CONVENTIONS – media language including genre, narrative, representations

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1. IDENTS, COMPANIES, PRODUCTION CONTEXT
2. TITLES
3. SOUND; GENRE SIGNIFICATION
4. 1ST SHOT
5. CENTRAL PROTAGONIST + NARRATIVE
6. MISE-EN-SCENE FOR EXPOSITION
7. TRANSITIONING TO MAIN FILM
8. AUDIENCE/REPRESENTATIONS + OTHER POINTS

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Your hub for demonstrating how your knowledge + understanding of media language develops, starting with the basic shot type exercises. In most cases you are applying this to analysis of film opening (sometimes past coursework) examples.

Note that this broad field includes material crucial for at least 2 of your Evaluation/CCR Qs (Q1 + Q2). Its important to consistently provide specific illustration (eg screenshot/clip/audio) and clearly identify the film being referenced. We'll frequently use WT/Warp examples to help you with your exam preparation - any and all such textual analysis is also designed to help you with the TV Drama exam Q.

You need to provide analysis of a mix of general (any genre) examples to begin with, but focusing on the genre you've chosen as you get further in.

THE FILM INDUSTRY

You can gather as much material as you like on the film industry; you need to show overall you've learned from the research you've presented that you've understood the fundamentals of how the industry works for Indies and big 5 alike. This is an opportunity to utilise and reinforce exam-centred learning.

You should find yourself using a LOT of terms - update your overall list as you go.

You'll need to reflect on this learning in the evaluation question on distribution - and there's a lot of industry context to the titles as well.

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Use the following themes to help you set out what you've learned about how the film industry operates, using key terms (and updating the theory post as you do!). Once you've summed up the big 5 make particular use within each theme of your Warp v WT (indie v vertically integrated subsidiary) knowledge to boost your exam preparation.

1. THE BIG 5 AND GLOBAL MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION - GANT TEST AND RISE OF CHINA
2. CAST/STARS
3. GENRE, HYBRIDITY
4. FRANCHISE, IP
5. SOUNDTRACKS/OSTs
6. DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... HAS THE RELEASE WINDOW BEEN SMASHED? PVOD, NETFLIX et al
7. DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... PIRACY, HOME CINEMA + THE END OF THE DVD BOOM
8. DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... MICROBUDGET MOVIES, SELF-DISTRIBUTION + MY MEDIA EXPERIENCE!
9. DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... VR AND GAMING
10. AGE RATINGS
11. FILM FESTIVALS, CRITICAL ACCLAIM
12. CGI/SFX
13. 3D/IMAX (3D), 4D
14. REPRESENTATION ISSUES: BECHDEL TEST, MALE GAZE, GEENA DAVIS, WHITEWASHING

THE BIG 5 AND GLOBAL MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION - GANT TEST AND RISE OF CHINA

CAST/STARS

GENRE, HYBRIDITY

FRANCHISE, IP

SOUNDTRACKS/OSTs

DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... HAS THE RELEASE WINDOW BEEN SMASHED? PVOD, NETFLIX et al

DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... PIRACY, HOME CINEMA + THE END OF THE DVD BOOM

DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... MICROBUDGET MOVIES, SELF-DISTRIBUTION + MY MEDIA EXPERIENCE!

DIGITISATION, DISRUPTION, CONVERGENCE ... VR AND GAMING

AGE RATINGS

FILM FESTIVALS, CRITICAL ACCLAIM

CGI/SFX

3D/IMAX (3D), 4D

REPRESENTATION ISSUES: BECHDEL TEST, MALE GAZE, GEENA DAVIS, WHITEWASHING

See Dr Strange whitewashing...