Research

Dexter:

Dexter Morgan is the protagonist, who is a constituent of the Miami Police department and an undercover serial killer.  The first shot of the opening scene to Dexter is a spider being squashed, while blood splatters on Dexter’s arm. The show title ‘Dexter’ then appears in red writing with drops of blood next to it. The audience then witness Dexter doing his daily routine which consists of shaving, slicing open meat and cooking it on the pan, eating it, drying and eating eggs, grinding coffee, cutting and squeezing an orange, tying his shoe lace and flossing his teeth. However, all of these shots are edited in a way to make his activities look gruesome which give away the killer/thriller genre. The camera captures various lightings, for example when he cuts the orange there is low lighting as we want to see the juice being squirted out, giving it a killer like effect. The non-diegetic music being played in the background is not linked to the genre. I think this is purposely done as the video does not obviously show its genre. However, there are moments in the music where the pace quickens and the music goes louder, making it dramatic. The setting is in Dexter’s home which gives the very casual feeling to the scene keeps the audience on edge as all his activities have some sort of blood or killing relation, infact making us feel quite uncomfortable. At the end of the scene he puts on his t-shirt and leaves his house, walking past the camera smiling. This makes him look quite creepy and the audience can immediately tell just by watching the opening scene that there is something not right with this character. Dexter targets an audience from the age 16-35 due to its innovative, chilling and stimulating format. The show consists of a range of codes and conventions associated with the thriller genre.

Whitechapel:

Whitechapel is a British television drama where detectives in London’s Whitechapel deal with murders that replicate historical (copycat) crimes. The opening scene to Whitechapel begins by revealing the shows name in white, typewriter like text. It then reveals a series of flashing images, some quite consistent; bloody cut up body. It also shows a man looking guilty of something as he places his hand on his head and looks down, looking quite distressed. There is also a package shown, perhaps consisting some evidence of this murdered body. There is also a flash close up of eyes opened quite widely, adding to the mystery. In addition, the main characters are introduced through the shots and credits. The characters are mainly older males, who are dressed in suits and hats, making the show appealing to a more middle class audience. There is a shot where the camera shows a knife being wiped with a cloth quite quickly, immediately giving away the thriller genre, linked with forensics and murders. The scene has been edited to have quite fast pace, snappy shots which in my opinion keep the audience on edge. The lighting is low light, keeping the shots more mysterious. The music is quite upbeat and modern, appealing to the 16-35 age range. Whitechapel also appeals to this audience as it consists of fast pace action and combining historic crimes into a way to appear as modern day crimes.

Luther:

Luther opens with a title sequence introducing the main character, Idris Elba straight away. The colour scheme throughout is red and black, giving the mystery/crime drama feel. We then see a close up shot of a fingerprint, again making it obvious to the audience that it is some sort of crime/detective drama. Luther’s face is not revealed during the title sequence; however we see black silhouettes of him. The shots and camerawork are edited in a way to make the sequence look more like a blurry painting all the way through. There is also a police do not cross sign shown, revealing the crime drama. The buildings shown are quite cartoon like, as are the drawings. The lighting used is low key to enforce the mysterious atmosphere. The non-diegetic sound used is quite calm, opposite to the genre. I think this is done as it goes with the actual shots shown, quite artistic and focus on buildings, reinforcing city life.  The fact that the opening scene shows city life, possible enforces the target audience of a 16-35 middle class audience. However, as it is broadcasted on BBC, it is a funded programme, so instead of making a profit it provides entertainment and education, possible then targeting a working class audience also. The crime drama theme and city life is quite modern, so appeals to this specific age range.

The Killing:

The Killing is an American crime drama. The Killing opening scene begins with four red dots each corner of the screen, the common colour used to connote blood and murder. It then uses a split screen of four all the way throughout the opening sequence. This shows a close up of a steering wheel driving slowly and a blurry, wet setting in which fast cars are going by. There is also a police cross line showed, where the audience recognise it is a crime drama genre. After these shots, the killing text appears and so does a man next to it in an establishing shot. The feel of this sequence makes the audience feel as though the older female driving, in whom we see the perspective of everything from is not in a right state of mind as everything looks quite fast and unclear. The non-diegetic music almost makes the atmosphere peaceful for the woman driving, however the diegetic sound reveals cars passing, horns beeping, adding to the fast pace action. The setting is outside, although is unknown as the audience cannot clearly see where the woman is. At the start however we see a broken bridge and assume she is just driving on her nearby roads where the police investigation is taking place. This particular show appeals to an audience over the age of 20. The show consists of an older cast which appeals more to an older audience. The content includes various investigations following a series of murders by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.

Sherlock:

The opening sequence to Sherlock is quite fast paced and full of several events. It starts off by showing and establishing shot of the city, revealing the lights, buildings and cars. It then shows the title Sherlock and the pace picks up. Several things including guns, a person’s cheek, buildings, an eye and writing are all shown but are blurry. Also a picture of Sherlock himself is shown in a photo frame, revealing the protagonist. The sequence then focuses on one shot of a water drop which shakes and falls into a dark reddish/brown patch almost looking like an eye. The camera then zooms into this shot and we see several follicles floating around and the scene ends. The sound is non-diegetic and goes well with the fast pace shots. It is thrilling and quick which makes it an effective opening scene. The lighting is quite high key, even though the images in the shots are not always clear. The fact that the city life is shown could mean that Sherlock appeals to a middle class target audience. Sherlock appeals to a similar age range of 16-35. It is full of innovative and modern investigations, which keep any age audience interested and on edge.

E4:

E4 is a British digital television channel. It was launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18th January in 2001. The "E" stands for entertainment, and the channel is mainly aimed at a 15–35 year age group.

The types of shows E4 focus on are: comedy, documentaries, drama, entertainment, food and science, nature and the environment. The most popular genre however is entertainment and comedies, by viewers although documentaries have the highest amount of range (336).

