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

Challenging and developing the codes and conventions of our chosen genre (comedy) was key for us. We were targeting an audience of 12-21 years of age, so it was important that we carried out research into similar genres to make sure that we captured the comedy aspects correctly.
At the start of our long process , we were given a stimuli in the form of a film , the film was called 'The Fall' and is directed by Tarsem Singh. Although the genre was different to ours (Action/ Drama) , we found that the scenes which did contain comedy in it were genuinely funny. What made it funny was the relationship between two characters , one young and the other middle aged. The difference in views and understanding between the two constantly made you laugh, and especially the innocence and confusion of the younger character. Even though the director did not intend for the film to be a comedy , a comic duo is born through the the two characters. You could compare the characters relationship to other legendary comic duo's such as 'Del Boy' and 'Rodney' from Only Fools and Horses , or the two Ronnie's. They follow the codes and conventions of a typical comedy duo , and this is where the idea of creating a duo for our film stemmed from. We saw how effective they can be and so thought it was the smart and logical choice of creating one for our production. Saying that we did not just want to copy what we have seen , and so started to think about ways in which we could challenge the codes and conventions. The first thing we developed was the gender of our comic duo, which we decided should be female. This was a massive gamble as comedy is very 'male' dominated and there are not many female comic duo's out there. Although after researching this I did find one duo who had achieved great success and the tiles of the queens of comedy. They are French and Saunders who have been creating comedy sketches for over 20 years. We believed that by making our comic duo female we would be challenging the bigger male duo's , which could appeal to a wider audience. We also created our characters so that one took a more leader role, and the other would follow. We took this decision after watching films such as 'The Hangover' which contained two types of characters , ones which lead and others that follow. We took this idea , but changed it so that the character that followed would rebel, which you see in our production. The reason behind this was that we thought it would create more 'funny moments' if the two characters were against each other at points within the film. You wouldn't expect the less assertive character to stand up for them-selves , challenging the conventions again and at the same time creating comical moments within the production as they argue.
We knew from our brief that we would be creating a silent film, and after deciding on our genre , we started to focus on how we was going to make the audience laugh without using dialogue. To do this we started research into to king of silent comedy , Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin is known throughout the world for his cheeky comedy , and has created such films as The Tramp and Making a Living. When looking at his films , I noticed something that was consistent through out, and that was the piano soundtrack. The music was quick and kept up with the speed of the film which complimented it well. It also made you laugh , which is he most important thing about a comedy. This taught me that I was going to have to pick a soundtrack which complimented my production , was funny at points , but not so over whelming that it took your attention away from the production itself. At the start we picked at 4 different soundtracks which we believed could go with our production , after and review of them all we cut it down to two. One was a quick drumming beat and the other a violin remix. Each was comical and would have gone well with our production, but the drumming beat seemed to compliment the film better. The speed was perfect,t and in a way resembled a soundtrack you would hear in a Charlie Chaplin film. The reason for not wanting to challenge the convention was that we thought that it was code which was not worth changing , but instead embracing it. As they say , if its not broken then don't fix it.
Staying on the lines of Charlie Chaplin , while conducting research into his films , I noticed that his editing techniques were very unique. Obviously the technology they had was limited but the way in which he edited the cuts made the production even more funny. For example everything was sped up , making actions and movements more comical. This is a convention which has been followed for many years now , and more recently in cartoons such as scooby doo. We wanted to develop this and and dare to challenge it to break the normal convention. This is why in our scene which has been sped up we have purpose behind it. The meaning of it is to show the lengths the characters would go to just to be the one who holds the lottery ticket. Although we would still be keeping the comedy aspect at the same time , developing on the scooby doo research.
Overall I believe our production follows the codes and conventions to allow it to be classed as a comedy. Even though challenging conventions is encouraged , if an audience finds something funny then why change just to be different? Although there are points in our production in which we have challenged conventions , but this is so that we break the stereo-type of comedy films. What people expect is different to what people enjoy, and so for the example the decision to change our characters to females was based on the idea that it is not what the audience expect , but they will still enjoy it.

