AS Media Studies

Coursework

By James Busby

Match on Action • A match on action, is a technique

used in film and editing, its a cut that connects two different views of the same action at the same moment in the movement. By carefully matching the movement across the two shots, filmmakers make it seem that the motion continues uninterrupted. For a real match on action, the action should begin in the first shot and end in the second shot. I have sourced this information from the following website. My group would use this shot to show a character looking at a picture or door ensuring that the camera follows them in their movements. http://everything2.com/title/match+on+action

180° Rule

• The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle. I would use this shot in a two shot where dialogue or actions are present.

• I have sourced this information from:• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule

Shot Reverse Shot • Shot reverse shot (or shot/countershot) is a film technique

where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. However I would use this in my group to show dialogue being spoken between two characters.

This information is sourced from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_reverse_shot• This shows a video example of Shot reverse shot. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLkUHZ1qips

My Storyboard for my Preliminary Task

We have had to reject this storyboard, as we planned to film outside in Grendon, but we are now going to film inside the college. The elements from this storyboard may be considered in our main task.

Preliminary Task• My group and I have discussed the shots we are going to use in our piece. Which

are the following long shot, close up, panoramic shot etc. We have discussed which role each of us are going to take I have taken the role of editing. I will be using the Imovie software, which I shall have to learn how to use, as it is my first time I have used this software. Long shot

Close-up

Panoramic shotImovie

Preliminary Task

Today me and my group had the camera but unfortunately could not record anything due to our cast not being present, we are still unsure of our current location due to certain elements that may effect the camera ie lighting. Our storyboard has also changed and will therefore be used in consideration for our main task. We will be using props such as chairs. There will be no specific costume. ?

College ?

Woods

AndLighting

Cast

Preliminary Task

• We have managed to film our preliminary task today and found a good location which allowed me and my group to film a variety of shots. We decided to film a conversation on a stair well as we could easily include match on action, the 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot. We managed to film without any problems and managed to add in the required shots. The only element that was time consuming was telling the cast their position on camera and getting them to learn their lines.

180 degree rule Shot Reverse shot Match on Action

Preliminary Task

• Today I have edited our Preliminary task using the Imovie editing software. It was my first time using this software so it took some time getting used to. Once I got used to the initial idea of cutting and cropping the video clip, I felt I have managed to edit our piece effectively and have learned the basics of editing. This will be useful for when we need to edit our main task.

Preliminary Task

• Here is our completed Preliminary Task

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny3E_F_eAB0

Main Task

• Today we have made decisions on our main task which are that of a title sequence. We have watched examples of different title sequences to get inspiration for our own two minute title. Our group have considered how we can introduce certain characters through signals such as objects or materials. We have decided that our genre is going to be horror as it applies some shots that are conventional to our main task. We looked at ‘Casino Royal’, ‘Don’t Look Now’ and ‘Halloween’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxRGw0l-b18

Research Into Similar Products This is a sheet I filled in while watching

various title sequences. This has given me inspiration for my main task.

Research into similar products • We used the film Halloween as we

felt it contained the media conventions, that we could use our selves in our main task.

Point of View ShotTracking shot

Two Shot

My Main Task StoryboardToday me and my group have done our storyboard on what shots we are going to use, we put a time limit on how ,long each shot is going to be as we need to make our title piece last for at least two minutes.

Main Task

• We have storyboarded our ideas using our previous ideas from our preliminary task, we have discussed the location and the cast members, we filmed in Grendon due to it being convenient for our cast and my group. It also had the surrounding countryside we needed, for our film as we wanted to create a tense atmosphere. It had a park and surrounding woods which would be ideal if we wanted the British audience to relate to our piece. We have decided on our genre which is horror and who is doing camera work, mise en scene and editing.

• I have taken on the role of editing, this is good as I can use some of the conventions I have learnt previously in my preliminary task.

Filming Cont’d• Today we started our filming, in Grendon. Our

first shot was an establishing shot of the park to show the audience where we were situated. Here are some examples of the camera shots we included in our piece.

We then had a over the shoulder shot of our protagonist looking at his victim.

These two shots we had to re-film due to sound problems, as it was very windy that day. So I had to implement ambience of wind in the first shot.

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The third shot we did was that of a two shot. We included this to give more depth to our characters, showing that a clear relationship is present.

Filming Cont’d• Our next shot was difficult to shoot as we

needed our actor Jamie to get into the car and drive off. But he couldn’t drive so we had to use another actor who could, so we used the same clothes and hoody on another actor to maintain continuity, which is shown here.

• This shot then went on to our match on action which was hard to edit, as I had to make sure that Rebecca our victim could be seen walking away while appearing on the other side of the hedge. So I had to cut a few seconds of to maintain continuity. This required a few retakes of this shot.

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We then did a mid-shot of our victim speaking on the phone. We tracked her with the camera. We found this to be quite difficult, as we had to go back and reshoot this part. As the camera was not held steady enough.

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Filming Cont’d

• The next shot we did was a shot reverse shot of Rebecca and her friend speaking on the phone, we did this shot as we wanted to create a sense of worry and panic. I had to edit these two shots as I needed to allow one to speak then cut to the other one speaking (turn taking). This was quite hard as it was a short conversation.