Some of their most popular US programmes are: The Cleveland Show, Smallville, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, 90210, One Tree Hill, Ugly Betty, Scrubs, Rules of Engagement, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls and Friends. Popular British shows include: Misfits, The Ricky Gervais Show, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Skins, The Inbetweeners and Made in Chelsea.

In September 2012, E4 drew a share of 16-34s than in any previous month. Across the month E4 pulled in a 5.75% share of 16-34s, beating the previous high of 5.35% which was over ten years ago in June 2002. E4 also achieved its fourth-biggest monthly individuals share of 2.10% across the month, a six year high (June 2006) and in week 38 (17th-23rd Sept) the weekly share of 16-34s was 6.14%, exceeding 6% for the first time in the channel's history.

E4 is watched by 9.6 million people a month and its audience share of 1.8% places it well ahead of Sky1 and the better-funded BBC3 – although the BSkyB general entertainment channel is available in fewer homes, and the corporation's service only broadcasts 12 hours a day – and has grown every year without fail.

E4’s most successful broadcast to date was on 11 October 2010 when an episode of The Inbetweeners pulled in over 3.7 million viewers.

BBC3:

BBC Three is a television channel from the BBC broadcasting. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16–34 year old age group, and focuses on programming new talent and new technologies. In 2001, the BBC decided to reposition and rebrand their two digital channels, so that they could be more closely linked to the well-established BBC One and BBC Two. The BBC3 channel was eventually given the go ahead, eleven months after the original launch date, and launched on 9th February 2003.

BBC3 focus on several categories including: factual, sport, drama, religion & ethics, entertainment, music, comedy, learning and news. The most popular genre is entertainment and documentaries and the top viewed programmes are: Sherlock, Russell Howards’ good news, Backchat with Jack Whitehall, Him & Her and Kevin Bridges-the story continues.

All in all, BBC3 is not the most successful or popular choice for BBC viewers. BBC3’s repeat of EastEnders at 11pm last Christmas achieved 905k/3% after recording, just behind the average for that week of 950k. BBC3’s Don’t Tell The Bride: Christmas Revenge on Tuesday achieved 1.2m/5% live with another 100k after recording. Unlike its commercial rivals, 90% of BBC Three's output is from the United Kingdom and other European Union countries. 

Target audience for my production:

The target audience for my production will be from ages 15-34. Using the Socio Economic groups I have identified my show will target a C1, C2, D, and E audience. Using Young and Rubicam's Psychographics, my show ill target the groups: resigned, stugglers, mainstreamers and aspirers. It will also be suitable for pre-watershed broadcasting using the OFCOM Broadcasting code which states that there cannot be any inappropriate: drug and alcohol use, violence and dangerous behaviour, offensive language, sexual material and nudity.  My group aim to use codes and conventions from existing crime drama's such as Dexter with an undercover serial killer narrative. However we want to bring new and creative ideas that are modern and innovative, therefore appealing to my specific audience. 

Focus group write-up:

Our focus group involved us speaking about what our narrative idea is, along with the key ideas, who our target audience is and when we would broadcast the show and on what channel. We spoke to Mr Halsey and our class peers on our ideas and how they think we can improve them.

We decided to base our idea on a serial killer crime drama, taking Dexter as inspiration. This will consist of a one main male upper class serial killer (Vinesh) who commits a series of murders (around 3). We could dress him in a smart suit and tie and have Central London as our location. Fast shots and clips of the murders will be shown in the production and one may include a bath tub drowning scene. However, we need to fit it all in 2 minutes and as it is pre-watershed, we cannot reveal too much violence. The reason for his crimes will be a physiological disorder, which may have affected him from a young age. This could perhaps be shown as a flashback which provokes his mood as we need to ensure our main character is likeable otherwise.

Our show will be broadcasted on E4 on a Sunday evening from 8:30pm-9pm. The target audience will be ages 15-35.

During our focus group discussion, our class feedback gave us some points to consider:

• Title sequence could show what’s coming up in tiny snippets
• Sunday is family day, some would not feel serial killer is a family friendly programme
• Multiple murders in starting-Texas chainsaw can be used as inspiration but not so violent
• Will something that worked in America work here? E.g. Dexter
• Dexter has a very playful feel, will our production add moments of comedy to it?
• Show why the serial killer commits murders
• Title sequence, range of scenes-inspiration from Dexter cutting meat and cutting a tomato, splatters and play with your mind
• With the meat and tomatoes, start with extreme close up then cut to another angle
• Slender- involved a smart dressed murderer who had a motive for killing people
• Have to make the killer likeable, create reasonably light hearted mood-clips of serial killer killing people, juxtapose shots with him being nice, helping someone, arms around friends, in a relationship, loving, bunch of flowers. A lovely guy with dark secret makes audience want to watch more
• Title could be the serial killers name-Vinesh

From the discussion I learned how to construct the production in a more effective and interesting way, taking into consideration we only have 2 minutes. This is by showing the upcoming events (murders), but shown as separate episodes rather than one. Also, I now have Texas chainsaw and Slender to look at for inspiration, which I did not know about before. My killer has to be likeable, so we will include shots of his good personality as well as the evil. Finally, the name of the production could just be the killer’s name, giving it a Dexter like feel.

The target audience for our production will be males and females, 15-35 year olds, middle-class and a C1-C2 audience.

Representations of Men

The left side of the image shows the Dominant representation of men, portraying masculinity. However, the right side shows Alternative representations of men, which exist in society but are stereotypically viewed as in-masculine.

Theories

Hypodermic needle model:

The Daily Mail article explains how playing violet video games for just 20 minutes a day can encourage aggressive behavior. This was tested on university students who played Call of Duty for over three days and were then set several tests to record their behavior and reactions to the outside world. This study found that those who played the game were more likely to assume the world was hostile and react aggressively. Therefore, this links to the hypodermic needle model as it shows violet video games which have proven to have an affect on its players. The theory proves to easily manipulate people, making them powerless to resist.  

