A word for those students in 12 B - both B1 and B2

It came to light in the last few days of term that many of you still hadn't completed the editing essay. There have been several opportunities in class to complete this work (despite protests to the contrary) and extra time of two weeks has been given since this issue was first raised to allow you to complete this work. Several students in B and all of the students in E were able to complete the work and therefore this shows it was perfectly possible to get the work done.

Having found that some of you still haven't completed the work, you were asked to complete as much as you could in one hour's lesson. Some of you have submitted a couple of lines, a paragraph, or no work at all. This is clearly unacceptable for A-Level students' output in one hour (or even half and hour!).

We set this work back on the 11th November (and all the things needed to complete have been on the blog since). Even a completed mindmap was uploaded on 23rd Nov - the deadline was 8th Dec and you've had a further two extra weeks since then. If you are one of the students who hasn't handed in a complete essay for the Pillow Talk vs Fringe essay, this is forewarning that we will still be expecting this work to be completed.

If you are following this blog as we have asked, you will have a chance to do this over the holidays - all you need is on the blogs and you can contact Mrs T in the usual fashion at any time if you need help. Those of you who still don't have the work in January will be given one week further to complete the essay or we will be forced to consider your suitability for the next part of the course where reliability and meeting deadlines is extremely important - not the least because YOUR WORK (or lack thereof) will directly affect the exam results of others. As responsible educators, we will not be acting in the best interests of reliable, hard-working students if we knowingly put them in groups with students who have repeatedly shown they are incapable of getting work done as required, despite so much extra time and support.

The majority of students have managed this work and if you are one of those, well done! Enjoy your Christmas and we'll see you in January!

Christmas Homework

Just a quick reminder of what the Christmas holiday work is:

1. Complete a storyboard for the first few minutes of a film that you have 'invented'. This can be ANY genre and must be something YOU have made up. Please use the Storyboard sheets we gave you OR if you wish to use another method, please ensure the same details that are on the sheet are on your version of the storyboard. Copies were given out in class but can be viewed and downloaded HERE. There are lots of sheets in the teaching pack to support you if you're still unsure about storyboarding and they can also be accessed via Scribd's MediaMonkey account (see links top right). Alternatively, google "storyboard" for hundreds of online pages of additional help and images.

2. Please watch as many Films and TV Dramas as you can over the holidays, trying to think about the aspects of Film Language that we have been covering in the last term (SOUND, LIGHT, CAMERA MOVEMENT, EDITING, Mise-en-scene, COLOUR, FRAMING).

Sound Effects - Foley Track

Here's the track for yr12 B to watch - sorry it's up late! It's only a few minutes long...

Using this BLOG!!

You need to be aware of how important it is to keep up to date with your blog and with THIS blog - this is your class hub where all important information, assignments and copies of things we use to teach you will be hosted.

You can link your blog to ours by using a "blog link" gadget (in the design page) which will show you when we have posted something new OR alternatively you can use any of the subscribe methods (facebook, twitter, RSS feeds etc) at the top right of this blog!

Editing - some questions to help you...

Mindmap for Pillow Talk vs Fringe essay

Here's a completed mindmap - what you would do is add examples from the texts to each of the points, When completed, follow the remaining steps as shown below on the essay question sheet.

EDITING ESSAY

This is a BIG piece of work that will give you a diagnostic and detailed mark feedback and will enable us to assess your progress so far.

You need to make sure you take as many detailed notes as possible on the two extracts for your digital storyboards. You must then finish working your way through your mindmaps.

After this you should have lots of detailed examples and ideas relating to the question. SORT these ideas into groups and then into a COHERENT order that forms an argument and answers the question of course!

When you later start to write your essay you will find you have a structure and examples all ready for you - all you have to do is concentrate on writing the points clearly and in full sentences and paragraphs! Simples!

Remember to copy your storyboard docx into your learning gateway area so you can access your work at home - the extracts are both on the blog rather than youtube.

You will all have the same amount of time to do the essay but the deadlines are different because 12E1 have already started as they are one lesson ahead. The deadlines are as follows and are STRICT - no excuses - any problems come and see us BEFORE it's too late!!

12E1 - 1st Dec 2010
12B1 - 8th Dec 2010
12B2 - 8th Dec 2010

Guide for comparing "Pillow Talk' and "Fringe'

comparing editing pillow talk - help sheet

CHECKPOINT

What should be on your blog now:

1. Sherlock Holmes Review

2. The work on showing examples of the different camera movements

3. Upload and link your powerpoint on Secrets and Lies. You need to embed/link to my youtube secrets and lies video (check out youtube account mediamonkeymovies and choose the Secrets and Lies video that has ALL the clips on it so you only have to upload ONE video) It is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmKP9GP1eHs - you need to view it get the embed code.

You also need to cut and paste your notes from your powerpoint into Blogger as it won't show your notes on the presentation from Slideshare.

