80s conspiracy thriller about a nuclear near-accident.       Inception







Textually Analyse OTS

What is representation?

Storyboard

Representation of men and women in thrillers

Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as its main elements.



The Game: OTS

Summary: Where do all the pieces fit? In David Fincher’s 1997 thriller The Game, it’s not just Nicholas van Orton puzzling through the clues — it’s us, too. From the get-go, we’re given hints of what’s to come. There’s a subtle tinkle of glass as dark puzzle pieces, designed by Richard ‘Dr.’ Baily, reveal the studio logos and the title. Then, a fuzzy look into a family’s history. A piano plays softly and the cellophane jumps from scene to scene, an invitation to private moments and intimate gatherings — but there is something uneasy there, too. Something fraying at the edges.

Age-  The men and women shown in this OTS are all of similar age, although children shown, it seems very family orientated. Their is a wide variety of ages to small children to elderly people. The camera looks down on the children and elderly people showing that they are vulnerable whilst the camera is mostly looking up on the men.

Ethnicity- . The people are predominantly white showing how it is set during a time where black people were not as socially accepted. It sets the scene and tone as he is having a flashback and seeing his family's history it gives a more in-depth understanding of the character.

Sexuality- In this OTS all the men seem to have wives and children, to me back where it was set was a time where making family's and having children was extremely important, homosexuality was not as socially acceptable. It is also shown that family means a lot as in the beginning of the flashback a clip is shown of who I assume is him with his father, both wearing suits and looking very similar. This shows that the men especially take having children very seriously as they want to keep the family name.

Class and status-  As the flashback occurs they are all clearly of the upper-class as their are servants and expensive clothing which was only usually worn by upper-class back where it was set, The men were of superiority to women also as shown the women are the ones who will have to look after the children whilst the men do the more hands on work. In the OTS children are seen watching performances by the servants showing they are almost above them as the servants were most probably not getting paid for it.

Physical ability/Disability-  Everyone seems very able and well although men are seen smoking as back then no one really knew the real risks, you also had to be wealthy to be able to smoke, this may alter their physical ability, but no one really seems unable or have any clear disability.

Regional Identity-  The family he has grown up with must be identified by others as an extreme upper-class family with money and wealth, back in that time there was many few houses very big so to have one you must have been very privileged.

Gender-  In the OTS the men are viewed as higher as they are shown seeming very relaxed whilst the women are cooking, looking after the children making sure they are well while the men are more social and are do most of the talking whilst the women take more of a backseat, this shows the social-class back in that time.

Summary:

How men are stereotypically perceived in thrillers?

Men are usually represented as the more powerful people in thrillers usually main characters who are fighting against people and seem to be the more physical and mentally able gender. They are viewed as the 'hero' and you find most people usually want them to do well. They take a more active roll compared to women due to the stereotypical feeling that men are better physically than women. Mainly seen as protagonists.

 

 

How are women stereotypically perceived in thrillers?

 

 

 

Women are seen very differently than men, they are viewed as innocent and pure, the men usually help women during these films women very rarely get a main role in a thriller movie, they are seen as more passive and rarely have to solve problems etc. They usually feature in the more romantic side of films e.g. the girl the guy loves.

Representation media terminology.

Media Dictionary

Textual analysis- silence of the lambs

Silence of the Lambs- Representation

Although I haven't seen the feature film of the silence of the lambs so this analysis is based on the extract alone:

The clip starts with a man who due to the costume is represented as a prisoner because of his clothing which is an all blue jump suit. In comparison to the women talking to him through the plastic wall which divides visitors from the people inside prison she is wearing  fairly formal clothing which shows she is of no association to the man but may be a lawyer or something of that kind. He is located in an isolated cell which does not look pleasant, this tells us that he has most likely done something wrong and is not in there for anything good the fact he is isolated also tells us he may have something mentally wrong. The lighting is used to portray the importance of what the man his saying, as he begins speaking he turns his back to the women and we see a close-up of his face in the light as he speaks this creates the feeling that he is saying something of significance and to highlight this it is only his face which has been highlighted by the light.

At one point in the extract the women seems to nervously get up out of the seat this shows she is unsure and possibly scared, another reason maybe that what he's saying has come of shock to her and she is not sure how to react. The mans facial expressions seem to change throughout as at the beginning he begins by smiling whilst speaking he then looks into the light and his becomes emotionless then back to smiling. This creates confusion as no one is really sure how he feels.

The score used as the man is speaking creates tension and allows the viewer to become more hooked on the film. It also makes us think he is saying something important or tense and the music is used to help us understand this. The music doesn't seem to change throughout the extract I feel this is because he is always the one in control and that never changes.

As the man stands up the camera swiftly follows his movement and  he is seen from a low angle this shows that he is beginning to take control of the situation. It allows the viewers to see who is in control as the women stays sitting down. A shot reverse shot which is used in this extract shows us the divide between the two both are mentally on two different levels and this is clear from facial expressions and also movement.

preliminary task

In groups of no more than four this is a task involving filming and editing a 

• Character opening a door,
• crossing a room
•  sitting down in a chair opposite another character
• exchange a couple of lines of dialogue".