The next shot we did was a mid shot of the victim’s and protagonists legs as we wanted to show him following her. We also told our victim to quicken her pace as to look nervous and worried.

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Filming Cont’d• We then moved onto our final shot, which was very hard to shoot and edit as we used a handheld shot to

show the protagonist running towards our victim as she was opening the door. We had to reshoot this shot many times as it was to shaky originally, and due to this you could not see the reactions on her face which we really needed to convey. The camera would also become unfocused and the image would therefore be distorted. I also had to edit this part as I wanted to make the close up of the victims reactions play in slow motion to convey shock.

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Risk Assessments• We had to check for risk assessments in

our location in Grendon because we were filming in a potentially dangerous place. If our team was not co-ordinating properly then our cast and camera crew would get hurt. As we had to film on a road, this required me to govern and tell the camera man when any cars were coming so he could get of the road onto the pedestrian foot path.

Another risk we had to check was the driving, as the car could potentially harm someone or something, if it was used in the wrong hands. This is why we had to use two actors, as our main actor Jamie couldn’t drive so the owner of the car drove instead. This erased any risks that there was towards cast and our crew.

Analysis of Audience feedback

Summary of time management

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Main Task

In the first week we planned where we were going to film our preliminary task and who was casting in it.

We filmed our preliminary task this week.

We storyboarded our ideas

I edited our preliminary task this week on the software Imovie

I continued to edit this week.

We have completed our preliminary task.

Week 4

We have each been given a micro aspect I am doing the editing.

We have storyboarded our ideas using our old storyboard from our preliminary task. We have discussed the location and the genre, which is horror.

Week 5 Week 6

This week we went to Grendon and filmed our piece.

I started to edit our main task together.

We had to go back a reshoot two scenes. As there was a problem with the brightness in some of the shots. We also had to reshoot the handheld camera shot as it was too shaky.

I have completed the editing for my final piece.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media

products?• Our film uses the forms and conventions of that

of horror movies. We have used point of view shots to show who and what the antagonist is looking at. This is how we introduced our main characters, we were inspired by the movie ‘Halloween’

• We have also showed our antagonist in a slightly distorted view as not to be focus, which draws the audience into our piece.

• We have also included a cliff hanger at the end to engage our audience and create an ambiguous ending. Like that of the film ‘The Italian Job’ which show a literal cliff hanger.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• I feel that our film doesn’t really fall into a specific representation. Although it can represent teenage social groups as two teenagers are seen to be in a local park talking.

• There is also that of a family bond relationship between the brother and sister. This can raise and represent the way families look out and care for one another.

What kind of media institution might distribute your

media product and why? • A small independent British film company like that of ‘Warp Films’. As our

piece is not a high budget block buster, but it does show the British countryside and British actors. We wanted to make a British film that the British public could be represented in. I feel we have portrayed this quite well, here are some examples of how real time media institutions try to attract their target audience. Through British

Actors

British Countryside

Through famous sites

Small time film company’s

Who would be the audience for your media product?

• The audience is specific and is for teenagers who mainly enjoy the horror conventions, It would appeal to a British audience as they can relate to the surrounding countryside and the actors who are in this piece.

• It would also appeal to a more male specific audience as they enjoy these films generally more than perhaps a female audience. I can analyse this picture of our target audience through demographics

Likes to socialise with friends.

Likes horror films such as ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Grudge’

They are a male audience.

They may like the type of music that is in our piece.

How did you attract/address your audience?

• We did this by making a cliff hanger at the end of our title sequence to create an ambiguous ending that would entice our audience into watching our media product.

• We have also included music to create a tense atmosphere that portrays conventions of Horror. Here is an example of that music.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

• I learnt to use the editing software imovie, I have managed to successfully edit both our preliminary and main task.

• Although I was not in charge of the camera I have learnt to use the zoom functions and holding the shot steady via using a tripod.

• I have learnt how to use voice over's in my presentation. • I feel I personally have learnt what it feels like to be a small time film

company, which was an incite for me and my group.

Looking back at your Preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to

the full product?• I have learnt a great deal from my first year in As Media Studies,

during which I have made two short films.

•But I wouldn’t of been able to edit my main task without my Preliminary task. As I learnt how to use the editing software Imovie. At first it was tricky as I have never done any editing before, but I managed to learn how to cut and crop images effectively, I can apply titles to my work including names of actors and production company logos.

Cont’d

• Possibly the hardest thing I have had to learn in editing was the shot reverse shot types, as I had to keep cutting little segments of clips and putting them together with other lines of script to make a conversation between the two actors. I really enjoyed my time as group editor and really like how I manipulate a clip by simply implementing ambient sound, or pieces of music to help create an atmosphere. These lessons that I have learnt will be helpful through out my further Media Studies course and helped me make develop my main task.

Evaluation of my Micro aspect Editing

Establishing Shot

Over the Shoulder Shot

Match on Action Shot reverse shot

Mid Shot

Close up with the slow motion sequence

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