Filming Situation...

Since I filmed at the Training weekend, I haven't really done much filming due to different circumstances. Because of this, I am planning to do a bit of filming over the christmas holidays, such as the interviews from Lucy Adams. This means that I have completed yet another bulk of filming for my product. I will also take a stills camera out and gain some images of what I am doing so that I can document it on my blog.

This week and christmas filming

Today I hope to film the scenes with Heworth Grange school council as they are having a meeting. I will be filming the meeting from different angles and making sure that I can a variety of different shots that I could use.

Also, I plan to take a camera out over the christmas holidays. Here I will be able to film my scenes/interview with Lucy Adams outside of the school.

Potential audience

The potential audience for my documentary, will be of a simular age to myself. They don't necassarily need to have an interest in the subject, as I will be explaining why they should throughout :)
It would be an audience of mid-teens to early 20’s.I believe that this is the case because they are the age group that I am aiming to appeal to in the documentary itself. The audience will be both male and female and might have an interest in the subject itself.
It will be aimed at both male and female viewers.

Questions for Lucy Adams

Lee questions

Reflection on my blog so far

In this lesson, I have had somebody else in the class look at my blog. From this, I have gained the opinions of someone knew looking at my blog for the first time and evaluate it.

These are the possitive comments that I gained:

- I have 30 posts :) This is good as it means I am on route to my target amount which is 60
- 'I like the evaluation of filing so far, gets your head into gear and explains to the examiner how it went'
- 'Last year Pressi... evaluative and is very detailed'
- 'Research on Directors and Reviewing documentaries is good... in depth and a good idea of what to do'
- She likes my use of mindmaps throughout my blog
- She thinks that my updates on the blog are good

There were also examples of negative feedback:

- 'Started with a variety but has steered off towards texts only... Put some video in!'
- 'The Prelim powerpoint is thoughrough ... only text though'
- 'The planning is detailed but presented in a very textual way' She also suggested that I use more photo's.

To achieve a higher grade, I must talk more about my potentail audience, as this is something that I am lacking at the moment. I will also need to add some more posts that are not text heavy.

Voice over points

voice overs

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This week! :)

This week, I hope to gain some more footage. This time I will be asking the year 7's questions that I think that they should know about politics and seeing what they think and what their general reactions are going to be.

Evaluation of filming so far

Sounds

The sounds for my documenatry will normally be diegetic, as I will be maiking sure that it is inteviews that are being used. I will also not be using any music over the top, as I am accounting factual infomation, as I have filmed this documentary in a 'direct cinema' way.

The only aspect of my documenatry which will be non-diegetic, will be that of the voiceover which I will use to help convey more information then what I already have captured in my rushes.

A better understanding!

I now have a better understanding of how I wish for my Documenatry to plan out.

The part of the documentary that I am going to create is going to be something that we would typically find in the middle/ near the end. This means that I wouldn’t necessarily have to introduce the documentary itself.

Most of my footage will show the interviewee’s looking straight into the camera.

I will be starting off with a quote that I have gained from one of my interviews. It will more than likely be from Dave Anderson MP. It will then continue to show the elections, through interviews, speeches (medium close up’s) and footage of people voting (close up of the ballot box).

Then I will move on to footage of Lucy Adams, as we can link an interview from the GYA. I will gain the footage of her walking around the school, and add that to the student council footage that I will hopefully be able to capture. (I need establishing shots of the school); (I will also need a variety of shots of her walking around and meeting new people as she goes. (Also gather some long shots of her working within a group at the youth assembly.)

Talk about how she has been involved since year 7, this is when I can sort of link to Andrew (medium close up’s from the training weekend), and also to the interviews with the year 7’s. I will only need to show the summery of the questions. (I will film this with the camera straight to them all). I will be giving them the answers at the same time in order to be able to film their general reactions.

Then we can link to Lee, as he has been involved in Politics from a very early age himself. Show footage from the interview (medium close up’s) and then also long shots of him walking down corridor’s ect. Show him giving his opinion of young people in politics.

Conclude with footage from the group activities from the training weekend. Show some good shots of people working!

Over the next few weeks I plan to...

Editing

I have now started editing together the footage that I have already gained. I have placed in the interviews that I am going to use and the group work/ speeches. With the interviews, I have made sure to use the typical convention of telling the audience the name of the interviewee and what they do at the bottom of the page. This makes my documentary look authentic.
I have also turned the volume of the speeches right down. This allows for me to be able to imput a voice over easier, and allow for people to hear me.
Experimenting with the many different functions on imovie, I have found that some of them might come into use. For example, I might use the fade in/out function at the start/end of my documentary clip.
Although I have started editing, I am far from finished. I should be filming more during the upcomming week, which means that it would be easier to insert more rushes into the existing.

Useage of the footage

This is the footage that I think I am going to use from the GYA training weekend:
• 2 or 3 of the speeches shorten them right down and have a voice over on the top. (Sean, Gennaro and possibly Amanda’s)
• Chair/ vice chair interviews.
• Either the Treasurer/ vice, or the secretary/vice.
• Luke’s interview as an unsuccessful candidate for the position of media rep.
• Dave Anderson, MP, interview. (use a short clip of his to start off the interview)
• Lucy’s interview (and also maybe Andrew’s)
• Use some of the group work footage.

This way I know that I have a variation of different shots/ purposes being covered within my documentary. These are also, I believe, to be the best rushes that I managed to take over the two days.

20th November 2012

Today I started to place some of my existing footage into my documentary. There is still a long way to go, but I have started to edit and crop the shots that I am going to use.