Two-step flow model:

The BBC article shows Jamal Edwards who has transformed from a teenager living on a council estate in West London to a self-made multimillionaire. At 23 years old, Jamal is worth more than £8 million, as he has turned into a film-maker and is the owner of SBTV-a music making broadcasting company. This article links to the two-step flow model as it shows Jamal has been influenced by leaders in the music industry, determining his success.

Uses and Gratifications theory:
Blumler and Katz' uses and gratifications theory suggests that media sources are used to fulfill media users needs. The four basic needs are: diversion: the need to escape from everyday life, personal relationships: people use the media to fulfill their need for companionship and to form relationships with others (social group), personal identity: use the media to find out about ourselves, people presented in the media reflect us and surveillance: using the media to find out what is going on around us (informative). 

Diversion:
'Hello' magazine gives people the opportunity to escape from everyday life, by peering into others (celebrities and gossip). 

Personal relationships:
Facebook and Twitter are social networking sites on the internet which allow people to interact and form relationships with others.

Personal identity:
Soap opera's such as Eastenders showed on TV and online allows people to relate the drama with their own lives and reflect them. It also helps people find out about themselves.

Surveillance:
BBC News allows people to find out what is going on around us worldwide and is extremely informative. The different ways this can be accessed is by TV, radio, internet and mobile phone apps. 

Dependency theory:
Rokeach and Defleur took the uses and gratifications theory one step further in 1976, suggesting that people have become dependent on the media.

1) I use the media mainly for information; internet and books for general news and school work. I also use the media for entertainment; YouTube and social networking sites. 

2) I feel that I am very dependent on the media, I use it to watch films and TV programmes by TV and internet. I also use the media heavily when doing my school work and reading/watching the news.

3) In my opinion I believe the dependence on the media has increased over the past 10 years. Nowadays most people access the media easily and quickly through their smart phones for social and informative uses. People also rely on the media (internet) for research, rather than traditional books. 

Psychographics

Succeeder:

This car shows stability and endurance which is what succeeders look for. The prestige car is simple and shows the quality made into the car. Succeeders want something classy to represent their status.

Mainstreamer:

This Littlewoods advert shows the blending in of different people of all ages. It is a family friendly advert as it shows children as well as adults and shows a sense of belonging.

Reformer:

This Subaru car advertisement shows the freedom of restriction a girl has as she grows up and drives away from home. It also shows her personal growth as they show her get older.

Aspirer:

The Rolex advert aims to those who aspire a certain image and are materialistic. The image of the watch itself is enhanced by the colours used to show purity and elegance.

Explorer:

This holiday advert shows people having freedom and experiencing new things. It shows a range of different settings such as forests and oceans showing the creativity and difference from a typical life style.

Resigned:

The Sainsbury's Nectar card advert represents tradition and value for money which people in the resigned category seek. It also shows tradition with the different groups of people e,g, family and safety.

Struggler:

This advert shows the young and elderly population at Mcdonalds. This targets strugglers as it shows their homes which is an estate, sterotypically referring to low income. Therefore as Mcdonalds provides fast food at low prices, it shows that this is the type of audience they are trying to target.

Preliminary exercise & Evaluation

The task of this preliminary exercise was to make a short 30 second clip in order to enhance our editing skills and to get a feel of how to use the video cameras. We also had to use the 180 degree rule and show match on match action. My group particularly focused on a conversation between two females (Humera and I), where we delivered four short lines of dialogue to build and create suspense. We then showed Ishan under the table lying down towards the end of the clip, with his eyes closed to show the audience we murdered him.

WWW:

My group did not break the 180 degree rule as we filmed over my left shoulder and Humera’s right shoulder, focusing on one side of the room as we had our conversation sitting opposite each other on the table. We also used a match on match action shot when Humera opened the door to the room, where I was sitting down waiting for her. We also came up with a short, yet intriguing dialogue to interest the audience within the 40 seconds of filming. I also feel like the pace of the clip was good, not too fast but not too slow either as it kept the audience interested. We also used a good range of different types of shots e.g. long shot when Humera is walking towards the door, high angle shot when she opens the door, a shot under the table and a close up on Ishan’s face. I feel as though my group and I followed the structure and requirements well, however there were things we could improve.

EBI:

I believe that my group could have spent more time shooting the actual production, even though we had one week to film and edit. When the conversation was filmed, It would have been better if me and Humera had sat closer (possibly taken a table out), as the distance between us did not let the camera focus clearly on our faces.  Also, if we used the 180 degree rule on the other side of the room and did shots on our opposite shoulders to what we originally filmed as it would allow less of the background room to be shown. This would make the film clip look more professional. We also should have put down the blinds in the room as the fact that you can see outside the window does not make the murder look as serious. Infact we should be in an isolated room with the dead body under the table. However, this helps my group and me as we now realise the importance of the background in filming as well as the characters, dialogue, lighting and sound.

Overall it was a fun and enjoyable experience which will definitely help me with my filming next time for my coursework as I have learnt new editing skills, as well as picking up on faults in our production to improve for the future.

Mainstreamers presentation

Grade: A

WWW:

• Good use of detail and information
• Well explained points
• Good use of examples and images
• Links to Mainstreamers

EBI:

• More research into the type of car e.g. Ford
• More media consumption

Young & Rubicam's 4 C's

Main Priority: Enlightenment

Independence is your way, you make up your own mind and, ideally, manage your own time. In every way you need room to stretch and grow and move about. Freedom is not just an ideal. It’s a basic necessity. All rigid restrictions are irksome to you, be they hierarchies and bureaucracies, accepted ideas, roles, rules and routines – or tight collars and small windows.

Luckily you are sufficiently inventive and versatile to overcome these restrictions and find the freedoms that you need. What about those who are powerless to do so ? You may feel yourself drawn to active involvement on their behalf - your search for enlightenment naturally includes the desire to set the whole world free.