Simple and Short

Anyone who is involved in film making will know that an opening sequence is a vital necessity to a good film. It is what the audience first see's and hears , which they make their first judgements on. Just like the saying goes , 'You always want to make good first impression'. This applies to when your making a film, you want to grab your audience in the first minutes. There are many different and exciting ways to do this, but you want to make sure that you have a good mixture of excitement and mystery. You don't want to give too much away but you need to hood the audience so that they want to continue to watch.
A major learning curve for both me and my was our as media coursework in which we had to make an opening sequence. This meant researching opening sequences from around the world. World cinema allows you to compare different cultures and how they channel this through there films. More importantly it was interesting to see how different films would start. Some had massive explosions and other s had a more mystical and abstract feeling. An opening sequence can be shaped by its genre, but we want to step away from that an open ourselves up to a variety of different ideas.
For our film we want to create a comedy piece. After researching other comedic films such as 'White Chicks' we know we have to make the audience laugh within the first few minutes. Its like a rule which is followed thorough out comedic films. This is why we believe that our opening sequences will work. We have designed them so that the audience are laughing from very early on. This is most recognisable in our first opening sequence in which we have a balance of character development and comedy. We have the boys kick a car so that the audience know what type of characters they are , the cheeky grins on their faces is where the comedy aspect comes in. So overall , the audience get to know the characters as well as having a laugh. Even better our opening sequence is achievable , it has no high risk stunts , or impossible location, just simple shots followed by a simple idea.

Simple and Short

This past week we have been watching a collection of short films. In a couple of months we will be shooting our own shirt film so it is important that we look at other shorts. We had a DVD from the BFI of a collection of shorts , with a variety of different genres. Our short films have to be silent so we have to look for:

• Narrative
• Movement
• Editing
• Mise-en-scene
• Plot Points
• Soundtrack
  

The majority of shorts used minimum dialogue , which meant that the narrative had to be good enough to keep the audience interested. All of the shorts accomplished this with different techniques and each a different number of plot points. The number of plot points are important as you don't want to many , but you need enough to make the narrative interesting. Hard Labour was the first short we watched. I believed the narrative to be interesting , balanced and included a good twist. The main negative that the group picked up on was that there was too many plot points, and the final plot point ruined the short to an extent. Although we also thought that the idea was so simple that it worked , this along with exciting and interesting shots meant that you didn't want to take your eyes of it. The next short we watched was Stripes , a very hard hitting drama. With Stripes it was shot very well , but there wasn't enough variety with the shots. The narrative was again simple and didn't include many plot points, but this was ok as the plot points that where used let you interested. The movement of the characters as well created this contrast that helped you define who was the antagonist and protagonist. Dialogue was used but from the point of view of someone who was taking notes on narrative , it wasn't the main convention. Last of all we saw Hard Hitting, which was a comedy. I believed this to be the best out of the shorts as it used NO dialogue and was only about 5 minutes long, which was good as we could compare our ideas to it. The main convention for this short was the editing which dominated most of the film. The idea was simple , boy meets girl story with a funny twist. The variety of shots used meant you was not looking at the same thing for more then a few seconds. And more importantly the soundtrack ( fast rock music) matched the action , keeping that comedic sense.

Analysis of " Im British But ..."

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Best shots from Amelia

For me this is one of the best shots within the film Amelia. At first this shot can look normal and boring , but its the feeling you get from the shot which makes it special. From the simple choice of prop , to the comedic facial expressions , you gain a connection with the character. This type of shot is used frequently within the film where Amelia will look directly at the camera as if she is addressing the audience. Although no words are spoken to the camera , there is no need as her facial expression do enough to allow you to understand what she is feeling and thinking. The spoon in her hand adds emphasis to the innocents which is already being portrayed. Theses types of shots are what make the film unique and gives it that difference to other similar films. You gain a connection with the character , making you more interested naturally as you follow her journey. This is a brilliant technique as it keeps your audience interested. The colours used are also very plain but that suits the character herself , who may seem very ordinary at look. I believe this what the director could have been aiming for. As they make Amelia look normal , it makes her journey look more extraordinary. The contrast of the two is what the story is built around.

"Even we can make school look interesting"

In the past week we have been thinking of how we are going to make a shoots look fun and interesting. This is very important for our production as it is what will be what will earn us important and vital marks. We was given the task of taking pictures within the school that we thought were interesting , these are mine.

This is my favourite picture out the five. The reason I find this picture interesting is the spiral I have captured with the shapes. The picture reminds me of a fantasy scene where some one would be sucked into another world, although this was not my intention when I first took the picture. The colours of the metal ( silver) also adds that unique element to it as it contrast with the dark floor at the bottom. When I look at this picture I feel as if sharp blades are spiraling into a dark pit, and this is what I also got from eh feedback of my class mates; My fellow pupils were curious about where I had taken the photo and no one guessed the right location. This proves that you could capture something amazing and mysterious even if the location at first doesn't seem to provide it. I actually took the picture from the top of stack of stage legs which had been stacked together.