Filming

Over the weekend I started my filming at the Gateshead Youth Assembly training weekend. This was a good start as I managed to record a load of interviews and the election speeches that everyone gained. I also took reaction to the elections interviews, which could feature in my documentary.

possible schedule of the filming

• The training weekend:
o Election shots:
 Voters
 Candidates
 Ballet box shots
 Announcements and reactions
 Post-election interviews:
• Successful candidate
• Unsuccessful candidate
Try to capture some of the ‘bitchiness’ that can come from the outcome.
o Establishing shots of activities/meal times:
 Interview with an established member
 Interview with a new-comer

o Valerie Ender:
 Ask the question, ‘are young people political?’
Get her to rant on about the subject, face to camera. Can cut in between this and the other rushes.

o Chris Hulme :
 He was one of the founders of the GYA.
 He is the treasurer of the Youth Council
 Works within the children in care section of the council.
 Ask him why he thinks it’s important to get involved.

The training weekend itself is on the 10th/11th November, so this is when I plan to get this lot of filming done.

Lucy Adams
• Focus on her
• Gain some observations of her around and about:
o At school (maybe school council) *could do this at the next S.C meeting*
o At GYA *The next full meeting is 13.11.12, but it will probably be the week after on 20.11.12 also*
o At home *Whenever she is free… hopefully within the next 3/ 4 weeks*

• Look at Andrew… keeping it in the family. Ask his opinions of it are as a newcomer and a year 7.
o What he is looking forward to
o What his fears are
*I could achieve both of these tasks whilst at the training weekend*
Interview with a leader
• What his/her general observations are about the issue.
• Ask them if they are pro/anti young people in politics.
*All this should be done within the next month*
Lee Holmes
• Spend a day with him and gather as much information as I can:
o Why he got interested in politics
o Why he finds it interesting and important
o What he thinks should be done in order to encourage younger people to get politically involved

• He is a young person, and Gateshead’s first openly gay councillor.
For this it will more than likely be just about saying what an achievement this is, and just how he could be a role model for other young people who are in his position.
*I want to get this done within the next few weeks. This will be done when Lee is not at university and is available to contribute*

Year 7 class
I can use this to my advantage to show the flip side of the argument:
• Young people aren’t involved in politics
I could ask them a series of questions that range from simple to slightly more complicated and collect their results. Possible questions could include:
• Who is the prime minister?
• Which parties are involved in the current coalition?
• Who are your local councillors?
• What do the secretaries of state form?
• What’s the Prime ministers address?
• What are the three main parts of parliament?
• What is a proposed new law called?
• How many MP’s do you think are in parliament?
*I want to do this within the next two weeks. This way if I make a mistake in filming or want to gain more footage it will be simple and easy to do so.*
Hopefully all my filming will be done by Christmas!!!!

Things to film

Plan of what to film for the documentary

• No presenter
• To be a fly-on-the-wall style
• Trying to prove that some young people are political.

GYA
• The training weekend:
o Election shots:
 Voters
 Candidates
 Ballet box shots
 Announcements and reactions
 Post-election interviews:
• Successful candidate
• Unsuccessful candidate
Try to capture some of the ‘bitchiness’ that can come from the outcome.

o Establishing shots of activities/meal times:
 Interview with an established member
 Interview with a new-comer

o Valerie Ender:
 Ask the question, ‘are young people political?’
Get her to rant on about the subject, face to camera. Can cut in between this and the other rushes.

o Chris Hulme :
 He was one of the founders of the GYA.
 He is the treasurer of the Youth Council
 Works within the children in care section of the council.
 Ask him why he thinks it’s important to get involved.

Lucy Adams
• Focus on her
• Gain some observations of her around and about:
o At school (maybe school council)
o At GYA
o At home

• Look at Andrew… keeping it in the family. Ask his opinions of it are as a newcomer and a year 7.
o What he is looking forward to
o What his fears are

Interview with a leader
• What his/her general observations are about the issue.
• Ask them if they are pro/anti young people in politics.

Lee Holmes
• Spend a day with him and gather as much information as I can:
o Why he got interested in politics
o Why he finds it interesting and important
o What he thinks should be done in order to encourage younger people to get politically involved

• He is a young person, and Gateshead’s first openly gay councillor.
For this it will more than likely be just about saying what an achievement this is, and just how he could be a role model for other young people who are in his position.

Year 7 class
I can use this to my advantage to show the flip side of the argument:
• Young people aren’t involved in politics
I could ask them a series of questions that range from simple to slightly more complicated and collect their results. Possible questions could include:
• Who is the prime minister?
• Which parties are involved in the current coalition?
• Who are your local councillors?
• What do the secretaries of state form?
• What’s the Prime ministers address?
• What are the three main parts of parliament?
• What is a proposed new law called?
• How many MP’s do you think are in parliament?

Rough plan

Start off with the student council. Talk to Lucy and one of the Chair’s. Ask them why they think that things like this are important and what their ‘future’ goals are. Film some of the student council for a while and then cut, hopefully, cut to a different school council to show that not only are important but pretty much every school in the borough has one. I don’t really have to ask them anything, if at all; just film some of their meeting.
Then after that mention how there are a group who meet once a month………………………………… Then gain some footage of GYA/YFG. Explain what they do ect. And then ask if a couple of them will get in front of the camera and say something?
Also I can try to gain some footage of full council. Contact Linda Green or Mick Henry/ Jane Robson to try to get this sorted out!
Main Feature is Lee. Hopefully I will be able to get a load of good footage which will mean that it will be good if I can use some of his footage throughout. I will be able cut in and out and use his opinions in a lot of interesting ways. I will be getting his opinions on the different youth groups ect, and then allow him to tell the audience why politics is so important in life ect.

Brainstorm of places, people and information!

Who and where!

Main Focus: Lucy Adams
Lee Holmes
3 or 4 members of the Youth Assembly
Maybe some of the Irish group
Some opinions of Young People not involved in politics.
Get a member of staff to express an opinion?

