UNIT 3
LO1: Key Features of a Moving Image Production
Title: Chicago Fire
Fiction: Fiction
Production TV Series - 24 Episodes per Season (7 seasons) across a 6 month period by NBC. Sky Living.
Platform: Broadcast, Online Streaming, DVD and Digital Download.
Devices: TVs, Games Console, PC (Laptop / Desktop), Tablet or a Smartphone.
Fiction: Fiction
Production TV Series - 24 Episodes per Season (7 seasons) across a 6 month period by NBC. Sky Living.
Platform: Broadcast, Online Streaming, DVD and Digital Download.
Devices: TVs, Games Console, PC (Laptop / Desktop), Tablet or a Smartphone.
Target Audience
The TV series is premiered by NBC who target the series at 16 year olds and above . The series is predominately aimed at males over females, simply because of the nature of the content, which focuses on action and drama. Also people who have an interest in the fire department, people who are curious about what firefighters do before going to risk their lives in a burning building. The series brings with it a lot of action and drama constantly so it can easily appeal to anybody who enjoy them forms of genre.
The TV series is premiered by NBC who target the series at 16 year olds and above . The series is predominately aimed at males over females, simply because of the nature of the content, which focuses on action and drama. Also people who have an interest in the fire department, people who are curious about what firefighters do before going to risk their lives in a burning building. The series brings with it a lot of action and drama constantly so it can easily appeal to anybody who enjoy them forms of genre.
Genre Codes & Conventions
The Codes and Conventions are very simply identified. They work together to keep the viewer interested because it can vary from just being drama based around the Firehouse or life situations, some are experiencing, to the turnout alarm sounding where they rush to a variety of Incidents in which their team working and expertise are pushed to the limits. These Incidents can be based on small Incidents such as an alarm in a high rise building. to a car crash, to a fully developed building fire where the firefighters enter under breathing apparatus to save a life. The codes and conventions would convince most that the series is Drama and Action genre of TV Series. I could only suggest Romance as a sub-genre as there is relationships between some of the shift and it shows their lives outside of the firehouse.
The Codes and Conventions are very simply identified. They work together to keep the viewer interested because it can vary from just being drama based around the Firehouse or life situations, some are experiencing, to the turnout alarm sounding where they rush to a variety of Incidents in which their team working and expertise are pushed to the limits. These Incidents can be based on small Incidents such as an alarm in a high rise building. to a car crash, to a fully developed building fire where the firefighters enter under breathing apparatus to save a life. The codes and conventions would convince most that the series is Drama and Action genre of TV Series. I could only suggest Romance as a sub-genre as there is relationships between some of the shift and it shows their lives outside of the firehouse.
Use of Stars
First of all, there is no ‘star’ of the show. The actors in Chicago Fire are not ‘massively’ famous. Some have been in other well known American TV series, and some others featured in films. This means that NBC aren’t using famous actors to promote the series. This moving-image series succeeds without the ‘use of stars’ by good marketing, it’s written well and it’s published on NBC and Primetime which in itself will get an audience.
In Chicago Fire, anybody who has watched a couple of episodes will tell you there is no star actor featured. The episodes can however vary around different members of the shift where it may focus on a issue that has affected them and it has a backlash on everything. There are actors that you could say are focused on more than others such as Matt Casey, Wallace Boden, Kelly Severide or Gabby Dawson. In my opinion, this makes the seasons more successful without the use of a star actor simply because the stories change which will keep the viewers interested. Quite often than not, the episodes will end on a cliff hanger too.
Also, Chicago Fire can be viewed on NBC, Primetime and many other platforms which will attract attention. It may also be interesting to the audience because there is a lot of upset involved with scenes which may keep the viewer keen to find out what happens next or the outcome.
Representation
The shift is built up of men and women who are all portrayed as heroes at some point on different rescue operations, fires, water rescue or even the Ambulance that is operated there where they save lives every shift. The location of the film is depicted as run-down and the local area has a few gangs which brings with it lots of unwanted attention to the paramedics and firefighters. There isn’t really a message conveyed apart from how important friends and family are. Also, it also has hidden messages used in the script, for example mental health can be cured by speaking out about your emotions.
First of all, there is no ‘star’ of the show. The actors in Chicago Fire are not ‘massively’ famous. Some have been in other well known American TV series, and some others featured in films. This means that NBC aren’t using famous actors to promote the series. This moving-image series succeeds without the ‘use of stars’ by good marketing, it’s written well and it’s published on NBC and Primetime which in itself will get an audience.
In Chicago Fire, anybody who has watched a couple of episodes will tell you there is no star actor featured. The episodes can however vary around different members of the shift where it may focus on a issue that has affected them and it has a backlash on everything. There are actors that you could say are focused on more than others such as Matt Casey, Wallace Boden, Kelly Severide or Gabby Dawson. In my opinion, this makes the seasons more successful without the use of a star actor simply because the stories change which will keep the viewers interested. Quite often than not, the episodes will end on a cliff hanger too.
Also, Chicago Fire can be viewed on NBC, Primetime and many other platforms which will attract attention. It may also be interesting to the audience because there is a lot of upset involved with scenes which may keep the viewer keen to find out what happens next or the outcome.
Representation
The shift is built up of men and women who are all portrayed as heroes at some point on different rescue operations, fires, water rescue or even the Ambulance that is operated there where they save lives every shift. The location of the film is depicted as run-down and the local area has a few gangs which brings with it lots of unwanted attention to the paramedics and firefighters. There isn’t really a message conveyed apart from how important friends and family are. Also, it also has hidden messages used in the script, for example mental health can be cured by speaking out about your emotions.
Style
The film not based on a comic or book, therefore it is not intertextual. The style of Chicago Fire is both bright and dark, where the mood can easily escalate to take a dark turn, for example: The companies get a shout to a building fire where on arrival, the flames and smoke is visible and a firefighter dies inside trying to tackle it. The camera work is mostly used on a dolly. However, sometimes when they go to fires or accidents it will switch to hand held which adds a good effect because it seems more realistic and as if you are actually there. There isn’t really a soundtrack, apart from sometimes when dramatic moments happen involving action, they have a track which I’ve heard before which is a slow simple bass track.