More than others you are aware of personality in the world around you, which connects with a feeling for relationships ... for instance of colours, shapes, or tastes. The result is a very personal expression, whether it happens in the kitchen, the garden, at work or at play. Generally open to experience., you are attracted to intelligence, to people and things that exhibit unique, authentic and unexpected facets. 

                       Main Priority: Control

Characterisation: Succeeder

You are powered by a strong goal orientation; your long term growth plans backed up by the confidence of high self-worth. The underlying aim of your drive is duration and stability, a desire for lasting personal achievement. It’s possible that you have a forward plan of your life worked out, and think in terms of strategic moves towards willed outcomes.

Your creativity works in a process of simplifying complexity – cutting through ambiguity and extraneous complication, organising solutions. And in finding ways to express your conclusions in down-to-earth examples from personal experience.

You do need to be the captain of your ship, separate from the mass of people - and to enjoy the rewards of success as well as the symbols of prestige that inspire the achievement of life goals. You may feel an attraction to things that have lasted for a long time – well-aged single-malt whisky can be one example, a tendency to align yourself with the local political and social establishment another.

You are particularly aware of the importance of inter-personal communications. Socially you feel most at ease with individuals who share your Control priority, but on some level you may need a more caring and protective antidote to the stress and suppression involved in your drive toward success.

I agree that i fit into the category of a succeeder. I like to have control in situations so i have a sense of direction and reassurance. I also like to be independent as i am the only one who can reach success for myself. 

Ten Brands that appeal to my group:

1. Apple
2. Waitrose
3. Gucci
4. BMW
5. Michael Kors
6. Jaguar
7. Rolex
8. Hugo Boss
9. Sony
10. Mac

Film Language mock feedback

Grade: B

WWW: 

• Some excellent, detailed answers.

EBI: 

• Editing the clear weakness - one to revise/practise
• You also don't need the opening paragraph of each answer. use it instead to make a point for extra marks.

In the future, I will be sure to go over my Film Language notes and practise my timing. Also, focus on the Editing section as that is what bought my marks down the most.

Gillian Dyer-Advertising as Communication (1988)

According to Gillian Dyer (Advertising as Communication, 1988) advertisers use, among other techniques, lines of appeal to create brand identities and attract their target audience.

Audi:

Audi is a luxury car manufacturer which sells high quality, premium priced, luxury cars. Audi fit into several of Dyer’s lines of appeal. The first category is ‘rich, luxurious lifestyles’. Those who earn a good income aspire to have a luxury brand car to represent their wealth and success. This could lead to ‘successful careers’ as you would expect those who receive a good income to work towards buying an Audi or already have one. Lastly, Audi could be placed into ‘dreams and fantasy’ as the brand can customize their cars for each customer making the desired car achievable.  

The Audi brand is about a luxurious and aspirational lifestyle.

Audi in one word: Prestige

Johnson's:

Johnson and Johnson is a skincare brand which specialises in baby skincare and produce mildly formulated skincare products for babies. This brand would fit into ‘happy families’ as the Johnson advertisements always promote happy, loving and caring mothers and babies. Another category this fits into is ‘childhood’. The maternal affection shown presents nurture and protection of the parent and baby. The brand values of Johnsons are to protect babies skin as the slogan states, ‘no more tears’ and also to sell non-harmful cleansing products. The brand is also promoted for use by mothers by being good for babies and good for grown-ups.

Johnsons specialise in baby skincare and sell non-harmful cleansing products.

Johnsons in one word: Gentle

Guerlain:

Guerlain is a skincare brand which also sells fragrance and make-up. It is a luxurious brand reflected by the high prices, premium quality and elegant packaging. The first category it fits into is ‘beautiful women and men’. The brand sells both cosmetics for men and women to enhance their beauty, making them more admirable. Another category is ‘dreams and fantasy’. Women admire what the women presented in the brand look like and men admire them also in a sense that they think they are beautiful and would want to be with someone like that. The brand cares for both men and women’s skincare.

Guerlain create a look of elegance for men and women.

Guerlain in one word: Elegance

Qatar airways:

Qatar airways are a global airline company that deliver flights around the world every day. The lines of appeal the brand fit into are: ‘rich, luxurious lifestyles’, ‘happy families ‘, ‘elite people or experts’,  ‘beautiful women’ and ‘glamorous places’. As Qatar airways are a luxury airline provided with comfortable seating and tasty food, it is usually a service the middle and upper class take advantage of, elite people fly in first class. Families are mostly shown advertising the airline looking happy when travelling to glamorous, exotic destinations. The beautiful women hostesses are also shown with a kind and polite attitude towards the guests boarding the plane.

Qatar airways are a friendly, luxury airline service.

Qatar in one word: Luxury

Apple:

The brand Apple specialises in creating the latest, innovative technology; phones, applications, laptops, tablets etc. Dyers lines of appeal that Apple fits into are ‘dreams and fantasy’, as Apple products are quite expensive they may take people time to save money to buy them and work their way towards them. Apple could also fit into ‘rich, luxurious lifestyles’. Those of a higher class are able to afford Apple products such as MacBook’s which are quite expensive. Another category Apple fits into is ‘elite people or experts’. Elite people tend to have high quality technology such as Apple phones or laptops.  

Apple is a well-known brand for high quality technology products.

Apple in one word: Innovative

Film Language

Cinematography:

Psycho - 1960:

Camera framing and movement-
The scene begins with a medium shot (MS) of the man looking as though he is concentrating and about to do something suspicious. The screen then cuts to a close up (CU) where we see him remove the picture on the wall and discover a hole which makes the audience even more suspicious of him. Immediately, he looks through it and an eyeline match and point of view (POV) shot takes place and the audience and the man both see the woman undressing, which is a long shot (LS). This gives the audience an idea that he is planning on doing something to the woman. The camera again cuts to an extreme close up of the man's eye as he peers at the woman some more. We again notice another POV shot and the woman now has her silk robe on (LS). She then walks off the camera and then a CU of the man reveals him cover up the hole on the wall with the picture, then the camera cuts to show him turn away still looking quite thoughtful. He returns to the same standing point where he was at the beginning of the scene.