Locations: Civic Centre
Inside School (School Council)
Gladstone Terrace?
Maybe another school council? Cardinal Hulme?

Establishing shots: Civic Centre
Different Parts of Gateshead
The school

The Office Analysis - BBC 2

Watch The Office (UK) online (TV Show) - on 1Channel | LetMeWatchThis

The analysed clip has been taken from the first episode of the office, aired in 2001 on BBC. The first technical code that I will look at is Mise-en-scene. For example, something that is very apparent throughout is that they are following the workers when they are in there own norm environment. This is important as it means that they are being filmed in their natural surroundings. Humour is also a common feature here. This is because it is a fictional TV series that has been created in the style of a documentary. Therefore this connotes that they humour has been kept in there in order to keep the audience hooked and entertained throughout.  This also explains why it doesn’t seem that the programme itself is scripted.

Costume mise-en-scene, we can see that they are all wearing what they would normally wear for places such as work. This includes things such as business wear, and all the props are also true to what you would expect to find in an office, such as a stapler. This is important as it shows that they are trying to keep it as realistic as they possibly can.

There is a lot which can be said about the cinematography in the given clip. For example it starts off with a series of establishing shots, including a one of the roundabout and one for the ‘office’. This connotes that they are trying to show that maybe this is the way into work, and is taking the audience there one step at a time.  The camera is something that tends to catch everything. And therefore it is normally used to catch all of the interviews. This however is only true if there is nothing else interesting happening in the background. This is when the interviewee becomes the voice over and we can see that the other characters are doing. For example, if characters are having ‘private moments’ it tends to focus in on them instead. They also tend to take some of these shots through ‘secretive’ places, such as through windows. This gives us the impression that the camera is trying to spy on the characters in order to get what they want.

A number of close up’s have been used upon the ‘interviewer’ to show how he is feeling throughout after every question that has been answered. This allows for the audience to have an insight to what is being thought about, and to if the ‘right’ answer has been given. Whilst filming, we can tell that some of the shots have been filmed from many different angles. This is important as it means that they were able to cut in and out of the different rushes in order to produce a project that looks authentic. Finally the camera is always moving slightly as if it is hand held. This connotes that they are following what is going on at all times. It also gives the impression that he is always following his subjects and getting the best information that he can out of them.

In terms of edits, the one main thing that is always apparent is the use of cuts. They have been used constantly though out this in order to show a sense of continuity and to get a lot of information out into the audience. The cuts have also helped to keep a sense of face paced continuity going, so that the documentary never gets boring and so it keeps moving.

The last technical code left to discuss would be that of sound. For example, yet again, a voice over has been used for when the interviewer has been asking the many questions that he does. This is important as this is a technique that has been used though out the three documentaries that I have analysed. Also no language has been removed from the final clip. This is important as it allows for it to remain looking very genuine and also so that it makes it look real and authentic.

Biggie and Tupac | Documentary jungle - Watch Free Documentaries Online

Biggie and Tupac | Documentary jungle - Watch Free Documentaries Online

Who do you think you are? - BBC 2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01mhh17/

This is a programme, which is normally aired on BBC 2, which follows a well-known person in order to find more about their family history. It tends to just follow one subject matter, by following one side of the family tree.
The mise-en-scene of the locations suggests to us that it is going to be rather informative. This is because the show is based on fact, which is a typical convention of a documentary. If they are talking about a certain object, the camera would point to it. This connotes to the viewers that this is defiantly what they are talking about, and that they have both visual and sound evidence of what they need to know. Because of all of this, it makes it all seem very personal.
In terms of Cinematography, the camera has a habit of zooming in on objects. This connotes the importance of these of these objects as they are brought into focus to the audience. Throughout the clip they have tended to leave some space between the speakers so that they see what is still going on in the background. This shows that they are in public places, mainly, and therefore able to relate to them. There have been a range of shots used, and we can see that they have tended to relay on establishing shots to show us where the action is taking place. This helps the audience to know what is going on and to keep up.
For edits, the camera isn’t always on focus to the person whom is speaking. This reinforces that there are many things that are happening throughout the time that they were filming. We can also see their reaction. There is also a technique that has been constantly used where we can see that the image is going from blurry to being in focus. This is important as it means that our eyes are being drawn to that object that is being presented to us as an audience. There are also a number of cuts that are present as they cut back and forth to the family tree. This also helps to present the continuity as we get the same music being played each time that this happens.
Sound is one of the most important technical codes that have been used throughout the clip. The main reason for this would be the use of the deictic sound in the music. This is because any of the music played tends to be towards the emotions of what is happening. It also tends to help keep the story moving. There is also no real attempt to keep any of the other non-deictic sounds, such as the cars, quieter when they are speaking. Therefore we know that they really are out on location. One of the main features of sound would be the voice over, which appears to be something of importance throughout documentaries as it is something that I keep coming across. This means that we are able to look at artefacts, such as images and documents, and still hear what the professional has to say. This, therefore, means that it will be a good technique for me to use within my own documentary.