Themes & Subtext
The theme within Chicago Fire is mainly focused around the whole fact of fire is dangerous and drink or drug driving effects more than just yourself. It has many of themes such as drugs are bad for you, friendship is a vital in order to keep mentally stable, mental health is something that is more common and you can be helped if you speak out.
The subtext within the film varies throughout the episodes, due to it being a TV series and not a film. The subtext is usually quite noticeable in each episode. For example - in Season 5, Episode 6, there is a large fire at a warehouse. The crew from Firehouse 51 arrive to hear voices so they go inside to find nobody. On their way back out, they get cut off in every access way out. Four of the crew are trapped inside where they radio back out in belief that they’ll die within minutes and passing on last messages to loved ones. However, the crews on the outside manage to break in after the chief allows them to, the crews trapped inside are rescued and it finished the season on the point where they were trapped. In this specific episode, and a few more, the subtext is how sudden and eventful a day can become, how easily life can be taken and how much a person can regret and remorse their actions. As previously stated, it is a TV series so it changes between episodes whereas if it had been a film, it would tend to have one consistent subtext.
The film not based on a comic or book, therefore it is not intertextual. The style of Chicago Fire is both bright and dark, where the mood can easily escalate to take a dark turn, for example: The companies get a shout to a building fire where on arrival, the flames and smoke is visible and a firefighter dies inside trying to tackle it. The camera work is mostly used on a dolly. However, sometimes when they go to fires or accidents it will switch to hand held which adds a good effect because it seems more realistic and as if you are actually there. There isn’t really a soundtrack, apart from sometimes when dramatic moments happen involving action, they have a track which I’ve heard before which is a slow simple bass track.
Themes & Subtext
The theme within Chicago Fire is mainly focused around the whole fact of fire is dangerous and drink or drug driving effects more than just yourself. It has many of themes such as drugs are bad for you, friendship is a vital in order to keep mentally stable, mental health is something that is more common and you can be helped if you speak out.
The subtext within the film varies throughout the episodes, due to it being a TV series and not a film. The subtext is usually quite noticeable in each episode. For example - in Season 5, Episode 6, there is a large fire at a warehouse. The crew from Firehouse 51 arrive to hear voices so they go inside to find nobody. On their way back out, they get cut off in every access way out. Four of the crew are trapped inside where they radio back out in belief that they’ll die within minutes and passing on last messages to loved ones. However, the crews on the outside manage to break in after the chief allows them to, the crews trapped inside are rescued and it finished the season on the point where they were trapped. In this specific episode, and a few more, the subtext is how sudden and eventful a day can become, how easily life can be taken and how much a person can regret and remorse their actions. As previously stated, it is a TV series so it changes between episodes whereas if it had been a film, it would tend to have one consistent subtext.
LO1: Key Features of a Promotional Product
Title: An Investigation into the Key Features of a Promotional Product
Promotion: The Martian Film Trailer
Production Type: Film
Duration: 3 minutes
Platforms: Netflix, NOW TV, YouTube, etc.
Devices: Smartphones, Laptop, Desktop, Smart TVs, etc.
Promotion: The Martian Film Trailer
Production Type: Film
Duration: 3 minutes
Platforms: Netflix, NOW TV, YouTube, etc.
Devices: Smartphones, Laptop, Desktop, Smart TVs, etc.
Target Audience
What is the certification? = BBFC state that the Martian is a 12A rating. Who do you think is the film aimed at? Give reasons? The film is aimed at a wide age range. The film will appeal to sci-fi fans, action movies fans and obviously fans of Matt Damon. Also, RIdley Scott, the Director himself has great reputation for well recognised films. This means that he may have his own fans that want to see the film because of his role within the production. In your opinion, who do you think the Primary Audience is? In my opinion, the primary / target audience is Males in a varied in the 18-49 demo because of the action and sci-fi seen in the film that may not appeal to females. In your opinion, who do you think the secondary audience is? Females who may have an interest in sci-fi and also watching in groups of friends.
What is the certification? = BBFC state that the Martian is a 12A rating. Who do you think is the film aimed at? Give reasons? The film is aimed at a wide age range. The film will appeal to sci-fi fans, action movies fans and obviously fans of Matt Damon. Also, RIdley Scott, the Director himself has great reputation for well recognised films. This means that he may have his own fans that want to see the film because of his role within the production. In your opinion, who do you think the Primary Audience is? In my opinion, the primary / target audience is Males in a varied in the 18-49 demo because of the action and sci-fi seen in the film that may not appeal to females. In your opinion, who do you think the secondary audience is? Females who may have an interest in sci-fi and also watching in groups of friends.
Types of Promotional Product
What type of Promotional Production is it? Film Promotion. Does it sell the product by endorsement? By telling a story? By demonstrating a product? by solving a problem for you? By making you want to see more? Yes, it makes the viewer want to see more of the film. However, they have got to try not to give too much away so that the viewer is on edge. The trailer shows Matt Damon walking on Mars and it makes the viewer think Is he going to get home? Will he get back home? Or, will he survive the harsh conditions. How does it do this, and why does it do this? They have created an inspiring and emotional trailer that shows the highs and lows of his journey where he is excited to go but then things take a drastic turn for the worse. Also, as like most trailers they left it with a cliffhanger which keeps the potential viewer of the film interested and intrigued. Is the advert / trailer intended to inspire you, in some way. Yes, of course it is! If it wasn’t intended to inspire then I don’t see any point in somebody cutting and placing short clips from the film to promote awareness and create more revenue for the film. another way you can put this, is it is a publicity stunt to gain more views and interest. I personally, felt inspired after watching the trailer of ‘The Martian’ for the first time, I felt an urge to go and see it mainly because of the cliffhanger it was left on. Does the advert / trailer motivate you to do something? Yes, In my personal experience I felt motivated to go and watch the movie in some form as I never heard of it before. I suppose it could also motivate people to take up astronomy as an interest or even for some… a career, if they’re good enough. Does it play on your sympathies? Does it make you feel guilty? Again, does it do these things and why?
