Cumnock Media

April 25, 2013

Exam: May the odds be ever in your favour!

Now, how to get ready for the Media exam on Monday 3^rd of June

1 Look at your answers to the past paper analysis questions – look at my comments for what would have made it better.

The 3Cs are colour, camera work and character

The 3Ss are sound, special effects and sets (including props)

2 Complete the Production questions and return the paper to Mr B. by Wednesday 22 May by the latest so it can be returned to you on Thursday to help you to study.

3 Attend supported study on Thursday 23^rd May in G:14 which will run from 9.00-11.00. It is advisable that you attend this to remind yourself of the perfect answers. No “time off” can make up for being talked through the process to give yourself the best chance.

4 Look at the blog at least twice a week.

5 Revise your study notes.

6 Turn up for the exam! Monday 3^rd June 9.00 start – be in for 8.45. Bring a pen if you are handwriting your answers.

April 25, 2013

Film geekery – Olympus Has Fallen

Just because I can’t help myself! You don’t need to learn this but it shows you how you can use your skills now to analyse any movie.

Narrative structure

Equilibrium – Protagonist is lead Secret Service security for the President of the United States. Following an accident he is relegated to a less important job.

Disequilibrium – The White House (Olympus) is taken over by North Korean terrorists and the President and several important government officials are taken hostage.

Resolution – Protagonist takes on a huge number of terrorists virtually single-handedly and one by one kills them off while keeping in touch with his wife, rescuing the President’s son and updating the security services and the acting President about what is going on.

New Equilibrium – order is restored, protagonist is returned to job he loves.

Sound effects – surround sound for movement of helicopter, non-diegetic sound (music) to make the audience feel proud, scared, triumphant, sad used throughout the movie.

Camera angles and shots – establishing shots used to show place (Washington DC), White House, etc

Full body shots and low camera angles to show Gerard Butler striding across a corridor, like a man who means business

Close up shots with dimmed lighting – to show Gerard Butler’s human side when he is talking to his wife during the attempted rescue, also to show emotion of Morgan Freeman and others round the table as various terrible things happen to others.

Special effects – choreographed fight sequences with apparent stabbings, shootings, explosions with blood, sound and CGI all used to create different effects to help tell the story. Buildings explode and fall down, weapons fire and light strafes across the screen to imitate gunfire and all of this is computer generated.

Target audience – Americans + fans of action films – they might cheer when Gerard Butler kills an enemy.

People who might not like the film – Koreans as they are the bad guys, people who do not like America – they might cheer when American buildings explode! The elderly would be put off by the swearing.

Need to make a profit – used only two major stars and many lesser known ones and a lot of CGI to cut down on the budget. This film cost less than the Hunger Games to make and Lionsgate was involved in it as well.

Use of stars – Gerard Butler is a man’s man – the kind who appears to do what is right. Good looking enough so that a female audience might be persuaded to go along with their boyfriend/husband even although it’s not their favourite kind of film. A stereotypical hero. The women who were crying when captured are the sterotypical helpless females. Morgan Freeman is a well liked older actor who has played the President of America in other films. He has gravitas – he is a believable character that people cede authority to so when he argues with the head of the armed forces we believe he is powerful, for example.

Dialogue was a bit cheesy. “Let’s play a game of…You first!” for example.

A 15 because of strong sustained violence and strong language. Not a film to take your granny to.

Another review here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22278099

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-film-film-review-olympus-has-fallen-falling-short-38313.php

April 19, 2013

Cinema Trip

Reminder – if you were off and missed your permission slip today, pick up your permission slip first thing Monday morning.

No slip returned – no trip.

The film is a 15 – remind yourself what that means!

April 15, 2013

Cinema Trip

We have been given permission to have our cinema trip next week.

Watch this space!

March 27, 2013

Past Paper Questions – Int 1

Past papers often give us a clue about how our own exam will look. Here are the questions from the past three years for the analysis section. Think how you would have answered each one.