Biggie and Turpac - Nick Broomfield

The documentary itself starts off with just music. It has a high pitched and a fast beat. This connotes that it is beginning to build up the suspense and that something important is about to happen. We then start to hear the police sirens come in over the top of the music. This allows us to know for certain that something big has happened. Also, throughout the 30 minute clip, non-dietetic sounds seem to be frequent. During the music, a lot of information is presented in some big, bold white writing. This therefore makes it to stand out against the black background. We can then also know that the series of events are all documented very accurately. Something else we see, later on, is that Broomfield always stays in character throughout. This is made apparent because even when the police turn up he still continues to make his documentary. We can also see that he is just using Normal people in their own natural backgrounds. We can tell this when he continues to walk into barbers and supermarkets to gather their opinions. It is also very informative, ‘and it was just around the corner where he started rapping’.
A variety of shot types have been used. To start with we get close up’s of all the surroundings and the Crime scene for Turpac. This is good as it means that they will get a good overview of what has happened. There are also a number of quick cuts all the time which means that they are keeping the story going and fluent. Zooms are also common. This is when they are zooming in, in order to focus on an object that may even be in the middle of the frame. A medium shot is used when interviewing Tupac’s father’s questions... it gives it a more relaxed feel. Whereas when he first started the interview it was a close up... which made it feel a bit more serious.
When we see Broomfield interviewing, we can see that the camera has put him at the side of the shot; therefore we can see that he is the one directing all the questions. It also tells us for sure that he is paying attention and listening to what the interviewee is saying. There are even long shots to see the person even when he is not really being interviewed yet... just on the phone a little while away. This allows the audience to know that he is still the focus at the current time, but he is just not being talked about just yet.
The use of the hand held camera seems to be common throughout. This is because they were following the subject around. It sort of connotes that they are following them at all times and therefore following their journey. The use of the hand held cameras have also helped them to gain the same shots from many different angles… therefore making sure that they gain sufficient footage. It also means that the camera is always with them, even when they are in cars.
A voice over is common, which is something that I have found common in all the documentaries I have watched. Also the camera seems to jump slightly when they are interviewing. This happens when he is interviewing his father and other rappers from his time. This seems to be a regular technique throughout. This could be to emphasis the shot.

To see this documentary, click on the link two posts above.

Nick Broomfield

Nick Broomfield is one of the most well-known English documentary makers in our time. Since he began his career in 1971, he has directed/produced over 30 documentaries.
During his career Nick, was originally influenced by the observational style of the likes of Fred Wiseman, Robert Leacock and Pennebaker. This was all before he moved on to the more idiosyncratic style in which he is now better known for. This style became a lot more experimental, and he preferred it this way.

Broomfield is best known for his self-reflexive film-making style – a film being about the making of itself as much as it’s about the subject matter. This seems to be a style that has also been used recently by: Michael Moore, Louis Theroux and Morgan Spurlock, and they have all gained some box office his.

His best work is probably Kurt and Courtney, which is a documentary about Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, one of the few films that was selected, and then later banned from the Sundance Film Festival. He had already won a prize at this festival for solider girls.

I think that it will be important to look at some of his work as I will also be both directing and producing my own product in a similar way that he does. I will be looking at one of his documentaries to look at his style and to see how I might be able to incorporate it into my own.

Email

For my documentary I will need to get as many opinions as I can. Because of this I have asked Gatesheads youngest Councilor if he would be interested in answering a few questions to the camera which I could put into the documentary.

Since sending the intial email, I have recieved a reply informing me that he would be more than happy to do this.

A2 Production

Since the analysis of the horror trailers, I have changed my idea for my A2 project. I now hope to create a different type of moving image project in form of a documentary. I will be working as an individual on this project, and its aim will be to highlight youth involvement in Politics.
For my Anciliary tasks I will produce:
• A newspaper advert
• TV listings

Last years work!

This is a presentation that I made along with three other students to help evaulate the work from the year before. The pepole whom I worked with were: Laura Dent, Bethany Drape and Isla Johnson.

Last years work

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Last year!

What I can learn from last year! on Prezi

The evaluation for the preliminary task!

Evaluation for moving image chase scene

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Preliminary Task

This is our moving image preliminary project, in which I joined with another group to create this chase scene.

Analyse three music videos or trailers or short films, according to the usual technical codes – mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound. Consider how what you are seeing and hearing supports the narrative or the lyrics and how the text has been designed to appeal to its target audience; in this respect think about the text’s use of generic conventions.