What type of Promotional Production is it? Film Promotion. Does it sell the product by endorsement? By telling a story? By demonstrating a product? by solving a problem for you? By making you want to see more? Yes, it makes the viewer want to see more of the film. However, they have got to try not to give too much away so that the viewer is on edge. The trailer shows Matt Damon walking on Mars and it makes the viewer think Is he going to get home? Will he get back home? Or, will he survive the harsh conditions. How does it do this, and why does it do this? They have created an inspiring and emotional trailer that shows the highs and lows of his journey where he is excited to go but then things take a drastic turn for the worse. Also, as like most trailers they left it with a cliffhanger which keeps the potential viewer of the film interested and intrigued. Is the advert / trailer intended to inspire you, in some way. Yes, of course it is! If it wasn’t intended to inspire then I don’t see any point in somebody cutting and placing short clips from the film to promote awareness and create more revenue for the film. another way you can put this, is it is a publicity stunt to gain more views and interest. I personally, felt inspired after watching the trailer of ‘The Martian’ for the first time, I felt an urge to go and see it mainly because of the cliffhanger it was left on. Does the advert / trailer motivate you to do something? Yes, In my personal experience I felt motivated to go and watch the movie in some form as I never heard of it before. I suppose it could also motivate people to take up astronomy as an interest or even for some… a career, if they’re good enough. Does it play on your sympathies? Does it make you feel guilty? Again, does it do these things and why?
Persuasive Techniques
How does the trailer get you interested? It uses: Action, Slogans, Music, Repetition. The trailer uses a variety of persuasive techniques. First of all, the trailer uses Action to grab the viewer's interest. This is easily approached by using a good amount of the clips because the films includes lots of action. The trailer also uses slogans to attract the viewer's interest in the movie. Secondly, the trailer uses a few text pop ups. One of which simply says “Matt Damon”. This is a very simple yet an advantage used by mentioning his name because Matt is an a-list star that will attract an audience in himself because of his previous films and reputation. He has been featured and ‘the main star’ in many other well recognised famous films such as the four Jason Bourne films, We Bought a Zoo and Saving Private Ryan. They also use another name, Ridley Scott, the Director. Ridley is a very famous director from starting off as early as the 1970s. Just the same as Matt Damon, he will attract his own audience. His great reputation will also be known to a number of people, which should hopefully convince more people to go and see the film. Thirdly, Music… the music used in the trailer I would personally say it is ‘catchy’. Music has always been known as a key feature for a film or trailer because although you may not always notice it. You will notice it if it is exceptionally awful. The music will not necessarily attract more of an audience part from the fact that it will make the trailer a lot better. The music they use will also be intended to create mixed emotions. Lastly, repetition. Repetition is used in certain scenes to make the viewer remember specific words, often to create a sympathetic effect. The main focus of repetition is the constant reminder that he is stranded on Mars by himself, 40,000,000 miles away.
How does the trailer get you interested? It uses: Action, Slogans, Music, Repetition. The trailer uses a variety of persuasive techniques. First of all, the trailer uses Action to grab the viewer's interest. This is easily approached by using a good amount of the clips because the films includes lots of action. The trailer also uses slogans to attract the viewer's interest in the movie. Secondly, the trailer uses a few text pop ups. One of which simply says “Matt Damon”. This is a very simple yet an advantage used by mentioning his name because Matt is an a-list star that will attract an audience in himself because of his previous films and reputation. He has been featured and ‘the main star’ in many other well recognised famous films such as the four Jason Bourne films, We Bought a Zoo and Saving Private Ryan. They also use another name, Ridley Scott, the Director. Ridley is a very famous director from starting off as early as the 1970s. Just the same as Matt Damon, he will attract his own audience. His great reputation will also be known to a number of people, which should hopefully convince more people to go and see the film. Thirdly, Music… the music used in the trailer I would personally say it is ‘catchy’. Music has always been known as a key feature for a film or trailer because although you may not always notice it. You will notice it if it is exceptionally awful. The music will not necessarily attract more of an audience part from the fact that it will make the trailer a lot better. The music they use will also be intended to create mixed emotions. Lastly, repetition. Repetition is used in certain scenes to make the viewer remember specific words, often to create a sympathetic effect. The main focus of repetition is the constant reminder that he is stranded on Mars by himself, 40,000,000 miles away.
Modes of Address
How does the production address itself to you? (Who does Matt Damon’s character talk to? In some scenes, Matt Damon is speaking to NASA although the way it is portrayed is as if he speaking to you (the audience) through the portrayal of a 'vlog'. This is a good effect because it gives the audience a sense of interaction and involvement with the story. It will also create sympathy for Matt’s character when they mention “Home is only 40 million miles away”.
Is it personal? I’d say yes, it is personal because as mentioned in the previous question certain scenes he is speaking to a camera but the shot is displayed as what the camera sees. This gives the viewers the impression of interaction with the story, as if he is speaking to you, as an individual.
Why does the production use this method to sell the product? They use this method to make the viewers of the trailer feel connected with the film and hopefully want to go and see it.
How does the production address itself to you? (Who does Matt Damon’s character talk to? In some scenes, Matt Damon is speaking to NASA although the way it is portrayed is as if he speaking to you (the audience) through the portrayal of a 'vlog'. This is a good effect because it gives the audience a sense of interaction and involvement with the story. It will also create sympathy for Matt’s character when they mention “Home is only 40 million miles away”.
Is it personal? I’d say yes, it is personal because as mentioned in the previous question certain scenes he is speaking to a camera but the shot is displayed as what the camera sees. This gives the viewers the impression of interaction with the story, as if he is speaking to you, as an individual.
Why does the production use this method to sell the product? They use this method to make the viewers of the trailer feel connected with the film and hopefully want to go and see it.
Messages and Values
What are the messages being conveyed in this trailer? There are a few messages conveyed in the trailer to add good effect such as “never give up getting home”. This shows determination and consistency within Matt’s character to get to space as a childhood dream to getting back home because of a failed mission that is proven to be difficult. There is also another message which says “Science is the key to survival”. This creates concern for his welfare. This is also a great advert for science. Matt is put across as a funny character, this is because in the trailer he is humorous, making funny references, and cracking jokes when he is speaking to NASA. This I think maybe the characters technique of coping with a situation.
What are the messages being conveyed in this trailer? There are a few messages conveyed in the trailer to add good effect such as “never give up getting home”. This shows determination and consistency within Matt’s character to get to space as a childhood dream to getting back home because of a failed mission that is proven to be difficult. There is also another message which says “Science is the key to survival”. This creates concern for his welfare. This is also a great advert for science. Matt is put across as a funny character, this is because in the trailer he is humorous, making funny references, and cracking jokes when he is speaking to NASA. This I think maybe the characters technique of coping with a situation.