If you don’t know – now is really your last chance to ask!

Narrative Structure

2012 The narrative of a media text is carefully structured. With close reference to the media text you have studied, describe its narrative structure.

2011 The text you have studied has a narrative structure. With close reference to this text, describe this narrative structure.

2010 (a) The narrative of a media text is carefully structured.

By close reference to a media text you have studied, describe its narrative structure.

(for (b) see “audience”)

(c) Describe how the narrative structure you have identified has been made to appeal to the target audience(s) you have identified. Give reasons for your answer by referring closely to the text.

Representation (including Stereotype)

2012 This question asks you to think about the Representations in the text you have studied.

(a) Identify one stereotype OR one non-stereotype in the text you have studied.

(b) By referring closely to the text, describe how this stereotype or non-stereotype has been made.

2011 This question asks you to think about the representations in the text you have studied.

(a) Identify one stereotype OR one non-stereotype in the text.

(b) By referring closely to the text you have studied, describe in detail what makes this representation a stereotype or a non-stereotype.

2010 (b) Representations are made by including particular elements in the text.

Identify at least one representation in the media text you have studied and describe in detail how it has been made.

(c) The representation or representations you have identified have been carefully chosen by the institution. Give reasons why the institution made the representation(s) this way.

Audience

2012 Audiences can be described in terms of age, gender, social class, race, nationality, lifestyle and interests.

(a) (i) Identify one target audience for the text you have studied.

(ii) By referring closely to the text, describe what has been included to appeal to this audience.

(b) (i) Identify one audience who would not enjoy this text.

(ii) By referring closely to the text, describe why they would not enjoy this text.

2011 Identify one target audience from the list below, that would enjoy this text:

• an audience made up from a specific age group

• a male audience

• an audience made up of a particular social class.

(b) By referring closely to the text, describe what has been included in this

text to appeal to this audience.

• an audience with a special interest

• a female audience

• an audience made up of a particular nationality.

(d) By referring closely to the text, describe what has been included in this

text to appeal to this audience.

2010 The makers of media texts target audiences from particular age groups, genders, nationalities, backgrounds and interests.

Identify the target audience(s) for the text you have studied. Give reasons for your answer by referring closely to the text.

Institution

2012 Institutional factors affect media texts. These factors include:

• who owns the media company

• the effect of the law on the text

• the effect of the budget and resources on the text

• the use of stars

• the effect of advertising and advertisers on the text

• the need to make a profit

and other institutional factors.

(a) Identify one institutional factor that affected the text you have studied.

(b) Describe in detail how this institutional factor affected the text.

(c) Identify one other institutional factor that affected the text you have studied.

(d) Describe in detail how this other institutional factor affected the text.

2011 Institutional factors affect the making of media texts. These factors could include:

Who owns the media company/companies

The effect of the law on the text

The effect of the budget and resources on the text

The need to obey Health and Safety laws

The use of stars

The effect of advertisers and advertising on the text

The need to make a profit and other institutional factors.

(a) Identify one institutional factor that had an effect on the text.

(b) Describe in detail how this factor affected the text you have studied.

(d) Describe in detail how this factor affected the text you have studied.

2010 (a) Institutional factors affect the making of media texts. These factors include:

• who owns the media company

• the need to make a profit

• the effect of budget and resources on the text

• the use of stars

• the effect of advertisers and advertising

• the effect of the law on the text

• and other institutional factors.

How has at least one institutional factor affected the text you have studied?

March 22, 2013

Unseen Analysis

Those who have completed this already will have a reward period today (Friday)

Those who were absent will have to do this section of your exam under exam conditions as soon as possible.