This is another interesting picture. What I believe makes this picture interesting is the juxtaposition of high and low key lighting. The contrast is obvious , with the light blue sky shining through black. This alone allows the picture to shine give it that sense of power. The circle shape allowing the light through is important as it creates that feeling of being trapped with the light shining through at the top. The circle is divided by lines which also plays an important role as they create symmetry and divide the clouds above. This could represent inprisoment.

This picture was taken by a tree in school. The angle of the shot is what gives it power and meaning. From the picture you can create story's and metaphors. When I look at it I feel that I'm looking at a shot from a love story. This is obviously due to the lock , but the close up gives it that much more importance. Everything else is left out of the shot which put the emphasis on the shot. The light is also shining of it so certain parts are shining, giving the lock that mysterious feel.

What makes this picture different is obvious, you can't make sense of what is it. This is ezacxtly why I chose to take it , the mystery behind it will kae the audeince think and try to figure out what it it could be. This is a good strategy to keep your audience interested , if you put somethig infront of them they dont understand , they will try and figure it out. Although you have to be careful you dont ask too much otherwise the audience will give up on trying to figure it out.

Found treatment-1

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Fund treatment

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Music music every where , but not a song to pick

For me a soundtrack to a film can make that much better. The soundtrack of a film doesn't usually get the recognition it deserves. When making my film I am making sure that it plays a vital role in creating an exciting piece. Going back to when films were black and white and the people who created them knew nothing of sound or dialogue , the soundtrack was what made the films exciting. For obvious reasons no dialogue was used in these films and so what would happen was a piano would play during the showing. As years have past technology has grown and film makers now have the luxury to use sound in there films. Our brief is to make a silent movie so we will NOT have that luxury. So I want to look back at when the soundtrack was the main piece in the puzzle and how I am going to use it efficiently in my film. I want my soundtrack to be powerful and hard hitting, although I don't want it to overshadow the film. I am caught between an orchestra or a non-licensed song. Looking at films such as Barraka and the old Charlie Chaplin movies were an orchestra has been used it sways me into using that type of soundtrack. The instruments being used are powerful and create a feeling which the audience can react to. This especially the case with Barraka , the music complements the images you are seeing. Although analysing the films of today and seeing how a song is used in a film it makes me feel that maybe that is a better option. A song which is load or even popular can make an audience heart rate increase, encouraging adrenaline and excitement. The negative with this is that to use songs in your film you need to have the license for it , and that costs money. So looking at my options I think getting an orchestra playing on a non-licensed music library will be my best option.

The seven deadly sins

The seven deadly sins

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The 7 Deadly Sins!

Everyone knows that when making a film that you need to understand what your theme is. I know I have already stated that my theme is a silent movie but that's more the basis of the film then the theme. When choosing a film you need to think about its appeal and what you can do with it.For example if your theme is Dolphins then you are going to have some problems with making your film exciting. So when choosing a theme you want to look for something exciting , unique and most importantly create a film out of. The 7 deadly sins are an interesting theme as it allows you to experiment which different story's. You can apply the theme to pretty much anything as all the sins cover the feelings and emotions of humans. The 7 deadly sins are wrath, greed, sloth , pride, lust , envy and gluttony. Its hard to imagine how these sins could be portrayed so I have created a mood bored to show what each one could represent. This theme leaves plenty of room for imagination and experimenting so I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with them.

FirstThoughts

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Location, Location , Location

Carrying on from my last blog , I wanted to start to look at the locations which are available to me. I am lucky to live in London as it provides many different locations in which I can choose to film. Again as the theme of my film will be 'Silent' I need to find other ways of making it exciting and unique. Location is always an important factor when filming , but some what more when filming a silent film. Taking inspiration from films such a 'Barraka' I want to show my audience that what you see at first may look different through another perspective. 'Barraka' as shot in locations such as New York and the Amazon which are known places and people may have an idea of what they look like. What the film done was show a city or location form a different angle , may it be in a helicopter or on top of a building, which made you question your own view. I want to do a similar thing but with my surroundings. Things such as the underground can be made to look exciting and interesting by finding the right angle to see it from.