Creating a Buzz
How does the production create a ‘buzz’?
The film creates a ‘buzz’ and makes it attractive to a varied audience by showcasing a lot of action, comedy, drama and the trailer has exceeded in building up suspense. Also, the music becomes very dramatic when the action kicks in which attracts the interest of the viewer as this will support the build up of suspense. Another point is the fact that the film features Matt Damon, an A-list actor, and Ridley Scott, an A-list Director. The simple mention of their names and making it obvious that these two are in the film will hopefully create a buzz to the viewer of the trailer, this is evident by the text pop-ups where it mentions their names and also Matt being the main focus of the film.
How does the production create a ‘buzz’?
The film creates a ‘buzz’ and makes it attractive to a varied audience by showcasing a lot of action, comedy, drama and the trailer has exceeded in building up suspense. Also, the music becomes very dramatic when the action kicks in which attracts the interest of the viewer as this will support the build up of suspense. Another point is the fact that the film features Matt Damon, an A-list actor, and Ridley Scott, an A-list Director. The simple mention of their names and making it obvious that these two are in the film will hopefully create a buzz to the viewer of the trailer, this is evident by the text pop-ups where it mentions their names and also Matt being the main focus of the film.
Information
Information is simply Matt Damon, the main star of the film and a well reputable A-list actor, Ridley Scott, a famous Tagline "Help is only 40 million miles away from home", when the film is released, another tagline reminding us he is stranded on Mars.
Information is simply Matt Damon, the main star of the film and a well reputable A-list actor, Ridley Scott, a famous Tagline "Help is only 40 million miles away from home", when the film is released, another tagline reminding us he is stranded on Mars.
LO1: Key Features of a Documentary
Target Audience
Certification
Exempt I think the age range is everyone who has an interest in football. The Primary Audience is football fans because the documentary is based upon a famous football player, so mostly males, and the Secondary Audience is football players, females and anyone who is interested in him specifically (not necessarily football) because of his career, childhood etc. The documentary is most evidently aimed at males because of football fans mostly being males, however Coleen Rooney is also featured where she talks about her life and the fame, so females may watch the documentary for her participation and their interest towards her as she's famous for not only being his wife but a TV star
Certification
Exempt I think the age range is everyone who has an interest in football. The Primary Audience is football fans because the documentary is based upon a famous football player, so mostly males, and the Secondary Audience is football players, females and anyone who is interested in him specifically (not necessarily football) because of his career, childhood etc. The documentary is most evidently aimed at males because of football fans mostly being males, however Coleen Rooney is also featured where she talks about her life and the fame, so females may watch the documentary for her participation and their interest towards her as she's famous for not only being his wife but a TV star
What do you think the purpose of this documentary?
I think the purpose of the documentary is to inform people of Rooney’s career and childhood as a biography. The purpose is also made to make people like him because he is about to break the record of “Most goals scored by an England player”. This is because Rooney's portrayal as a very shy character and an aggressive arrogant footballer, and the documentary was made to show him as the ‘normal’ person he is and the reasoning for his move to Manchester United. The documentary shows Rooney as this light-hearted, family man, in positive bright light throughout. It also is said to of been to earn him more respect prior to breaking the record. The documentary is to show a different portrayal of Wayne Rooney off the pitch than what he is known for on the pitch, mainly because he wasn't very popular for what he came across as to the rest of the world in football.
I think the purpose of the documentary is to inform people of Rooney’s career and childhood as a biography. The purpose is also made to make people like him because he is about to break the record of “Most goals scored by an England player”. This is because Rooney's portrayal as a very shy character and an aggressive arrogant footballer, and the documentary was made to show him as the ‘normal’ person he is and the reasoning for his move to Manchester United. The documentary shows Rooney as this light-hearted, family man, in positive bright light throughout. It also is said to of been to earn him more respect prior to breaking the record. The documentary is to show a different portrayal of Wayne Rooney off the pitch than what he is known for on the pitch, mainly because he wasn't very popular for what he came across as to the rest of the world in football.
Observational
Rooney was observed in the documentary as the type of filming was focused around POV (Point-of-View) shots, such as the static camera in the passenger seat of his Range Rover. This was in a fixed position with no cameraman so when he was speaking to the directly speaking and looking at the camera, this was a technique used to build up interaction with the audience and emotional connection. The interviews were ‘off the cuff’ and not scripted. They were also all filmed hand-held. This makes it a very natural documentary and portrays the Rooney family as what they are by simply filming what they do and what they want to say about themselves. I think these techniques were used to make the documentary portray the Rooney family as realistic and natural as possible.
Rooney was observed in the documentary as the type of filming was focused around POV (Point-of-View) shots, such as the static camera in the passenger seat of his Range Rover. This was in a fixed position with no cameraman so when he was speaking to the directly speaking and looking at the camera, this was a technique used to build up interaction with the audience and emotional connection. The interviews were ‘off the cuff’ and not scripted. They were also all filmed hand-held. This makes it a very natural documentary and portrays the Rooney family as what they are by simply filming what they do and what they want to say about themselves. I think these techniques were used to make the documentary portray the Rooney family as realistic and natural as possible.
Reconstruction
It is not apparent that there is any reconstruction throughout the Rooney documentary. They also use a lot of archived footage throughout the documentary to show how good is he is. Most show Rooney scoring goals in positive light, with the exception of a clip where he stomps on another player (Ricardo Carvalho) in the World Cup in 2006.
It is not apparent that there is any reconstruction throughout the Rooney documentary. They also use a lot of archived footage throughout the documentary to show how good is he is. Most show Rooney scoring goals in positive light, with the exception of a clip where he stomps on another player (Ricardo Carvalho) in the World Cup in 2006.
Interviews
One type of interview used in this documentary is where Rooney and Coleen are speaking directly to the camera about them, also when Rooney is sat down with Gary Lineker. Gary Lineker interviews Rooney because they both like each other, so Rooney will be relaxed, Gary is friends with Wayne so he isn’t going to ask him any controversial questions that may upset or portray a bad image of Rooney to the viewer. Also the camera techniques used to document the interview are There are no evident cuts between the interviewer and the interviewee and the clips switch between the two cameras used, they use over the shoulder shots and wide shots.