This task must demonstrate match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule. 

The preliminary Task

by

Reece Hopkins, Emily Blyth, Ella Mcleod and Robyn Marshall-Dawson.

Textual Analysis of the OTS......Taken

Taken-OTS analysis.


lighting:

At the start of the OTS it is being shot using natural light as it is a sunny day, although having said this the lighting seems to change into what is possibly artificial lighting to create the mood and atmosphere.

Costume:

During the start of the trailer the father wears smart and sophisticated clothing, this may be to come across as intelligent or maybe due to self-respect and pride. His daughter Kim is seen to wear dresses and girly clothing this may show that to the father she is still their little girl. As the OTS progresses we see the kidnappers for a quick second shot they are seen to all be wearing black this shows us that they must be up to something or have something to hide. The fathers dress code changes throughout s he can be seen wearing more casual clothing. Same goes for his daughter Kim as you can see in one shot she is wearing something quite opposite to her usual girly clothing, this may show us how she has changed due to the kidnapping.

Facial expressions and body language:

Kim and her father can be seen hugging, this shows they are close, at the start the facial expressions are mostly smiles this shows they are looking forward to the trip and expect nothing bad to happen. Suddenly the facial expressions change as a shot of Kim shows her in shock as her friend Amanda is being kidnapped. Whilst her father seems to be in distraught. The facial expressions can help the audience become more involved and have abetter understanding of what is happening. Her fathers face is one of which he is determined to find his daughter. When we see a shot of Kim while she is being sold, she looks lost and defeated.

Makeup

Very little make-up is visible it is very bare and natural showing her innocence. Although having said this during her being sold she is seen to have make-up this shows the change in her as she went from being innocent and vulnerable to being in make-up about to be sold.

 

 

 

 

 

Location:

 

We know that Kim and her father are based in America due to their accents also we are shown an establishing shot of the Eiffel tower which shows they are in Paris.

 

 

Props:

The father begins with holding a present showing us it is his daughters birthday..  When he uses his phone to call his daughter in Paris and she tells him there are people in her apartment, He gets out a leather suitcase showing it is something important he gets out spy equipment showing he is more intelligent than maybe first perceived. He also has guns etc. which are all common factors of a thriller movie.

 

 

Shots:

To start  sequence a medium long shot is used as the main characters are introduced., This enables the audience to view the setting as a whole and gage what sort of characters the two are. Close-ups are used to enable the audience to view the facial expressions of the characters to know how they are feeling. An establishing shot is also used to show the new location of Paris, it shows the Eiffel Tower . An over the shoulder shot used during conversation so the audience can see who's speaking. Low angle shot used when father is on phone to kidnapper shows his superiority. A  wide shot is used when a man jumps off a bridge and a close up is used of a mans  mouth when he is speaking on the phone. A point of view shot has also been used while looking through a spy hole on the door, this gives the audience a sense of being there.

 

 

 

 

Sound: 

Diegetic sound is used through the form of dialogue and also non-diegetic sounds when the phone rings and the mans being electrocuted this sets a mood for the audience. Also there is a lot of hyperbolic sound used, The volume builds up to cause tension. Nearer the end of the sequence the sound fastens and images build up pace making it more direct.

 

Textually Analyse- What is it?

Textual Analysis-is a methodology in film for studying the content of communication.

For TV Drama, which is section A of the exam, you will be expected watch a 4 minute extract of a TV Drama 4 times and then textually analyse it in terms of:

Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition  
Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot,    aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these

Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle

Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom
Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.

Editing  
o     Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.
o     Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eye line match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting,
     parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
o     Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow     
     motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.     

Sound

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.  

Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-SceÌne

Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties. Lighting; colour design.

You will then relate these technical and visual codes to one of the following aspects of representation:

             

·            Age

·            Ethnicity

·            Sexuality

·            Class and status – including star status

·            Physical ability/disability

·            Regional identity

·           Gender

Camera - shot sizes

Establishing shot: help to establish the scene by showing the audience the location they're in.

 
Master shot: the main shot of the scene that is often returned to. Directors often film these in a wide shots so the audience can get their bearings as to who is in the scene. The directors then uses other shot sizes, such as close ups or medium shots to cut into the master shot so that the audience can get a closer look at the actors.



Very long shot - a shot including the whole view of the person/object and including a large amount of the scene, can sometimes be used as an establishing shot.
Long shot - a shot showing head to toe on a person for example, with less background than a very long shot, can be used to show the movement of a character.
Medium long shot - showing only the knees and above, headroom is given above the shot so the person/object does not look boxed in.
Medium shot - showing the belly button to the top of the head, can be used to show body language. 
Medium close up - a shot from the shoulders up, used to introduce actors.
Close up - Shows all of the face, starting from the bottom of the neck the shot includes some background, can also be used to introduce characters the first time they are seen. 
Big close up - used to show facial expressions, the shot shows a persons face from the chin to forehead. 
Extreme close up- Used to show detail mainly, only includes



Angles-

High angle shot-  is a camera shot taken from above a character, or view or object. This angle shows the character to be weak, vulnerable and inferior, A female is often filmed from a high angle.