Fast and Furious - 2001:

Camera framing and movement:
The scene begins with an establishing shot of all four cars lined up. The screen then cuts to a CU of all four exhaust pipes with fire coming out them. A LS then shows the crowd and the race begins. The camera shows all four gear sticks in drive with a CU. A CU shot reveals the start up of the engine all the way to the moving wheels of the car. The camera then uses a mixture of tracking and dolly shots to follow the action of the cars using LS's MS's and CU's. A high angle shot of the camera tilting down uses a crane shot to focus on the cars to show the audience who is winning the race. Constant CU's of the characters faces and car parts are shown to emphasise the concentration and importance of the race. It also reveals the characters next move. For example when the CU of the laptop is shown inside the car, we instantly know something is going to happen as an eyeline match of the character looking at the laptop takes place. We then witness the drivers car speed up and again see a continuity shot of the engine speeding up. The thrilling car chase reveals many MS's of the cars lined up next to each other to show who is in the lead.

What's the difference?
The difference between these two movies is firstly the time period they were made in (1960 and 2001) and the fact that Psycho is filmed in black and white and the other is in colour. The first clip does not show many camera movements but instead consists of many angles and shots and camera cuts. However, Fast and Furious has almost every shot in movement whether it be tracking, dolly or a crane shot. This keeps the action alive for the audience and is extremely thrilling as we don't only witness the car race but see it from the characters point of view also. Whereas Psycho has more of a suspicious and mystery feel to it. Both clips have an impact and effect on the audience but in different ways. Over the years cinematography has improved drastically as more camera shots and movements are easier to take with the development of technology.

A haunted house:

Editing:

‘The Haunted House’ scene begins with a straight cut revealing the possessed woman looking crocked on the floor as she is in an uncomfortable position with the four men looking at her with quite worried facial expressions. This immediately catches the audience’s attention as we wonder what is going on in the scene. We eyeline match back onto the possessed woman on the floor, then to the men again and back to the woman who gets up and starts moving her head side to side in the camera. A wipe soon then takes place of the woman still looking quite possessed  and the man next to her where he looks to the camera confused and scared and is pointing to her. Another straight cut takes place to show another man screaming and jumping in fear waving his arms around and pointing to her and the four men are all shown again lined up. We then straight cut back onto the woman where she drastically starts waving her hands around and a dissolve takes place where she quite unclearly for the audience moves around on the screen and leaves us feeling uncomfortable.

We as the audience cannot see what is going on clearly and are scared and thrilled at this point. A straight cut reveals the four men waving their hands and yelling at her. The camera then holds still and we see smoke coming out of the woman as she covers her head with her arms and kneels on the floor. The camera again straight cuts to the four men having a conversation all with different facial expressions. However two men are looking scared and two not looking as though they are very bothered. This creates comedy as we can tell it is not taken seriously, otherwise all the observers would have been intrigued and would have quite serious and worried facial expressions. A jump cut then reveals an unexpected edit where we are forced to witness the woman jump onto the wall from the floor quite suddenly and we immediately straight cut back onto the men looking quite frightened and shocked as they all jump back and extend their arms and hands in front of them, looking as though they are trying to all protect themselves.

A straight cut then close up’s onto the woman’s face where she is still attached to the side of the wall. After follows a wipe to show the same man again who we previously witnessed in the wipe cut taken before. The man looks confused as he looks side to side to the woman and to the camera continuously. This could make it clear to the audience that he is the only person standing next to her and we should be worried for him the most. Or, a counter argument could suggest that he is the bravest of all the men and possibly the most important as he is shown a number of times rather than the rest of the guys. Another wipe takes place and the woman jumps into the camera fiercely. The screen then fades out quickly into a plain black screen, therefore we assume something terrible happened to the four men and the scene is over. However, we are surprised when the camera turns back on and straight cuts to a close up and low high angle shot of one of the men who we didn’t pay much attention to during the scene, looking quite scared and alone into the camera. This could tell the audience that while we were so busy paying attention to the other guys, this man was the actual victim, which surprises us.

ITV Presentation

  http://prezi.com/ygnt-ugfphq8/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7l73KfxT4RlWlRZQU1WQjVVX1k/edit?usp=drive_web

WWW:

• Excellent Prezi Presentation - well designed, clear slides
• Good true or false starter activity
• Clear presentation style
• Some very well researched information
• Covered key points
• Well chosen video clip
• Good timing

EBI:

• Include questions with starter activity answers
• Don't finish presentation with a video clip - comment on it

In my  perspective, I believe the lesson was overall quite knowledgeable and informative for my peers and feel that everyone learnt something knew about ITV. This was clear through the 'true or false' starter activity, as most people were surprised with some answers when they were revealed. I liked the way the Prezi Presentation stood out from the rest of the classes as they were all power points and feel this made it more unique and memorable for the class. If I was to do my presentation again I would definitely make sure I structured the answers for the started activity better and give the class a few more interesting facts to remember ITV by.

Stereotypes

The images on the left, dominant representation present how people stereotypically view the UK. The UK is usually represented as upper/middle class. Whereas the pictures on the right, alternative representations show what majority of the UK actually is which is working class. The use of purple connotes royalty and class, whereas white gives quite a deprived and empty feeling.

Parallel & Contrapuntal sound - Exorcist theme tune

WWW- 

• Excellent choice of music, very cinematic
• Strong example of the genre
• Brilliant images from horror, great pace of transitions

EBI-

• Contrapuntal images, not quite as different as they could be. Red lipstick?
• Perhaps think about use of colour. Was the red too consistent between the two

In my opinion, I believe I could have thought about the use of colour more and red tends to represent love as well as horror. However my intention for the contrapuntal images was to create more of a passionate feel with the colour red, rather than horror. My images for contrapuntal could have been more exaggerated to shock the audience with opposition pictures that do not suit the music.