March 20, 2013

The Hunger Games – reminder

Words you should know

reaping – the lottery to pick the 2 children who will fight to the death

Characters

Katniss

Prim (sister)

Peta – the baker’s son (his father used to love Katniss’ mother when they were young)

Haymitch – a former winner, now a drunkard. Needs to mentor tributes from District 12

Effie Trinket – another mentor, pulls the names out of the hat

President Snow – dictator, representation of evil and powerful government – dystopian society

Cinna – Katniss’ stylist

Rue – represents innocence, shows Katniss’ need to protect rather than kill

Settings

District 12 – poor mining district

Capitol – rich city where government is situated

Forest – artificial games arena

March 13, 2013

That’s fake! Adverts look more perfect because of manipulation.

She’s not really flawless – she’s photoshopped or some other professional image digital processing has been used.

Look at this example of what happens.

http://photoshop.videos-training.net/2010/02/design-stunning-french-perfume-advert.html

Then look at these digitally enhanced real adverts.

Real Christina!

March 12, 2013

Institutional Factors – marketing that product!

In starting to plan a marketing campaign, the film distributor has to decide how it will present a film to a potential audience. They need to decide what sets this film apart from all the other films that are released – they look for a film’s ‘unique selling point’ (USP). If, for example, the distributor is handling an adventure film, they will need to look for aspects of the film which set it aside from the other action adventure films. What is its “wow” factor? What makes it unique?

In deciding what the USP of a film is, the distributor will first look at the storyline to see how this differs from the other films and what the key elements of the story are. After this they will look at such things as who stars in the film, are there new and spectacular special effects in the film and who is the director? Taking all of these into consideration, the distributor will then decide which elements to stress in the marketing campaign (posters, trailers, etc.) i.e. how to position the film in the market place.

The USP of a film will help potential audiences come to an understanding of what they might expect when they go to see a film. The visual campaign – posters, trailers, etc. will stress the USP and give the audience a ‘narrative image’ (an idea of the story) of the film. We, the spectators, are consumers as well as fans of particular stars, for example, the films we watch are products and generated to reach an audience. The film industry uses elements of the film to encourage the potential audience to go to the cinema and see the film.

How do you find out about a film?
What makes you want to see a film?
How do you know what to expect from a film?
What are you paying for when you buy a cinema ticket or buy/rent a DVD?
Where do you watch films? At home? At the cinema?
Do you think that there are differences between watching a film in a cinema and watching it at home on a DVD? If you think there are, then what are they?
Are there some films that you HAVE to see at the cinema or doesn’t it matter?

The Hunger Games was originally shown in the cinema and was a “blockbuster” because it was so successful. They had further sales through DVD sales and merchandising of posters, clothing and other items.

What would have made this film better if you saw it at the cinema?
What would make it better to own the DVD instead?
Would you have wanted only one of these experiences or both?
Are some films good enough to watch over and over?
Are some films good enough to want to watch the sequels?

March 12, 2013

Character, setting, narrative, colour, light, sound, camera and editing

Character

What can you tell about a character by the way they look? Costume, hair and make up are all used to add to the actor’s performance. A character’s behaviour gives us clues about their thoughts and feelings.

Settings

Stories can be set in real places or fantasy worlds, in the past, present or future. When characters are introduced to a new setting it can change their behaviour and influence their personaility.

Narrative

Many stories follow the same basic structure – beginning – middle – end > normal – problem – new normal > equilibrium – disruption – new equilibrium (resolution)

Colour and light

Colour and light are used to create mood. Shadows and dark can create a gloomy atmosphere whereas a bright colourful scene can create a happier mood. Light can also focus our attention on details in a scene. Colour can represent a character’s emotions.

Music and sound

A film’s soundtrack is as important as the things you see on the screen. Music, sound effects and moments of silence can help create suspense, excitement and laughter. Audiences can often tell if characters are good or bad according to the diagetic and non diagetic sounds which have been added.

Camera and editing

Shot types and camera angles are carefully chosen to show points of view and focus the audience’s attention. An editor’s job is to sequence each shot so the story is engaging and easy to follow.

Use these key facts to think again about the film we have been studying.

How were these all used to:

create the narrative structure
make stereotypical heroes, villains etc
appeal to target audiences
make a profit?