Low angle shot- is a camera shot taken from below a character view or object. This shows a character to be powerful. A male is often filmed with a low angle.

Canted angle-  where the camera is at an angle to create a sense of something not quite right. The camera shot is slanted.

Movement

Pan-  <----------> A pan is a camera move both left and right.

Tilt-  This is when the camera tilts up and down.

Track and Dolly-  Track is similar to a railway track. The dolly sits on the track. A camera man sits on the dolly in order to create smooth shots that move in or out from or to a subject and enables the camera to pan, tilt or rise up and down.

 

 

 

Steadicam-  These shots are when the camera man wears body armour with the camera attached on the end of an arm steadicam. Shots are used for maximum freedom and movement as well as creating shots steady and flow nicely.

 

 

 




Handheld shot- 
  Where the cameraman holds the camera for maximum flexibility of the type of shots he wants to use. This is a very specialised skill and is often used for documentaries and news items. If used in dramas and feature films often to create a feeling of rawness/of being present in the film, for making the film feel like a news or documentary film.

 

 



Zoom in and Out-  Using the zoom facility on the camera to magnify or reduce the image size. Zooms are less popular now due tot he more sophisticated shots supplied by a track and dolly, but they are used on documentaries and for visual effects in music video's.

Depth of Field-  This is about the depth of focus in any given shot. It is a focus pullers job to alter the camera lens (On a drama or feature film) tot  he correct focal distance so the object or actor concerned is in focus. Sometimes shallow depth of field is used so that only important people or object are in focus to help the audience understand what is important to look at in each frame shot.

 

 



Camera

Framing-  Framing is the presentation of visual elements in an image especially the placement of the subject compared to other objects.

 

 

Rule of thirds-    is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section.

 Shallow Depth of Field- 
  Blurred background whilst subject is clear no distractions as background is not visible.

Deep Depth of Field- All background including subject is in focus.

Focus Pulls- Frequently used to shift the focal point from one scene to the other. For example,  an actor may be in focus at a distance of 20ft from the camera at the far side of the room and the shot includes a telephone in the foreground which is out of focus. As the phone rings, the actor turns and the focus puller pulls focus so that the phone becomes sharp and the actor goes out of focus. This action is a focus pull.

 

 

 

Editing

 

 

Shot-  Camera placement and angle.

 

 

Reverse Shot-

  

A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other. Usually to perform this you will need a three camera set up.

 

 



Eye line match- An eye line match is a film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

 

 

Jump cut: an abrupt transition from one scene to another.

Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.  

 

Parallel editing: is a technique whereby cutting occurs between two or more related actions occurring at the same time in two separate locations or different points in time. D. W. Griffith is often cited for his use of this technique

 

 

 

super imposition: is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to the overall image effect, but also sometimes to conceal something (such as when a different face is superimposed over the original face in a photograph).

 

Insert: In film, an insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot

Cutaway shot: In film and video, a cutaway shot is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. Cutaways often to get you out of jail if you don't have all the required footage.

 

long take: is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. Long takes are often accomplished through the use of a dolly shot or Steadicam shot.

short take: is a short recording of an event which in turn becomes a quick edit due to its length. Short takes if all used together create a fast pace are often used in thriller or action.

slow motion: the action of showing film or playing back video more slowly than it was made or recorded, so that the action appears much slower than in real life.

ellipsis: the shortening of the plot duration of a film achieved by deliberately omitting intervals or sections of the narrative story or action; an ellipsis is marked by an editing transition (a fade,dissolve, wipe, jump cut, or change of scene) to omit a period or gap of time from the film’s narrative.

expansion of time: you are making the duration of the video sequence longer than real-time. This is relatively rare — it's not often that you want your audience to see something more slowly than it actually happened. Slow motion is an example of expanding time.

post production: work done on a film or recording after filming or recording has taken place.

visual effects:  are the processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot.

Editing Techniques

Sound 
Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.  

Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-Scène

Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties. Lighting; colour design.

 

Location- A place or position where something is set.

 

 

Studio-  A film or television production company.

 

Set design- is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery.

 

Lighting- The use of various light sources, both artificial and natural, to achieve some aesthetic or practical effect while illuminating a scene.

Body Language-









Facial Expressions-

 Sound Track

• Score-  is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score forms part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects
• Incidental music-Incidental music is often "background" music, and is intended to add atmosphere to the action
• Themes- the main subject or idea in a piece of writing, speech, film.
• Stings- A sting is a short musical phrase, primarily used in broadcasting and films as a form of punctuation. For example, a sting might be used to introduce a regular section of a show or at the end of a scene
• Ambient- the background sounds which are present in a scene or location. Common ambient sounds include wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic, etc.