One type of interview used in this documentary is where Rooney and Coleen are speaking directly to the camera about them, also when Rooney is sat down with Gary Lineker. Gary Lineker interviews Rooney because they both like each other, so Rooney will be relaxed, Gary is friends with Wayne so he isn’t going to ask him any controversial questions that may upset or portray a bad image of Rooney to the viewer. Also the camera techniques used to document the interview are There are no evident cuts between the interviewer and the interviewee and the clips switch between the two cameras used, they use over the shoulder shots and wide shots.
Local or National Issues
The issues covered in the documentary are of both interest, locally and nationally. The issues are of local interest to Liverpool because he is from Liverpool and originally played for Everton FC. This makes him of interest to scousers simply because of the fact that he is from Liverpool and is now a star player. He is also of national interest because he moved from Everton to Manchester United, he played in the Premier League and most importantly played for England. This made him a well-recognised player across the country. The fact that he played for England, and eventually became the team captain, also shows that he can be of International interest because of the World Cup.
The issues covered in the documentary are of both interest, locally and nationally. The issues are of local interest to Liverpool because he is from Liverpool and originally played for Everton FC. This makes him of interest to scousers simply because of the fact that he is from Liverpool and is now a star player. He is also of national interest because he moved from Everton to Manchester United, he played in the Premier League and most importantly played for England. This made him a well-recognised player across the country. The fact that he played for England, and eventually became the team captain, also shows that he can be of International interest because of the World Cup.
Mode of Address
Wayne often speaks directly to the camera during the documentary. This helps as it gives interaction with the audience and a sense of personality. Gary Lineker presents and narrates the documentary because he is the famous face of British football and also because he is a friend and supporter of Rooney, therefore Rooney will be open and relaxed whilst in his presence and the interviews won’t seem harsh or awkward.
Wayne often speaks directly to the camera during the documentary. This helps as it gives interaction with the audience and a sense of personality. Gary Lineker presents and narrates the documentary because he is the famous face of British football and also because he is a friend and supporter of Rooney, therefore Rooney will be open and relaxed whilst in his presence and the interviews won’t seem harsh or awkward.
Realism
The documentary is presented realistically by the hand-held shots and the obvious bare minimal unscripted interviews. This presents Rooney in a relaxed manner and a true insight to the real Wayne Rooney and not how he is put across on the match interviews. The majority of the interviews are filmed around Rooney Manor and around Croxteth in Liverpool, the place where Rooney grew up.
The documentary is presented realistically by the hand-held shots and the obvious bare minimal unscripted interviews. This presents Rooney in a relaxed manner and a true insight to the real Wayne Rooney and not how he is put across on the match interviews. The majority of the interviews are filmed around Rooney Manor and around Croxteth in Liverpool, the place where Rooney grew up.
Objective or Subjective
The Rooney documentary is subjective, this is because it only focuses on the positive side of his career. This includes breaking the record, his family and his career and general. The documentary doesn’t cover the negative side of Rooney such as his fall out with Sir Alex Ferguson, his numerous Incidents on the pitch with other players, such as him stomping on a Portuguese player. This shows anyone who analyses the documentary that it was produced to show the best of Wayne Rooney and convince people that he is a really good person.
The Rooney documentary is subjective, this is because it only focuses on the positive side of his career. This includes breaking the record, his family and his career and general. The documentary doesn’t cover the negative side of Rooney such as his fall out with Sir Alex Ferguson, his numerous Incidents on the pitch with other players, such as him stomping on a Portuguese player. This shows anyone who analyses the documentary that it was produced to show the best of Wayne Rooney and convince people that he is a really good person.
LO2: Understanding the Technical Construction of a Digital Moving Image Production
Film Title: A Bug’s Life
Clip / Segment: The Offering Scene
Task: You are going to analyse how film language is used in this clip to give meaning to the audience.
You only need to watch the first 60 seconds between 0.40-1.45.
Mis-en-scene
The Mis-en-scene is based around the setting of the clip, the appearance / personality of the characters, colour and light used in the clips. Mis-en-scene will also look at body language, facial expressions and movement. The clip starts outside of the ant hill where it's a bright sunny day and majority of the ants are outside collecting food for when the grasshoppers arrive to present to them in exchange for security. The purpose of this shot, captured in the form of a wide shot is to establish the setting of the ant hill and the surroundings.
The created environment tells us, as the viewer, that the ants live underground in the dark, isolated from the surface above until the Grasshoppers come and attack their home. When Princess Atta says “They come, they eat, they leave” many times, this shows her anticipating and realising what is about to happen. Her eyes are massive too and she’s whispering, almost as if she doesn’t want to be heard. Also, her words tell us that they get bullied by the grasshoppers. When Flik arrives he is very paranoid, anxious, concerned because he lost all the food for him and the others. This is evident because he runs around, and is throwing his arms about everywhere. Also, we can infer he is worried by his tone of voice and the conversation with Princess Atta is very fast-paced and abrupt.
Clip / Segment: The Offering Scene
Task: You are going to analyse how film language is used in this clip to give meaning to the audience.
You only need to watch the first 60 seconds between 0.40-1.45.
Mis-en-scene
The Mis-en-scene is based around the setting of the clip, the appearance / personality of the characters, colour and light used in the clips. Mis-en-scene will also look at body language, facial expressions and movement. The clip starts outside of the ant hill where it's a bright sunny day and majority of the ants are outside collecting food for when the grasshoppers arrive to present to them in exchange for security. The purpose of this shot, captured in the form of a wide shot is to establish the setting of the ant hill and the surroundings.
The created environment tells us, as the viewer, that the ants live underground in the dark, isolated from the surface above until the Grasshoppers come and attack their home. When Princess Atta says “They come, they eat, they leave” many times, this shows her anticipating and realising what is about to happen. Her eyes are massive too and she’s whispering, almost as if she doesn’t want to be heard. Also, her words tell us that they get bullied by the grasshoppers. When Flik arrives he is very paranoid, anxious, concerned because he lost all the food for him and the others. This is evident because he runs around, and is throwing his arms about everywhere. Also, we can infer he is worried by his tone of voice and the conversation with Princess Atta is very fast-paced and abrupt.
When we first hear Hopper’s voice, the frame simply shows us a darkened stone ceiling, this is to portray the darkness as ‘the unknown’ because all they’re relying on for a relevance to what it is the noise they can hear. his a technique used to create tension because of ’the unknown’. The ceiling simply reflects the fear of invasion from the grasshoppers by hearing faint voices and thuds on the surface. This will increase the tension and create fear amongst the ants.