Fantasy narrative using theories

Vladimir Propp - The seven spheres of action

The villain: Ronald, the princess’s evil half-brother

The donor: Jim, gives the hero a sword in his time of need for the battle

The helper: Herbert, helps Andrew defeat Ronald in the battle

The princess: Rosetta, is in danger when her half-brother returns to the Kingdom with a cunning plan

The dispatcher: Anita, informs Andrew that Ronald has returned to the Kingdom, he must save them all

The hero: Andrew, saves the Kingdom and restores peace

Roland Barthes-

Enigma/Hermeneutic codes: We find out during the climax of the narrative that Ronald is evil. Therefore throughout the story mystery and suspense is built.

Action codes: When Ronald pulls out his sword, the audience know that a battle is about to take place.

Multi strand narrative: It is not a multi strand narrative as there is only one plot built up in a single episode.

Linear pattern: The story follows a chronological order, beginning, climax and end (resolution).

Tzvetan Todorov-

Equilibrium: The narrative begins with an existing state of harmony where Rosetta is looking forward to her birthday and her half-brother visiting her.

Disequilibrium: Rosetta finds out why her brother left the kingdom, he was evil and tried to kill her father in order to gain status and become the King. A dual takes place between Ronald and Andrew the brave knight, when the Kingdom find that he has returned.

New Equilibrium: Ronald is defeated and never again returns to the Kingdom to cause harm, the Kingdom live in harmony and peace is restored.

Fast and Furious 6 analysis using Theories

Fast and Furious 6 (2013)

Roland Barthes-

Enigma/Hermeneutic codes: There are many enigma codes during this movie, we tend to find out important and shocking information towards the ending of the film. For example the false hero is revealed, this builds the audience's suspense and thrills throughout the film by questioning the characters.

Action codes: Fast 6 is packed with action codes. Guns are triggered throughout making it obvious to the audience a scene of violence and a fight/battle is approaching. Also, when we hear or see an engine roaring we know a car race will be taking place soon after.

Multi strand narrative: This is the sixth fast and furious, therefore the movie has follow ups and the story continues to develop.

Non-linear pattern:  The film is in non-chronological order.

Tzvetan Todorov-

Equilibrium: Dominic Toretto (hero) thinks peace is finally restored and is enjoying his life with his new girlfriend.

Disequilibrium: Hobbs (dispatcher) informs Toretto that his true love Letty has been found, however he thought she was dead. He learns she is with a new team lead by Shaw (villain).

New Equilibrium: The hero ends up finding and saving Letty and learns she lost her memory. They soon get back together and the evil forces (villains) are defeated so harmony exists once more.

Vladimir Propp - The seven spheres of action

The villain: Shaw, has the princess on his side (team).

The donor: Hobbs, gives the hero evidence in order to find the princess.

The helper: Brian O'Conner, the hero's bestfriend, accompanies him on missions to save the princess.

The princess: Letty, rescued by the hero, loses her memory and forgets everything.

The dispatcher: Hobbs, informs the hero of the mission.

The hero: Dominic Toretto, saves the princess, his love.

The false hero: Riley, pretends to be on the hero's side, however turns out to be helping the villain all along.

Film Noir lighting style

Film Noir has a literal translation of 'black film'. It is typically set in the early 1940's to the late 1950's. Film Noir is a visual style, with roots from German cinematography. It is usually the genre of some sort of a crime drama. It consists of low-key lighting and unbalanced compositions. This creates moods and expressions from the shadows and silhouettes that are created. This then creates a sense of mystery. In terms of lighting, bright lights focus on and capture characters eyes, shoulders, hats and the face in order to create stark shadows for criminal lighting. The overall lighting is quite low-key, with high-key lighting every now and then usually to symbolise a meaning and create effects.

The lighting used for this image is low-key lighting. Although we can tell this is natural light as the male figure is standing next to a window and the light seems to be coming from the sun outside, dramatic shadows are created with only a key light and back light. The effect is known as chiaroscuro. In this particular image, we may assume that the key light is possibly coming from the left side as his face is brighter and most influential. This means the there may be a less bright back light is on the right to help create shadow, with no filler light as the shadows are quite sharp. 

Moreover, the underlighting used helps create a more mysterious effect. As he is holding a pistol and peering outside, the audience may assume he is waiting to shoot someone. His hat also helps to make him look more of a character of mystery as he may be some sort of detective, those are the usual connotations we would pick up from this image due to the props used. This image successfully fits the purpose of a film noir and we can tell straight away due to the black and white colour, the mysterious mood created and often, half his face showing with light.

'The Third Man' is a British film noir set in 1949. This clip mainly uses high-key lighting as it is set outdoors, therefore the lighting looks natural and filler lights are also used throughout. However the movie still looks quite dull. Shadows are created in this scene using key lights and back lights. 

The first major and obvious lighting used is to show the different zones, the signs say American zone, British zone, Russian zone and French zone. The lighting used on these symbols could possibly represent meaning. We can see that the American zone sign is bright and well lit all over, possibly conveying a message that America is good and trustworthy. Next, the British sign is readable, but has shadows on it created by the lighting and gate beside it. This may be to portray a message of mystery and that some of the British are good and some bad, or somewhere in the middle. Similarly, a shadow is cast on the French zone although it is slightly faint, therefore has less of an effect. The Russian sign has the same lighting as the background is not any brighter or dimmer, this could mean that they blend into the back and the soldiers don't really stand out or go out of their comfort zones. The places can represent the countries as well as messages about the soldiers as that is what the clip focuses on during the first few seconds (29 secs). Furthermore, towards the end of the scene towards 1:47 mins, as the male figure rushes up the stairs, the top lighting creates a shadow on the wall of the silhouette and staircase. In the shadow we focus on his briefcase and hat. This creates a sense of mystery as we wonder what reason he has flown in to the country for. We see him check in with his passport just before at 1:30 mins. This film obviously represents a film noir as it obtains all the features and lighting effects. 

