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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JOURNEY: EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA

Every time you have an idea, right from the very start, or tweak and evolve a more detailed idea, record the key details here, using dates within a subheading

When you're finishing up, provide a link to the screenplay but outline (in post or Ppt/Word) your final narrative using the hopefully familiar theories...

An eg of an update:

MY EARLIEST ROUGH IDEAS (Sept 8th)

Nothing specific just yet, but I think I'd like to work within the horror - specifically slasher - (sub-)genre, possibly a chase scene. I really liked Evie's AS production, which features a chase scene, obvious intertextuality with classic horrors, and even a postmodern twist!

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This ties in with the CCR Q3 (and the AO2 assessment criteria). This post will make answering that question much easier...

OUR TARGET AUDIENCE

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To keep the list of posts easily visible I've hidden a detailed response to a query under the read more link
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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.

PRACTICE PRODUCTIONS including PRELIM

HOW TO PRESENT THIS POST

Use the Largest for each sub-heading (practice film) in turn. This post is closely linked to Eval Q3.
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Check: you've used LARGEST for main sub-heads like PRELIM.
Use distinctive (eg colouring, highlight) options to make those stand out
Add a clear IN THIS POST intro, LISTING whats in the post with a short sentence or 2 on what this shows
Use this as a clearer guide for the Eval Q3; for each practice prod add a sub-heading of COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS PRACTICE + just bullet list key points. You've then get a nice easy list for that eval Q.
SUMMARY Again, this is as much to help with the eval Q3. Reflect on how you've developed; a short overview.

WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH EACH PRACTICE FILM

With clear sub-headings:

PLANNING

Any + all evidence of planning: this helps showed how you DEVELOPED your skills from start to completing the final coursework. So, any shotlists, storyboards, organising/scheduling shoots/cast, equipment used, degree of shot variety, props/costume/make-up/set-dressing, soundtracking/titles + research on these (clearly indicate what conventions you have reflected - refer to specific film/s that influenced your work).

THE SHOOT: WHAT I DID

You can combine to create a single post to copy/edit. Make sure its CLEAR what YOU, INDIVIDUALLY did: camera work, acting, producing (ie organising! call sheets, set dressing, cast + travel, sorting equipment etc), directing. The only way to evidence that is some simple (probably phone) video footage! Basically, a brief look behind-the-scenes showing each of you carrying out the various roles.

THE EDITED FILM

Embed the final result. BRIEFLY outline what each INDIVIDUAL contributed to POST-PRODUCTION: sound, titles (fonts), FX, organising clips/Library

REFLECTION: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED

It would be smart (and quick) to do this as a group vodcast - a simple 3-shot where you sum up what you've learned from this process (planning, the shoot, editing, media language/theory) AND how SPECIFICALLY you think you might take a more sophisticated approach next time, and what you might experiment with (eg dolly, gimbal, drone, downloading fonts, specific FX, plug-in FX).

THE PRELIM TECHNICAL TERMS

That's covered nice + briefly here. The idea of this is to carry out some continuity editing techniques, made possible by observing the 180 degree rule for example...

PAST PRACTICE FILMS

Here's an example with added on-screen commentary from here from Simon etc - as we've discussed, its intentionally very silly and exaggerated! 

NARRATIVE THEORY PRACTICE FILM

Using the above as a reference point for how intentionally silly it can be, create a film opening that incorporates the concepts of Todorov + Campbell; Propp; Barthes; Levi-Strauss. Use costume/props to distinguish the archetypes even if its the same actors repeatedly - using a tripod would help you to fake two-shots: film person A as character A; change costume, with camera not moved person A plays character B, being careful not to step into the same space on the frame. Stack the two layers in FCPX + use the crop tool to remove half of the top layer! ... or use a greenscreen!

Include titles that you think reflect the specific number and wording expected from your research, and some use of music. As you're aiming for full Todorov, you won't really be replicating a film opening, but do think about how you might start it still.

Length: likely to be somewhere over 2mins.

Shot variety: aim for 2+ takes of important (especially action) scenes - the rule is for shot variety where you can cut between shots of the same thing: at least 2 steps up or down the shot scale eg ELS to MLS.