¬Trailer 1
‘The woman in Black’ ~ 2012



The Woman in Black, 2012, is a horror film that is set in an old woman’s home. The trailer itself shows the audience how it is classed as a horror through the use of the four technical codes.
The first technical code that I am going to consider is Mise–en-scene. We start off by seeing the children’s toys. This connotes that children are going to play a part in the story. We can also see that the toys are not in good condition. This gives the scene more of an edge to it and it makes the audience feel on edge themselves. One of these toys is a clown… which many children are afraid of. This could be a taste of what is to come. The gothic interior of the house connotes that it’s old. We also can’t see what is at the end of the corridor. This allows the feeling of the unknown to take over.
The little girls in the attic are wearing the typical norm for that era, dresses with bows in their hair. This connotes that whatever is going to happen can happen to anyone. When the same three girls are about to jump out the window we can see that one of them stands on the doll on the floor. This sort of suggests that they are losing their innocence. It’s connoting that this against the norm thing for little girls to do.
When we see the shot of the town we can see that it looks like any normal town, no one would know what kind of secret it was hiding. We also can see that the characters have had to travel to the house by horse and carriage. This not only tells us that it is set in the past, so they are retelling a story, but also gives the feel of isolation, that you had to travel to reach this house. Meaning that it is out of the way of the town itself.
When we see his face through the window we can see that it is raining outside. This is the typical weather that we expect to see in a horror film, as well as being set in an area situated by a graveyard. At the end we can see the Woman in Black herself appearing behind him. This connotes that it is him whom see is after and that she could be about to get him. The screen goes black straight after which leaves the viewers thinking about what they have seen, and wondering what is going to happen next.
The next technical code that I am going to consider is cinematography. The first shot given is an establishing shot of a child’s bedroom. This connotes immediately that children will play a large part in the entirety of the film. There is then a close up to the dolls face. Here we can see that it’s not in the best of conditions, and can therefore conclude that they haven’t been played with for a long time. Later on we can see that the camera seems to zoom in on the picture to show the little boy coming more into the shot. This suggests that he is going to play an important role in the film itself, and emphasising the importance of children within the film. Close up of the little girl standing on the doll shows how everything is changing, this is just before she jumps out of her attic window. And then the bird’s eye view of the young boy walking up to the house from the graveyard helps to create the suspense as we are now sure that children play a large part of the film itself.
There is a long shot of the corridor shows that they live in a large house. The fact that we can’t see what is at the end of the corridor as the camera is travelling down it creates suspense. A long shot of the horse and carriage coming along the beach shows us that they are isolated. It is as if they have come a long way to get to their final location. The camera then follows the carriage as it gets closer to the house itself. This helps build the suspense as we know that they will have reached their destination soon.
There are many of the main characters point of view shots throughout the trailer. This connotes that he is the most important influence of what is going to happen. That he is in charge of the destiny. There is also a Bird’s eye view hot of him entering the house for the first time. This connotes that whatever is in the house already is much more powerful than him. There is also a close up of him closing the door and standing against it. It is as if he is attempting to keep whatever is inside that room in there. The camera follows him as he is running down the corridor. It gives us the feeling that the audience are the ones that he is running from. This also helps to give the audience a more active role inside the film.
The third technical code that I am going to look at is edits. The trailer itself fades in, which gives off a sense that a story is beginning. It then also fades out at the end of the shot, which allows us to image for ourselves how the movie might end. It gives the audience more of a chance to wonder what exactly is happening.
There are a series of quick cuts that help to build up suspense throughout the trailer. These cuts seem to get quicker as the story itself is being told. Each of these cuts lasting rough fully 2 seconds each. This helps to increase the pace of the story itself that is being told and to allow the audience’s hearts to get going. In-between the cuts, we can see that the screen goes black. This helps to connote the feeling that time is passing and that many things could be going on between each clip that we see.
The final technical code that I am going to discuss is sound. The only dietetic sound that we hear is when the child is telling us the story of the woman in Black herself. The sound of a child telling the story of the film then cuts over the top of all other sound. This gives her a sense of importance. Her voice is pretty much in one tone which connotes that she is not scared of the tale that she is beginning to tell.
There is plenty of non dietetic sound going on however. The first sound that we hear sounds a little bit like wind. It is as if they are trying to set the scene through the use of the weather. It then starts with a high pitched beat from the monkey’s instrument which begins to cut across the sound of the wind, which is soon joined by the other children’s toy’s instruments to make up a small melody.
There is a deep sound that crescendo’s in the background as the story moves on. This creates the suspense of the trailer. The sound of thunder cuts across the music so that people can start to tell that the story is building up just like the weather seems to be doing. Heavy drum beats keep over powering the music when the scene cuts. This connotes that all the parts are important and building up to a climax.

The sounds in the trailer relate to the generic sounds of a horror trailer as they are loud and strong. They also tend to be bold and can be eerie, which adds to the suspense being built up throughout. This helps support what the story is trying to make you feel. This can also be seen throughout the writing in the trailer. The writing in the wall, ‘you could have saved him’, appears to have been written in blood. This connotes that someone must have died, or is going to die in the near future. The title of the film at the end is put onto the window in what looks to be ‘dripping’ writing. It also looks like a black dress in covering part of the writing itself. This connotes that she is always there, and watching. The feeling of blood allows it to stand out and it looks as if it belongs to be there.


Trailer 2
‘Basement’ ~ 2010



‘Basement’, 2010, is a horror film that is set in a tunnel underground. The trailer itself shows the audience how it is classed as a horror through the use of the four technical codes.
The first technical code that I am going to discuss is Mise-en-scene. We start of by seeing that it is set in the woods in the daylight. This connotes that there are many places to hide in this location. This is also a safe location as they are out in the open. We can then see that there are ladders leading down the hole in the ground. Connoting that they will be taken away from where it is considered safe, out of the known. Shortly after they enter this tunnel we can see that they become trapped, and the confined places show that there aren’t many places for them to hide. The words, ‘Help’ have appeared to be written in blood on the walls of the tunnels. This now confirms the feelings that we have of the characters being trapped within the walls of the tunnels.
We can see that there are four adult characters. All of which are wearing the typical clothing that you would find people of today wearing. This connotes that they are just normal everyday people. Maybe they are friends. We can see a woman who looks like she has been in there for a while, which connotes that they are trapped in the tunnel for good and that there is no escape.
We can then see that there is a lot of blood being introduced, as one persons leg is cut open and blood appearing on one of the female characters hands. Being that the character is female shows vulnerability.
The names of the actors seem to have been given an inner glow to them, giving them a ghostly feeling. When we see the tunnel in a green light, it connotes that whatever is following them is not normal at all.
The second technical code that I am going to explore is cinematography. The camera pans at the beginning as if to show us where the scene is taking place. It also shows the audience that there is no one around or hiding amongst the trees.
There is a lot of use of the close up throughout the trailer. For example, there is a close up of the hole and the ladders to show what the main focus of the story will be. There is also a close up of the woman’s hand to show that the walls are dirty. This connotes that this tunnel isn’t well kept, as if not many people have been down there. And also a close up is used to emphasis the woman when she appears to be dead. This denotes the sense of fear amongst the audience.
The camera stays still and allows for the characters to run into shot. This connotes that they are running away from something, and almost past us. And also, there is normally a lot of space above the character’s heads, which is a usual technique in films. This could connote that they are small in comparison to whatever is chasing them perhaps.
The third technical code that I am going to explore is edits. There are a series of quick cuts at the start of the trailer. This connotes that there has been a passing of time, as we can later see as they have moved towards their goal. There are also cuts between the different locations of the tunnel and the outside to show how empty it is. This allows it to appear that they are in fact alone in this tunnel. The titles are placed in between the cuts of the clips. This connotes that time is indeed passing quickly.
The camera fades slightly as it comes from the hole back to the characters as if to keep the hole in the picture for just a few moments longer. This seems to be a process that continues to happen throughout the remainder of the trailer. It is as if it is trying to emphasis some of its points.
The camera flashes a light when it fades out to increase the tension within the scene. The camera also turns green as it is running down the corridor, this connotes that something not human is running down there. The camera is also being hand held. This gives the audience the sense that they are running along the corridor with them.
The final technical code I am going to look into is the area of sound, and what that can add to the atmosphere. The first piece of non dietetic sound that we hear comes from the sound of birds. This connotes that it is normal day, as you would expect to hear the birds in the trees.
The music within the trailer started off as a quiet high pitched eerie sound at the beginning of the trailer. But it is low enough that we can here the characters talk above it. The music then crescendos as the scene moves along… building up the tension. A heavy drop beat, sort of represents what you would hope their heart beats sound like… fast and heavy.
Through the use of dietetic sound, we can gather a lot more about the scene that they are attempting to set. We can hear the bang when the door closes above them. This creates a certainty that they are indeed trapped down there. But we can also gather a lot about how they are feeling from the characters themselves. For example, there is a lot of screaming near the end of the trailer. This connotes just how scared that they have became.
The language that the script writers have decided to use also sets the tone of the situation. “We’ve got to get out of here, and we haven’t got time to debate about it”. This sort of language show’s certainty and that they are scared to be down there. It is as if they have a bad feeling of what is about to come/ happen.