The ants body language is very evident that they are scared and in a state of panic, this is because of the part where they are all stood together inside the anthill and they are looking up to the top with big eyes and are very still and quiet. However, once the grasshoppers jump down into the anthill the body language develops rapidly tense fearful shear panic protect themselves, facial expressions.
When the grasshoppers foot comes through the ceiling it becomes very evident that they’re about to be invaded and a sudden reaction of panic occurs from the ants. The immediate impact for the viewer is concern as for the welfare of the ants and a sudden burst of action. We see that all the grasshoppers are twice as big as the ants, this creates the impression of the ants have now been dominated and that they don’t stand a chance against the grasshoppers. From just looking at Hopper, we can tell he represents an evil-based character by the sound of when he hits the floor, and the low shot which emphasises the size of the grasshoppers in general in comparison to the ants. Also, next when he bends over and looks down at the three ants with huge eyes creates an intimidating effect.
The ants body language is very evident that they are scared and in a state of panic, this is because of the part where they are all stood together inside the anthill and they are looking up to the top with big eyes and are very still and quiet. However, once the grasshoppers jump down into the anthill the body language develops rapidly tense fearful shear panic protect themselves, facial expressions.
When the grasshoppers foot comes through the ceiling it becomes very evident that they’re about to be invaded and a sudden reaction of panic occurs from the ants. The immediate impact for the viewer is concern as for the welfare of the ants and a sudden burst of action. We see that all the grasshoppers are twice as big as the ants, this creates the impression of the ants have now been dominated and that they don’t stand a chance against the grasshoppers. From just looking at Hopper, we can tell he represents an evil-based character by the sound of when he hits the floor, and the low shot which emphasises the size of the grasshoppers in general in comparison to the ants. Also, next when he bends over and looks down at the three ants with huge eyes creates an intimidating effect.
Sound
Diegetic sound is sound recorded directly from the camera, this will include dialogue and natural sound from the environment in which the clip was taken. This means diegetic sound is the sound that isn’t added during the editing stage. The diegetic sound we can hear in the clip is the voices of the ants and grasshoppers, as well as the objects we can see and hear. Non-diegetic sound is sound which is added for dramatic effect or what is known as ‘mood music’. This is added to the clips during the editing stage, for example the grasshoppers intimidating laugh when they first jump down into the anthill. Another example of this shown in the clip, is the loud humming noise heard when Flik is trying to speak to Princess Atta, this will be to create tension until it ceases and the audience hears the grasshoppers speaking above the surface.
The sound in the first frame,it sounds like a drone (humming) and it doesn’t sound friendly, showing the grasshoppers approaching, tells us that they are a threat because of the loud thuds and humming noise. This portrays the grasshoppers as much bigger, much older and strong which is a threat to the small, weak and peaceful ants. The sound lowers when we first see the ants to simply build up the tension for the viewer with them questioning “what happens next?”. The noise echoes in the anthill to emphasise the silence and creates the effect of curiosity as to why it so quiet with so many ants and what happens next. The silence of the ants presents them as peaceful bugs and also the sense of danger as to why they are being so quiet, almost as if they are not wanting to be heard by anyone or anything.
Flik’s voice is very high-pitched, this tells us that his character is rather young and maybe a bit careless or immature where as Hopper’s voice is very deep and much louder than Flik’s. This is to show that Hopper is much older than Flik, muchy bigger than Flik and very stubborn. The first diegetic sound we hear in the clip is Flik’s paranoid voice trying to make contact with Princess Atta, it starts at this point to show that Flik knows what is about to happen but because Princess Atta is so worried she isn’t concentrating at all on Flik speaking. The effect of the music is to build up tension, create the atmosphere in the anthill, focus on the emotional side of the ants and also enhance the dramatic portrayal of events.
Diegetic sound is sound recorded directly from the camera, this will include dialogue and natural sound from the environment in which the clip was taken. This means diegetic sound is the sound that isn’t added during the editing stage. The diegetic sound we can hear in the clip is the voices of the ants and grasshoppers, as well as the objects we can see and hear. Non-diegetic sound is sound which is added for dramatic effect or what is known as ‘mood music’. This is added to the clips during the editing stage, for example the grasshoppers intimidating laugh when they first jump down into the anthill. Another example of this shown in the clip, is the loud humming noise heard when Flik is trying to speak to Princess Atta, this will be to create tension until it ceases and the audience hears the grasshoppers speaking above the surface.
The sound in the first frame,it sounds like a drone (humming) and it doesn’t sound friendly, showing the grasshoppers approaching, tells us that they are a threat because of the loud thuds and humming noise. This portrays the grasshoppers as much bigger, much older and strong which is a threat to the small, weak and peaceful ants. The sound lowers when we first see the ants to simply build up the tension for the viewer with them questioning “what happens next?”. The noise echoes in the anthill to emphasise the silence and creates the effect of curiosity as to why it so quiet with so many ants and what happens next. The silence of the ants presents them as peaceful bugs and also the sense of danger as to why they are being so quiet, almost as if they are not wanting to be heard by anyone or anything.
Flik’s voice is very high-pitched, this tells us that his character is rather young and maybe a bit careless or immature where as Hopper’s voice is very deep and much louder than Flik’s. This is to show that Hopper is much older than Flik, muchy bigger than Flik and very stubborn. The first diegetic sound we hear in the clip is Flik’s paranoid voice trying to make contact with Princess Atta, it starts at this point to show that Flik knows what is about to happen but because Princess Atta is so worried she isn’t concentrating at all on Flik speaking. The effect of the music is to build up tension, create the atmosphere in the anthill, focus on the emotional side of the ants and also enhance the dramatic portrayal of events.
Camerawork / Cinematography
The point of the first shot, shows us the anthill to make the audience aware of the location, this is known as an establishing shot.‘The Offering’ scene, is to show us how much fear is present within all the ants. This will create the tension as the audience will want to know why they are so fearful. When Princess Atta is repeating the words “They come, they eat, they leave…”, the camera slowly zooms in on her to emphasise what she is saying (to make the viewer curious), her facial emotions and the fear which is evident by how her eyes are big and fixed on the ceiling, as if she is expecting a sudden invasion. The camera slowly pans across the interior of the anthill to show how many ants there are and how silent it is. This is to create the effect of concern and suspicion as to why they are so fearful. The extreme wide shot captures all of the ants with huge eyes, all gazed on the ceiling, this creates the fear amongst the atmosphere.