Stuart Hall's Theory - Encoding/Deconding

Stuart Hall (1980) discovered the theory of encoding/decoding. Hall discovered different types of readings and came up with a theory in order to describe the effects media texts have on an audience. Firstly, he discovered the dominant ideology, typically known as the 'preferred reading' in a media text. This is what readers,viewers and listeners are lead to believe, but do not necessarily have to believe. This is done by the way something is portrayed in the media. Secondly, the 'oppositional reading' are conflict ideas with the preferred reading. This is where ideas of an audience do not meet the creators intentions of the media text. Finally, the 'negotiated reading' is a non bias view, where the audience take both preferred and negotiated readings into account.

Hall's ideology has been criticised, for being 'at the expense of the importance of ownership and control' - Stevenson 1995:35.

News in the media

Police say they are "closing in" on the militants at a Nairobi shopping mall who have threatened to kill their remaining hostages.

Dominant reading: The intention of the creator of this image is for the militants to be helping save hostages and to portray them as positive and doing a good thing. The image presents them as determined and focused as all five of them are lined up ready for their mission. Their goal is to secure safety and protection for members of the country.

Oppositional reading: On the other hand, one could argue that the fact that the media are there is invasive, and is actually more of a money making scheme. Therefore, this could provoke more terrorist attacks against the country, instead of actually help making people around the world aware of it.

Negotiated reading: One may say that although the media are attempting to help by making the public more aware of the attacks in Kenya, they may be antagonising terrorists even more as they are now getting publicity from the media all around the world.  

Mise-en-scene comparison

Avatar

                                         

   Scream 4

                                        

P.S I Love You

Costume and Make-up: Avatar is a adventure animation, therefore the costumes are of animations and make up is of virtual looking beings. However, with the humans in the trailer, battles occur and make up is used to make them look as though they have been injured and bruised. Moving on, Scream 4 is a horror. The costume of the main character is plain black and has a white mask, this is the killer in the movie. Make up is again used to make characters look as though they are bleeding and dying. Finally, P.S I Love You is a romance, costumes for the main characters are quite modern. The woman wears dresses and skirts, the man wears trousers and tops. This gives a casual feel to the movie.The make up is also quite simple, so giving the film can relate to reality and be modern.

Lighting and colour: To begin with, Avatar uses quite technical bright lighting and common colours such as blue for effects. Lighting is used to show blasts and blow ups as well as the trailer being quite generally bright the whole way through. Scream 4 uses a lot of black and red to connote murder and death, emphasising the fact that it is a horror. The lighting is quite dull during scenes of death. This done to create mystery and not to give away too much information to the audience in order for suspense to remain. P.S I Love You uses bright lighting and colours of red and white throughout the trailer. This is to create a sense of love and purity. The female wears a red dress and shoes at one point of the trailer, showing that she could be the main character in the romantic lead. 

Setting and Props: Firstly, Avatar is set in  a research lab as well as a whole other island and universe called Pandora. The props used to make it obvious it is an adventure are planes, helicopters, guns etc. On the other hand, Scream 4's main prop is a knife and telephone. The telephone call is used as a symbol of an upcoming murder and the knife is used for the actual murder scene. It is set in homes and schools to make it more like a reality. Lastly, P.S I Love You similarly set in homes to make it relate to everyday life, and uses love letters, couples etc to make it obvious it it of the genre romance. 

Actor placement and expression: Furthermore, Avatar uses the main character in a wheelchair facing hefty machinery, therefore we assume there will be some adventure, challenges or thrill. Scream 4 shows the three main characters from the previous Scream, so we instantly know the same cast will be starring, drawing in fans of the film already. The two in the background facial expressions look fearless, however the main one in the middle looks the opposite, this suggests some mystery and terror. To end with, P,S I Love You shows five characters from the movie looking quite casual but confused also. This suggests a twist in the romance.

Still image mise-en-scene analysis

Costume and make-up: We can instantly tell from the costume that he is a superhero. His armed suit makes it obvious that he is protecting himself from a battle or fight. His make up is quite dull, and he looks as though he has bruises on his face, which again reinforce the idea of some kind of fight.

Lighting and colour: The bottom half of the image is much brighter than the top half, possibly portraying a message of good vs evil, showing the villain in the background and hero (iron man) at the front. There is also a bright light on the main characters center of the body. This could be a symbol of the character being hope as he is the hero or emphasise his importance in the image. The colours used for iron man's suit are red, gold and light blue. These colours represent his importance, power and innocence. The background colours are blue, orange and pale yellow. These are quite similar but the orange fire represents danger, which is what the villains represent.

Setting and props: The image is taken outside, which has a greater effect as it allows the picture to capture even more villains from farther away. This makes the hero look even greater as he has to take on seven villains alone and gives him more of a heroic look. The UFO is used as a prop. It looks as though the villains have flown out of it. On the other hand it gives the image more of a mysterious look, as it also looks like something that has crashed and is on fire.

Actor placement and expression: Iron man is placed at the front of the image. This immediately gives him power and dominance over the other characters in the background. He looks as though he has just landed onto the ground, so the shot has been captured while completing a mission. The fact that his right hand is visible emphasises this point, as his suit is not covering his hand. His facial expression is quite determined and he looks as though he is focused and ready to complete his mission.

Nina Ricci print advert analysis

Colour: The feminine shade of pink instantly makes it clear that the advertisement and product is targeted towards females. The colour pink connotes compassion, nurturing and unconditional love.
It makes the audience feel as though the product is very gentle and subtle. The colour conveys an image of the perfume as being innocent and the female also as she is dressed in a baby pink dress with white flowers around her, connoting purity.