The sounds and writing that has been used throughout the trailer itself are commonly used throughout the use of horror trailers. This is because they are used to create tension. The use of the ghostly and blood like writing shows what we should expect to see within the film itself.


Trailer 3
‘Insidious’ ~ 2011



‘Insidious’, 2011, is a horror film that is set in the typical American household. The trailer itself shows the audience how it is classed as a horror through the use of the four technical codes.
The first technical code that I am going to discuss is Mise-en-scene. The very first shot is an ordinary man sitting in a chair facing the camera. This connotes that he has something to do with the main story. Later we see more shots of the character, as we learn that they are a family. The mother is holding her soon close to her... connoting that they are close, and that she is rather protective of him and her children. The house looks like it could belong to anyone, connoting that this could happen to anyone.
It is the young boy whom falls of the ladder which shows that he is vulnerable to whatever is going to happen. We later see him in a coma which confirms our suspicions that something bad is going to happen or has happened to him. This allows the audience to know that this is where all the trouble is going to begin.
We can see that the baby is obviously in despair although there doesn’t seem to be anything else in the room. This allows for tension to be created, the audience is sure that something is going on now. We can also see the rocking horse moving on its own which helps create the tension.

There are many people who we see are ‘haunting’ the household throughout the trailer. This creates the suspicion that there are many people within the haunted household. We get an example at the end of the trailer also when a woman appears to fly towards the camera. This connotes that they are trying to give the impression that she is coming to get you, and therefore creating even more suspense.

The second technical code that I am going to look at is cinematography. At the very beginning we have a close up of the man. This is showing the viewers that he is an ordinary man and that there is nothing unusual about him. The family shots are then mainly long shots, this way we can see them together. There is also an establishing shot to show the house where the drama will be taking place in, to show the average American household.

There are also a number of close up’s in this trailer. The first is placed upon the time piece, this connotes that time is an important factor within the movie itself. We then see a close up of the ladder when it breaks from under the little boy’s foot. This gives us the impression that this fall will have a very large impact on what happens throughout the remainder of the film.

The suspension continues when we see the man who is haunting the household behind the father of the household. As it is an over the shoulder shot, we get the feeling that they don’t exactly know what it is, and that it is not showing itself clearly to its family just yet.

The third area that I am going to explore is edits. At the start the scene fades out and then into the time keeper. This connotes that time is beginning to run out. This again is a technique which seems to continue throughout the trailer itself. The camera then moves to focus back onto the man sitting on the chair. This connotes that he is very important throughout this film.

There is yet again a series of quick cuts present to show how time is passing by throughout the life of the family. This also allows us to, however, see that they have went through their lives as a normal family, living normal lives. And by showing the audience this it connotes that it’s all about to change.

The camera seems to pan into focus on what is the key item in the scene... for example the baby monitor. This denoted that they are trying to bring those particular objects into focus to the audience.

When it moves on to when it starts to show the information, they cut very quickly... keeping with the pace. This means that they are attempting to show us all the relevant information within the speed that the story itself is unfolding.

The final technical code that I am going to explore is sound. The continuous tone of the time piece can be heard throughout the entirety of the trailer. It is as if it is reminding the audience that time is always passing by. It is playing as a constant reminder of what is important throughout the trailer itself. There are loud beats when we see the titles coming up. Making the audience jump perhaps, and allowing for their heart beats to increase.
We can also hear the sound of the rocking horse moving and the doors slamming in the background. This allows for everything to be put into context as we can see where the sounds are coming from. It also seems to increase the suspense throughout the trailer.
‘There’s someone in there with him’, this is also the typical language that you would expect to see in a horror film. It helps to raise suspicion of what is really happening out there, and we can also see what is happening... therefore our hearts start to beat faster once more.

The writing in this trailer, for example, when it says, ‘from the making of...’ is in white and bold writing which means it tends to stand out. Therefore it keeps within the generic norm for a horror trailer along with the sounds/ music that have been shown within the trailer itself, as they both seem to fasten the viewer’s heartbeats, and create the tension/ suspense.

Final Product

EVALUATION: Who would be the audience for your media product?

