THEORIES and KEY TERMS I've learnt

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Take care to PARAPHRASE any of my blogged work or lessons notes; don't use my quite distinctive linguistic style!! Use yours!!

You'll learn terms and theories/ists linked to all 4 of the Key Concepts (previously MANGeR, changed for 2021 exams onwards...): LAIR... Your coursework learning is tightly linked to your exam learning, in which you're also specifically assessed on both your use of terminology and of media concepts and theory.

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GETTING STARTED: BASIC SHOTS, ANGLES

[don't copy/paste my text, paraphrase; put into your own words] 

We were shown these ... then challenged to create each! I've put our shots into a Ppt with some brief explanations of why certain shots might be selected.

VODCAST: SHOT VARIETY IN FILM OPENINGS

[don't copy/paste my text, paraphrase; put into your own words] 

I examined the opening 2 minutes of 3 film openings, focusing on the number + variety of shots. I counted the # of cuts and logged each basic shot type (from ELS to ECU) + any notable uses of high/low/dutch angles. The short video presents my findings over sample short clips from each: 

• Film 1 (genre/s + main production company, budget, year)
• Film 2
• Film 3

eg: Yesterday (musician rom-com from Working Title, $26m, 2019)

You have to keep copyrighted clips short or risk a video being blocked. 'Fair usage' copyright law allows use of short clips. If you find film openings on YouTube you may want to make an offline copy in case its taken down. You can use a mix of screenshots + clips (sound on/off; use slo-mo + repeat clips where its helpful). To be clear, the task is:

Take 3 film openings from a list I'll provide

Note how many idents + how long these are in total.

Starting after the end of the last ident, count the number of cuts in the 1st 2mins (regardless of how abruptly that ends). 

Note how long the opening actually is

Now watch again + using ECU/BCU/CU/MCU etc denote each take (the shot before a cut) in a simple list, written or typed. Screenshot or photograph the list, + count the number of each basic shot type used.

Note at least 1 striking use of LA/HA/DA from the 3 openings overall (ie, from all 3 pick one low angled shot).

Feed this detail, + your reflection on the importance of shot variety, into the vodcast with screenshots/clips/titles and voiceover. Upload to your Media YouTube account, setting it to unlisted or public but NOT private, and embed it.

SHOT TYPES CROSSWORD!

[don't copy/paste my text, paraphrase; put into your own words] 

I tested my grasp by doing this online crossword!!! (embed a screenshot of it completed)

FILM INDUSTRY TERMS

[don't copy/paste my text, paraphrase; put into your own words] 

I'll keep updating a simple non-alphabetical list here, clustering terms on a single line after any single lesson where I've learned it, but as I do I'll also be adding it to a Word doc with my own definition/explanation, which I'll post here when its finished!! We started learning these way back in week 2...

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CONVENTIONS RESEARCH: KEY INFLUENCES

This is one of the most important posts on your blog!!!
Its close to being a draft of Eval Q1!
Its basically your chance to very unsubtly scream at the examiner - oi, mate - look over here at all this APPLYING of research!!!
Overall, its a summary of your key findings - you needn't repeat all the detail (but highlight the specific bits that you might mimic/simulacra/be influenced by with direct/specific illustration). Key word here is MIGHT - you're not stating you WILL be influenced by aspects you include here.
Its definitely helpful to include egs you've seen that you consciously reject/want to avoid - explain why. You could do that as a separate vodcast or section, or just as you go along theme by theme.

Try to be as specific as you can about how you might apply these aspects of media language (included titles, idents etc) BUT remember that this is FUTURE TENSE ... this is how I might/will use this influence. It doesn't need to be a true reflection of what you eventually did.
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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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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.