The purpose of the low-angle shot, when Hopper looks down, is to present Hopper to us as very tall and large in size in comparison to the ants. The low-angle shot also shows that they are bullies and menacing. This allows the viewer to infer that the ants do not stand a chance against the grasshoppers. We also see a point of view (POV) shot from the ants as they look up at Hopper. Hopper is also shrouded in light and is far bigger in size in comparison to the rest of the grasshoppers, we can infer from this that Hopper is the leader of the grasshoppers. This is to create the same effect as to him looking down, to present him as this large character who is evil and strong. The purpose of the slow tilt upwards is because if it was too fast then the tension would not build up. This is something the cinematographers aim to avoid, otherwise it may threaten the reputation of the film as people would lose interest.
Editing
Firstly, the clip begins with the establishing shot, at this point it's rather slow paced as it visualises the ants and the anthill as very small and innocent as they proceed about their collecting the food. There is a variety of different shots used, including wide shots, mid shots and close ups, which are cut at a normal pace.
The next segment of the clip consists of the grasshoppers approaching the anthill, this is where the shadows gradually become bigger and the pace becomes very slow with less frequent cuts. This is where the ants are looking up at the ceiling of anthill and the camera is focused on their facial expressions and silence, this presents the fear and worry within them through the use of close up shots on their faces, as well as mid shots to show a larger number collectively fearful and worried. The emphasis on their facial expressions is also to create a sense of sympathy from the audience on the ants. The emphasis includes the close up shots on their facial expressions and the shot lingering on their faces for a long amount of time (slow-paced). The main focus of this clip is the fear of the grasshoppers above the ceiling, the clips are edited and cut away to show the ceiling and that their worry is above the ceiling. This is to create dramatic effect on the audience.
The next clip show features Hopper and the rest of the grasshoppers entering the anthill via jumping down from the ceiling. The pace suddenly quickens dramatically when they attack, the cuts become more frequent and there is a lot of chaos and loud noises involved. inside the anthill and this clip features the conversation between Princess Atta and Hopper. The conversation fraction of the clip is very slow paced and the cuts are at minimal. The shots then start to focus on the grasshoppers face / size to show their features in contrast to the ants who are significantly smaller and innocent.
After this, the clip begins to become fast-paced to present the chaotic atmosphere as the grasshoppers attack. We can also evidently see the grasshoppers enjoying scaring the ants through their facial expressions in comparison to the ants being the complete opposite. The final shot is a low-height shot of Hopper to show the sheer size of him, Hopper is substantially larger than the other Grasshoppers. This can be used to signify that he is the leader.
The point of the first shot, shows us the anthill to make the audience aware of the location, this is known as an establishing shot.‘The Offering’ scene, is to show us how much fear is present within all the ants. This will create the tension as the audience will want to know why they are so fearful. When Princess Atta is repeating the words “They come, they eat, they leave…”, the camera slowly zooms in on her to emphasise what she is saying (to make the viewer curious), her facial emotions and the fear which is evident by how her eyes are big and fixed on the ceiling, as if she is expecting a sudden invasion. The camera slowly pans across the interior of the anthill to show how many ants there are and how silent it is. This is to create the effect of concern and suspicion as to why they are so fearful. The extreme wide shot captures all of the ants with huge eyes, all gazed on the ceiling, this creates the fear amongst the atmosphere.
The purpose of the low-angle shot, when Hopper looks down, is to present Hopper to us as very tall and large in size in comparison to the ants. The low-angle shot also shows that they are bullies and menacing. This allows the viewer to infer that the ants do not stand a chance against the grasshoppers. We also see a point of view (POV) shot from the ants as they look up at Hopper. Hopper is also shrouded in light and is far bigger in size in comparison to the rest of the grasshoppers, we can infer from this that Hopper is the leader of the grasshoppers. This is to create the same effect as to him looking down, to present him as this large character who is evil and strong. The purpose of the slow tilt upwards is because if it was too fast then the tension would not build up. This is something the cinematographers aim to avoid, otherwise it may threaten the reputation of the film as people would lose interest.
Editing
Firstly, the clip begins with the establishing shot, at this point it's rather slow paced as it visualises the ants and the anthill as very small and innocent as they proceed about their collecting the food. There is a variety of different shots used, including wide shots, mid shots and close ups, which are cut at a normal pace.
The next segment of the clip consists of the grasshoppers approaching the anthill, this is where the shadows gradually become bigger and the pace becomes very slow with less frequent cuts. This is where the ants are looking up at the ceiling of anthill and the camera is focused on their facial expressions and silence, this presents the fear and worry within them through the use of close up shots on their faces, as well as mid shots to show a larger number collectively fearful and worried. The emphasis on their facial expressions is also to create a sense of sympathy from the audience on the ants. The emphasis includes the close up shots on their facial expressions and the shot lingering on their faces for a long amount of time (slow-paced). The main focus of this clip is the fear of the grasshoppers above the ceiling, the clips are edited and cut away to show the ceiling and that their worry is above the ceiling. This is to create dramatic effect on the audience.
The next clip show features Hopper and the rest of the grasshoppers entering the anthill via jumping down from the ceiling. The pace suddenly quickens dramatically when they attack, the cuts become more frequent and there is a lot of chaos and loud noises involved. inside the anthill and this clip features the conversation between Princess Atta and Hopper. The conversation fraction of the clip is very slow paced and the cuts are at minimal. The shots then start to focus on the grasshoppers face / size to show their features in contrast to the ants who are significantly smaller and innocent.
After this, the clip begins to become fast-paced to present the chaotic atmosphere as the grasshoppers attack. We can also evidently see the grasshoppers enjoying scaring the ants through their facial expressions in comparison to the ants being the complete opposite. The final shot is a low-height shot of Hopper to show the sheer size of him, Hopper is substantially larger than the other Grasshoppers. This can be used to signify that he is the leader.
LO3: Produce and Review a Digital Moving Image Production
Task 1: Pre-Production Portfolio
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Task 2: Evidencing the Production Process
Process of Editing and Managing Clips:
1. Firstly, we created a folder dedicated to storing the original clip on our desktops and we then imported the clips into the folder from the SD card.