Framing: The female is surrounded and framed by four mirrors reflecting images in the room, including her. Also, she is holding the perfume bottle behind her as well as it being places at the tail of her dress in a larger print. Moreover, two trees are placed next to and behind her which creates quite a feminine and innocent feel as it adds white to the  image.

Composition: The image has been composed with the female on the right side of the print, using the rule of three thirds. This draws more attention to her and creates a sense of importance not only to her but the perfume bottle also, placed on the opposite (left) side of the print. All the images in the print blend well together due to the similar shades of colours.

Size:  The perfume bottle which is the actual product is not the largest image on the print, however it is placed the closest to the camera which draws attention to it. The text is small compared to the images, however the Brand name is clear and visible. The slogan on the other hand is not.

Type of shot: The overall print is a long-shot and slightly low-angle, this includes the female, trees, flowers and mirrors. Although, the actual perfume bottle shot is a straight on, close-up. This has been done to make the advertisement look empowering, encouraging women to buy it.

Subject matter:The purpose of the print advert is to promote the Nina Ricci perfume. The product has been surrounded by feminine colours and images.

Setting: The photograph has been taken indoors. It looks as though it is a bedroom with white walls, mirrors, trees and the product. The white emphasises the purity of the product. However the pink and silver adds a sense of femininity and class.

Lighting: The print is very bright and has white light added to the whole image. The background has shadows, possibly portraying an image that the female in the shot has come something negative, but is better now that she has the perfume. The mood is positive as it is promoting the product.

Pose: The female in the image is holding the perfume bottle behind her, as looks as though she is hiding it or has a secret. Her facial expression is relaxed. The pink flower like dress and wavy hair adds to the feminine touch of the image. The product appears three times on the print in a subtle way. It is clearly displayed at the front, then is shown much smaller in her hands and reflection from the mirror.

Connotations: The constant colour white connotes purity and innocence. It could have a deeper meaning that the perfume actually smells quite floral. The way the image has been presented almost makes the audience feel as though they are in a fantasy. The tress coming out of the mirrors is quite unreal.

Audience: The product is aimed at females who are teenagers and adults. The product is priced at around £30-£50, therefore would be appropriate for a middle class audience at C1/B on the social demographics.

Iphone 5c analysis

Media language- The sophisticated vocabulary used makes it obvious that the Iphone 5c is a luxury. At the beginning of the video the words used to describe the phone are 'simple, essential and capable'. This immediately appeals to the audience as it a carefully designed phone which appeals to everyone as it is made to look easy to use. The word 'essential' makes it seem as though the phone is a must have and encourages the audience to want and buy it. In addition, 'capable' seems as though the phone itself is capable of doing anything, making it stand out and differentiate from rival phone company's and make it look as though this Iphone is the best one yet. Overall, throughout the video the language used makes the phone even more desirable to the audience, again encouraging them to buy it. Another key word used is 'quality', which they ensure all their Apple products have.

Ideology- The ideology behind the Iphone 5c promotional video is to make it seem more desirable than it actually is. The design of the phone is focused on throughout the video and close-up shots are continuously used of the phone and all the different angles to it. This is to engage the audience more in to the product and portray an image that it is a simple, beautiful design and it is easy to use with no complications. Essentially, this is what any consumer of a phone is looking for, therefore Apple have purposely presented the phone in this way. Apple have also used plastic instead of glass for the first time in their Iphone, they want consumers to feel the quality of the product and make it more durable as it is less likely to break. Apple also make sure they portray an image that although the Iphone 5c is plastic and cheaper, the quality is no less than any other Apple product.

Genre- This advert is persuasive and informative. The purpose is to make consumers aware that the latest Iphone has been released and states why people should have it. The key conventions that make it obvious that the advert has been released to persuade is mainly the language used. It also shows people actually using the phone and presents the product in a positive light as they look quite happy and pleased with it, therefore consumers of the Iphone would be also.

Representation- The Iphone 5c has a modern representation. We can tell by the range of bright colours the phone is available in. It is giving a message that the new Iphone is fun and quirky. The range of coloured cases also show that Apple are not afraid to be different and try something new. The continuous white background that all Apple products use presents iconography that it is simple, clean and modern. The close-up shots of the phone really give the audience an insight of the product itself, it is presented as a carefully designed phone which is appealing to everyone. To continue, the fact that the first speaker is British, represents class. The second one is American who explains more about the technological side and functions of the phone. This presents an idea that the Iphone is worldwide and aimed at everyone, not only the UK.

Audience- The Iphone 5c is clearly aimed at an AB audience according to the social demographics. It is mainly targeted at a Chinese market as they love their bright colours and enjoy the latest technology/features and are always on trend. However, it is also targeted at people worldwide. Anyone who enjoys a luxury lifestyle, bright colours, fashion and is a trend setter would love the Iphone 5c.

Institution- Apple always without fail aim produce and offer quality products with an experience. They target a world wide audience and try to make their Iphones appeal to everyone. The Iphone 5c was released in September 2013, therefore they aim to incorporate the new Iphone into a modern society and meet current expectations and needs of a phone. This has been done in a several ways including; the design, colours, shape, materials used, functions, features and price etc.

Narrative- This promotional advert shows the Iphone 5c being used in a number of ways. Firstly, it begins with the phone itself on a plain white background, immediately creating awareness of the beauty and design of the product. It then shows the range of different colours soon later, showing what Apple have to offer. Furthermore, it continues to present the Iphone in the the manufacturing process. The intention of this is to emphasise the bespoke product and the quality of the design and materials. It also enhances the fact that the Iphone has been carefully constructed, showing that Apple take pride in their products. The manufacturing process allows the audience to engage in the product being created and almost makes it tangible, due to the vocabulary used. The video then goes on to people actually using the phone; by playing games, using facetime, new features, the 8 megapixel camera etc. The whole purpose and intention of this video is to engage the audience more than anything, and make them feel a part of the new, exciting experience.