This is when I started to take notes when I ever ventured out. I looked for places in which I could change peoples perspective on. On of these locations were Canary Wharf station, and the reason for this is that there are many places in which you could look at it. The station is big and has different levels. These levels are separated by escalators and this is where I believe I could find an angle which would be exciting. Although it may sound simple the difference of high and low levels may be enough to show the station in a whole new light. It is like the feeling you get whenever you go down or up a very long escalator. Another positive is that its in reach of me. It is a train stop away , saving time.








I then moved onto to bigger locations such as Westminster and the Isle of Dogs which is known for its businesses and banks. The reason I picked these locations was because it was where I could find a group of people. For me it was no good just finding a location which no one occupied. I felt that if I was going to get the best out of the locations I was going to needed to show the people who occupied them. London is know for its mixture of ethnicity and culture and so I would be able to exploit this. More importantly both locations held various points in which I could capture these sights. With amazing buildings all around I wouldn't have to look far for some were to shoot.

'Every Picture Tells a Story'

As the theme of our short movies will be 'silent', it is important to explore how past films have been able to achieve this. Many years ago silent movies was all there was to offer due to a lack in technology. We have become use to films including dialogue and so it is now harder for film makers to create silent movies. As in my previous blog I analysed two of the most famous silent movies of the past two centuries. Both films made an impact on the film making word as it had no story line , but a simple sequence of different locations around the world. Now the idea sounds simple , but it was executed with such brilliance that it was as recognised on the same level as any ordinary production. What I'm leading to is that you don't have to have a distinct story line to create a good movie. The locations in "Barraka"were so inspirational that they told the story. This as well as the juxtaposition of a specific soundtrack was what made the film great. So when making my movie I want to be able to achieve a similar thing, to do this I will have to include inspiring locations and props. This leads me to my analyses of paintings. For years paintings have inspired many people and I want to look at how they do this. This is the first picture I looked at and analysed. Its called 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring' and is one of the most famous pictures in the world. What makes the picture so exciting is that people are undecided on whether she is smiling or or smirking. This has lead to many different story's which are told all over the word. Again such a simple painting has caught the attention of so many. The colours used make the picture glow , the black background complements this. If I am going to try to imitate the power of facial expression I am going to need to look into locations carefully and look at different colour schemes. Another picture I looked was called 'The Scream' painted my Edward Mucnh. Edward Mucnh was an expressionist painter and in the picture we see an agonized figure against a bloody sky. Now this picture allows the viewer to ask many question , such as why is he in agony? , or why is the sky red?. Again the painting creates imagination for the viewer as every views it in there own way. The main factor which causes this the facial expression of the man. You could come up with many different story's from this and as along as you could justify it , no one would be able to say you was wrong. From this I learnt that I want to aim to make my audience feel as if they can use there imagination when watching my film. As there will be no dialogue they will need to find a substitute to understand what is going from. This substitute can come from locations, expressions or even props. Overall I need to be detailed but simple if I'm going to make my film exciting.

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Baraka and Koyaanisqatsi-Analysis

Both Baraka and Koyaanisqatsi can be described as silent films in their own respect. Each uses the combination of sequences and soundtracks to tell the story. This type of narrative is unique as no dialogue is used throughout the film. This excites people as they wonder how anyone could tell a story without words. The images and sequences it both films are so powerful that no dialouge is needed. The visual tone contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and music. Reggio (director of Koyaanisqatsi) explains the lack of dialog by stating "it's not for lack of love of the language that these films have no words. It's because, from my point of view, our language is in a state of vast humiliation. It no longer describes the world in which we live.Baraka's subject matter has some similarities—including footage of various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies, and cities thrumming with life, filmed using time lapse photography in order to capture the great pulse of humanity as it flocks and swarms in daily activity. The film also features a number of long tracking-shots through various settings.The movie was filmed at 152 locations in 24 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. Neither film had a plot but both create an powerful feeling, sometimes a film is trying to convey a feeling more than a direct message..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO1nSVy8q8I

Pictures Speak Louder than Words

The reason behind this short movie was to experiment with the power of images. With the theme of our five minute movie being silent, it was important that I stat to get a feel of how to make a short movie powerful without words. My pre-production consisted of coming up with a theme and then working out how i was going to execute my message to the audience. During this period I started to realise that when creating a movie you can usually get lost in the agenda of creating that very 'important' message. I started to learn that its not always about the message but more importantly the feeling. Without the right atmosphere you loose the focus of your audience. This is why when shooting the photo's I tried to think ahead and ask questions of myself , such as why would this image make you feel anger or why would it make you feel remorse. This was a very important learning curve for me and hope to adopt this idea into my upcoming short movie.