The ideal audience for my magazine would be an audience that was made up of young teens of male and female genders from the ages of rough fully 13 to 18. The reason why I have chosen to target both genders is because my type of music is so specific I didn’t want to limit my audience anymore than I had. The reason for my age range is because this is the norm age range for this type of genre.
My audience would all have the interests of the pop rock genre of music, and would more than likely all be from the working class background. They would buy the typical amount of music for anyone of that age, and the majority of it will be of the pop rock genre, as well as music magazines which could be considered to follow the same genre of music that I have followed.
I have priced my product at £2.50 and I probably would only publish an issue once a month. This is because since I am targeting young teens from the working class I didn’t want to make my magazine too costly for my target audience to afford. This gives me a larger chance to expand on my audience, and so that my magazine is relatable for everyone.

EVALUATION: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? part 2

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My audience has also changed since the first task, as before it was such a niche audience of about 1000 people or so. This is because it was for one school, whereas my music magazine will be aimed at a larger audience as many people listen to music on a daily basis. I have also learnt a lot more about how Photoshop works throughout the process. This is because I have discovered how the programme works and how I could have used it to the best of my advantage.

EVALUATION: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

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EVALUATION: How did you attract/ adress the audience?

Copy of How did you attract/adress the audience? on Prezi

EVALUATION: What have you learnt about new technologies from the process of creating this product?

Since I begun to produce this product, I have learnt about many new technologies. One of the main ones that I have learnt to use was the use of a camera. I had never really used one of those cameras before and it took me a while to get used to using it. I have learned that it is very important to check what the settings should be before going out and taking photos. This is because I could have saved a lot of time in the process if I had knew that I had knocked the camera in order to make the images too small to use on my front cover. I have also learnt how easy it is to get the right angles for the images through the use of a tripod... and that it isn’t hard to get the right lighting on the right backgrounds.

The second piece of new technology that I am going to discuss is the use of Photoshop. I have found how easy it is to develop my products and to edit them due to this programme. I used the magic wand tool to cut all the images out and to place into the appropriate places. The text itself was also very easy to place onto the final product. This was because I began by creating the copy on Microsoft word. I then created the columns by using text box’s and the grid function (to ensure that all my spacing was correct). Then all that I had to do was copy and paste the text into the appropriate places. I also got my musical notes from this programme in its shapes section. This allowed me to make sure that my cover is unique, and stands out from many others that you may find in the shops.

Throughout the process of creating my product, I have also been keeping track of all of my process through the use of my blog. This has meant that as well as becoming a consumer, I have also become a prosumer. This is because by using the blog, I have been expanding my own knowledge and I have been able to see what other people think about my product itself. I have been publishing my work on the internet for everybody else to see.

EVALUATION: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The company which I believe would be great for distributing my music magazine would be Bauer. The reason why I think that they would be great my magazine is because they have already had great success in publishing and distributing other magazines, such as Q. Since Bauer is a great multimedia company, I feel that they would be able to take more risks in the decisions that they make in publishing. My magazine isn’t what they would normally publish, as the audience that I have chosen is younger than their usual. But, I have also used the theme Pop Rock, with a layout which they would usually use... which means that it wouldn’t be too different to the material that they already publish.
My audience themselves will be slightly younger than the average for their normal market, but by producing my magazine I believe that it would help them expand into that niche market, and therefore help to expand their profits. Using this company to distribute my product would mean that I would be helping them to reach into this market. Although this is the kind of company which would be aiming for a higher audience, but they would be able afford taking a risk with mine through the profits that they have already created.

EVALUATION: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My first photos that I took involved Charlotte in a pink waistcoat and pants which contained roses on them. They were taken in the old media classroom with the white screen behind them so they were easy to cut out. I took shots of my model both standing and then also sitting on the floor. When she was sitting on the floor she was positioned with the guitar and her legs to one side. When she was standing she was mainly leaning against the guitar itself. I used a variety of shots, including long and close ups, and the majority of the images contained my model using an acoustic guitar.

I then went on to take some more photos, as I was not happy about the set that I had already taken. This is when I took my model out to the Quayside and the old keep in Newcastle to take some more. In these images I had my model wear a black and grey dress, a green jacket and brown ankle boots. I did this because then it appealed more to the pop audience, with the backgrounds which could be used for its rocky edge. This meant that, after I used a variety of shots once more, they could fit in nicely with the feature article.

Finally I changed my model’s clothes once more, in front of the white screen in the media classroom. I did this as I wanted a good medium shot for my front cover. My model was wearing brown pants with a colourful vest top and stringy waistcoat. This meant that I would be able to use my model on my front cover. I also used other models for my contents page.