2. Secondly, we all agreed to use iMovie to edit our clips, so we the launched the software and began to import the original clips.
3. Thirdly, after importing the clips , we began to make specific clips a faster speed and added transitions. We also trimmed clips where the footage was not needed.
4. We added sound effects from YouTube via a website that uses the URL of the video and downloads the audio into a mp3 (audio) file. After this, we made some sound effects louder, some quieter, and gently fade out.
5. We added filters onto a few of the clips to present a dramatic effect, for example the point of view (POV) clip is now monochromatic with few shadows.
6. Finally, we were satisfied with the editing and audio enhancements and this was our final product and was ready for exporting to one of our YouTube channels.
The Final Production
Evaluating the Success of your Film (Task 3)
In conclusion, I feel like the film has been a success for me and both, Tom and Rio, personally as it has allowed us to extend our knowledge, skills and techniques in cinematography and editing. There are both positive and negative aspects to the film and plenty of room for improvement. Some issues I can recall are the lack of establishing shots and also how difficult it is to track and understand the story behind the film. I feel as if this may be because of the fact that the film is presented more as a sequence and not essentially a short film due to the time restriction of 60 seconds. Also in a a 60 second video you struggle, with regards to time, to base a story so by using a sequence it allows us to focus on just having scares and different camera angles and shots.
The genre of our movie was horror. In our movie we tried to make it based upon horror in various ways focusing on the codes and conventions of a horror movie. Firstly, we tried to make our movie scary by making the majority of the lighting dark with enhanced shadows and reduced highlights (Image 1), we achieved this through either selecting the ideal location in the school and editing, in order to create dramatic effect. After this, we also added horror-themed sound effects (visible in the editing process). We used the sound effects when the story is approaching a scare so that the audience can infer something is coming. In my opinion, I feel that by adding these sound effects it makes the scenes and general atmosphere scarier than it actually is excluding the sound effect. However, I also feel that we failed making our movie scary, mainly due to the acting. Our group lack acting skills and frankly we had no idea how to create the scare in the film through the acting. Therefore, our acting was the biggest downfall in making our movie scary. Another minor reason why our movie failed to be scary is that in the last sequence, the final scare, the lighting is brighter than the previous clips due to the skylights in the room we were using. We could have darkened the clip, in editing, so it's harder to see the demon and you only vaguely see him approaching.
We attempted to make our movie appeal to young adults by one of the main aspects of the story, which was two boy's 'vlogging' their experience in the abandoned school. We singled out this option out of a few as many young adult lives have interaction with YouTube and 'vloggers' , so by making our movie have two boys who are 'vloggers' may attract our target audience, young adults, and make it more appealing and realistic. We also made the movie appeal to young adults via the use of our characters, who are young, and therefore can relate to the audience. Another aspect is many young adults do not like movies that are un-realistic, so we attempted to make the movie as realistic as we possibly could. This was difficult to execute due to the obvious factor of our movie containing a supernatural phenomenon in it , overall making it hard to keep the short movie realistic and appealing to young adults.
Myself, the rest of my group and a popular opinion across the world is that we feel that it's extremely difficult to create an original horror movie anymore. There are thousands of horror movies that all will take some form of inspiration of an original horror movies such as 'Psycho' and 'Halloween'. It's extremely difficult to create a horror movie in this day in age that is not original. For example, we hand-held the camera for some of the scenes, some people can say we are not being original and copying films such as 'The Blair Witch Project'. Also, by having a figure dressed completely in black chasing an innocent person sounds relatively similar to original films like the horror movie 'Scream'. The vast majority of things you can do in a horror movie to make it a horror movie is limiting without it being brandished as copying, for example - knives, murder and dark figures. It's extensively hard to as creative in a horror movie in comparison to a comedy movie, our movie could have been more creative with the actual story. The audio in our film seems to have worked effectively and the editing itself was completed to a high standard. Mis-en-scene could have been improved by using better locations, for example using the boiler room as oppose to a DT classroom.
I found working as a team enjoyable whilst shooting, however during the pre-production process we struggled to work efficiently as we seemed to have various differing ideas. After this, while we were filming, we were all enthusiastic to give their ideas, leading to some interesting shots and new dialogue. I found myself in the role of acting and filming because of the size of our group. I enjoyed jointly editing the film in the post-production process as it allowed me to find creative ways to enable some shots to work together, often altering the original purpose of a shot and putting it in a different context to it's intended use. In the end, this essentially meant that the film was edited very differently to what we initially thinking while shooting. I would like to revisit these roles in the future and I would take all my experience and evaluation from this one and improve every aspect. I would also enjoy to revisit it in a larger group, this way it would enable each member to have a specific role in the film and this would overall improve a large proportion of what went wrong in this one, mainly due to the small group.
I found working as a team enjoyable whilst shooting, however during the pre-production process we struggled to work efficiently as we seemed to have various differing ideas. After this, while we were filming, we were all enthusiastic to give their ideas, leading to some interesting shots and new dialogue. I found myself in the role of acting and filming because of the size of our group. I enjoyed jointly editing the film in the post-production process as it allowed me to find creative ways to enable some shots to work together, often altering the original purpose of a shot and putting it in a different context to it's intended use. In the end, this essentially meant that the film was edited very differently to what we initially thinking while shooting. I would like to revisit these roles in the future and I would take all my experience and evaluation from this one and improve every aspect. I would also enjoy to revisit it in a larger group, this way it would enable each member to have a specific role in the film and this would overall improve a large proportion of what went wrong in this one, mainly due to the small group.
I enjoyed the filmmaking process quite a lot because I found it interesting seeing the film develop from our ideas , to storyboards and finally into the final product. I also liked framing shots while we were shooting in a way that made sense and conveyed the scene effectively. My other role of acting was fun too as it is something I've never had much interest in until this.
To summarise, I was disappointed with the final product and there is most definitely room for improvement in terms of structure, planning, acting, following the script and mis-en-scene. However, I do not agree with it being a failure as all of our group have gained experience, knowledge and teamwork skills.
To summarise, I was disappointed with the final product and there is most definitely room for improvement in terms of structure, planning, acting, following the script and mis-en-scene. However, I do not agree with it being a failure as all of our group have gained experience, knowledge and teamwork skills.