• In my front cover image, what is being represented is that my model is just an ordinary teenager. It represents that she is a teenager, and looks like the average one along with the many others. She looks like she is from the working class as she is wearing clothes that other young people may also be wearing. She is also representing female artists.
The editor of my contents page looks like she could also be of the working class; this is due to the fact that she is wearing piercings. She is also looking straight to the camera, which suggests that she is smart, and so she represents other young women.
My third model is wearing a demin waistcoat, jeans and a skull scarf. She is also female, and she looks like the working class. She is looking smart and the way she is sitting suggests something like a rock background maybe.
My final model, is wearing skinny leggings, a long top and a green jacket. It is also clear that she is wearing an amount of makeup. This means that she appeals not only to females, but to a rock audience as she is holding her guitar. She is also looking like she may be from the working class.
In the feature article my model is wearing the pink waistcoat ect. This image makes her seem maybe a little older, and also that she could be from the middle class. The other image is her in the dress, which makes her seem more girly, and relates more to that pop audience.
• The codes that have been used throughout my models are that they look relatable to my possible audience. According to Price (1993), “the way in which ideas, objects, people, groups and life- forms are depicted by the mass media”. I believe that this is this means that when people look at my model they will see that it is possible to be like her. They look relatable, and they all look as if they came from that of a working class background. They are all look as if they have come from within the pop rock genre. This is because of the way in which they have been dressed and the way in which they have been posing.
• The representation has been made to seem ‘true’, ‘commonsense’ and ‘natural’ as they are all wearing outfits that can be bought out on the British high street itself. I believe that my models all go against the stereotype, which has been mentioned in Gauntlett’s (2008) theory. This is because when we typically see women in magazines they all look as if they want something. They mainly have skin showing, which is something that I have made sure is not true of my models, as they are all fully clothed. In music magazines they always wear full makeup and are dressed to suit a certain theme, which is what my models are like, but not to the extreme as some.
• In the foreground of all my images is my model in whatever they are wearing. In the majority of the images that I have used is the white screen, but in some it is location. This is because I believed that the bricks in the background would be something that could relate to the genre of music that I decided that I was going to portray. It gives them the Rock edge that I was looking for, and it looks like it could be off any street which was the message that I wanted to show.
• I believe that my representation would be that of the ordinary young person who would see these images in a magazine. This is all down to the image that my model is portraying. This can be explained by Price 1993, as she states that basically the media is how they want it to be seen. So because I have made it so that all my audience will be able to see that my model is just the average girl, they might be able to relate to her too. I mean she is white and middle class, which is what the majority of my audience, will more than likely be.
• My representation is being aimed at my target audience. I know this because for one thing, my models are all looking into the camera in some way or another which helps to pull them in. Also all my models could look as if they are in their age groups, and therefore they could be the ones that these people all look up to, and inspire to be them.
• The representation means to me something that it may not be the same to others. This is because they might not see the stories and the images in the same light as I do. I see them as being just ordinary people, friends that I have used to take some images for my magazine. Whereas my audience won’t necessarily know them themselves, and will just see them as someone knew. They will be able to see them in a different light, and will be able to stereotypically judge them. This is an area which Gauntlett, 2008, looks into, with his 6 different looks into stereotypes. I would like to think that my audience will think as my models as the ‘Outsider’ role model as they don’t really know anything about them.
• Many people make sense of it all in different ways. But many people do just tend to use Gauntlett’s stereotypes as a way of interpretation what is going in the images. They look at the 6 different stages and decide what they agree with and what they don’t. They could also look at the subordinate and dominant features of what is going on, for example Middle class is dominant to Working class in the majority of the cases. This could mean that all the opinions could be recognised as either great or complete opposites of one another.

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

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

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EVALUATION: Audience Feedback

Audience Feedback

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The developments for my Feature Article

The Feature Article developments

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The developments for my Contents page

The Contents Page developments

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The developments for my Front Cover

The Front Cover developments

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Origional flat plans

This is the plat plan for my front cover

Here I have placed the main image large and in the centre of the page. I have placed a number of hooks around the image in order to make it look as much like a conventional front cover as possible. I then also added a banner at the top of the page in order to draw in the attentions of potential buyers. Here is the flat plan for my contents page:

The reason I have kept the large fonts at the top is to keep with my house style. I have then placed all my stories in different signposted coloumns in order to keep it neat and tidy. I have added an editors letter in order to make it seem more authentic and used a number of images of different people in order to allow readers to see what else could have been in this article These are my flat plans for my feature article

I have kept to the typcal conventions of a magazine by keeping my text in columns. I have also added three images to keep the readers entertained, when also adding indented quotations in order to grab the attention of the readers.

Photos that I havent used

The reason that I have not ued this image is because you can see my models bra strap, and I didn't believe that this would be something that would make my final product look proffesional.

I have decided that I am not to use this image as my models eye's are closed. This means that the viewers can not see her eyes and it wouldnt look proffesional in a magazine.

I have decided that I am not goin to use this image as it is blury. This made the image poor and therefore would look unproffesional in a magazine.

Magazine research

Media Studies Music Magazine

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Questionnaire results

Questionnaire results

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Question type research

There are two types of questions that you can use which are open and closed.
Open questions are the ones that you don’t give them options. These questions are good when you know that there are going to be multiple answers of them. Or that it is going to be a question where you know that there is going to be an opinion included in there. For example, ‘What is your favourite band?’ or, ‘In your opinion, what colours attract you to a product?’ This means that people have a chance to expand on their answers.
Closed questions are better when you are looking for a particular answer to something. Or something where you can only have particular answers for. For example, ‘Are you male or Female?’ This means that you will only get the answers that you need. This is also the type of question where you are more than likely going to use a scale for.

Music Questionnaire

I will be handing out this questionnaire to my target audience:


1. Are you male or female?
Male female

2. How old are you?


3. What is the type of music that you typically listen to?
___________________________________________________________

4. Do you normally buy music magazines?

Yes No

5. If no why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What makes you stop and look at a particular magazine?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. How often would you say you bought a magazine?

Often Sometimes Rarely
8. How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

Less than £1
£1 to £2.50
£2.50 to £5
More than £5

9. What stories draw you in to read a magazine?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. In your opinion, what is the most important feature we should see in a magazine?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. How often do you like to see magazines released?

Weekly
Monthly

12. What colour scheme would attract you to a magazine?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. If you do buy music magazines, which ones do you buy?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Would you rather read an interview or an article on an artist?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Who are your top 3 artists or bands?
•
•
•

16. What sort of offers would you like to see included in the magazine? (circle)
CD’s
Concert tickets
VIP access
All of the above
Something else… if so please explain ______________________________________

17. What would be your deciding factor in buying a magazine?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. How do you generally hear about the magazines? (please circle)

Word of mouth
Just spot in on the shelves
See a friend with the magazine

19. Have you any other comments about music magazines? Y N
20. If yes, what are they?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________