4. You should upload your Horror shot you took (don't worry about your planned shot drawing) and write a short commentary on:
     a. how it differs from what you planned/imagined
     b. what you found from trying to actually shoot the still from a practical point of view
     c. how effective you think your shot is

Plagiarism - Copying other's work

PLAGIARISM

The rules on plagiarism of coursework are quite clear; anyone found guilty of plagiarising anyone else's work will be disqualified from entry to this unit by the school. The exam board will be informed of our decision, and are likely to uphold it.


This ruling relates to all work entered as coursework including research, planning, ideas, notes etc on your blog.


Definition of plagiarism: passing off someone else's work as your own, including work that has been altered to make it look as if it is yours. This could include the work belonging to someone else at West Hatch in your group, class, year group, or another year group. It could also include the work of a student from another school, or a media analyst who publishes their work in any format, including the internet.

This DOES NOT mean you cannot research on the internet and use other people's work where you refer to their work (that is, acknowledge you took their ideas) but the blogs are to show YOUR work and anything you put on your blog that isn't your own work is considered to be cheating (unacknowledged copying = plagiarism).


BE WARNED!!! There will be no 2nd chances when it comes to proven plagiarism. Thanks to N Blackborow for this :-)

Fringe - Extract conversation, S03 E01 Olivia

Pillow Talk Extract

Pillow Talk Vs Fringe - Your Task

Your task is to watch the two conversations for "Pillow Talk" and "Fringe (canted..timmed). You need to watch them through with QuickTime on the macs and every time there is an edit you need to pause it and using CMD, SHIFT and 4 take a picture of the frame. When you have taken the picture, rename it "pillow1' or 2,3,4 in sequence.

You then need to open a word document and paste the pictures into the document down the left hand side, in order and then label them with the details as shown on the storyboard sheet. You need to include: Shot No, Type of shot (framing), the edit (wipe? straight cut? Dissolve? Fade up?) brief dialogue (don't type it all but do the starting line and ending line), Sound, camera movement and the duration of the shot.

Do the same with Fringe. We will then be working on comparing the two. You will be doing the comparison yourselves and you will be given a sheet to help you write it up. this piece will be assessed.

This task is time limited to a maximum of TWO lessons including today (Thurs/Fri).

Editing

There are a few things we need to know for AS about regarding EDITING:

PACE
STYLE
HOW MEANING IS AFFECTED

In relation to pace, we're interested in how often there is a cut. Obviously in a main part of a film, there will be a fairly steady pace of editing, with the exception of conversations where it is quite normal to be cutting between two speakers on a rapid basis. This will involve SHOT-REVERSE SHOT and Over The Shoulder (OTS) shots. Where the action or tension is increasing, there tends to be an increase in the pace of editing - that is there are MORE edits per minute. This is a generalisation obviously but a good rule of thumb.

When filming and cutting a conversation or action sequence, it is important NOT to break the 180 degree rule (i.e. you don't cross the line to film from the other side of the action). This would confuse the audience as objects and people will appear on the 'wrong' side of the screen and audiences use direction and other editing rules to make sense of the action.

You need to stay on one side of the line!

For a classic example of how an increase in pace of editing matches a rise in tension and action, watch the Psycho shower scene:

Count how many edits there are in the first 1mins 38 secs then count how many from there to the end - that should give you an idea of the increase in pace. There is also a very good graphic match in this sequence between the bath plughole and Janet Leigh's eye.

Styles of Edit

There are lots of ways to move from one image to the next - these are often called 'Transitions' and certainly this is what we call them when we are editing.

The main edit styles are:

STRAIGHT CUT
DISSOLVE
FADE TO BLACK
FADE UP
JUMP CUT
WIPE
GRAPHIC MATCH

A straight cut literally cuts form one scene to another. The fade to and up from black do exactly what they say on the tin - the screen either starts or ends completely black with a slow change form the image to the black OR from the black to the image.

A dissolve (which has many different variants when editing) is basically where one scene fades out and another fades in. For much of the time, BOTH images can be seen at the same time.
A good example of this technique being used repeatedly is in Citizen Kane - old but a clear example.

Jumps and Wipes

There are two main edit styles we are concerned with and they don't get used very often.
The Wipe is where one screen is slowly wiped off the screen by the other. The trailer for "Man in the Iron Mask' uses this technique repeatedly and whilst it was often used in the 60s it has been largely neglected until the recent wave of more 'punky' directors such as Tarantino and Ritchie. WATCH THIS EXTRACT - IT'S VERY LOUD!



A jump cut is where an edit goes from one shot to another, in the same scene yet the change is less than 30 degrees - this disorientates the viewer and gives the effect of 'jumping'.

DESIGN A HORROR STILL - due 1st Nov 2010

This is an ASSESSED piece of work - we are looking to see if you understand, can apply and then analyse framing, shot composition and Mise-en-scene.

In your packs on pages 10 and 11 there are some instructions on how to do this.

HALF TERM TASKS

There are TWO things for you to do:

1. Design your blog and embed clips from Youtube/Upload your own video extracts. Details below. This will be assessed.

2. Read the posts on Shot Composition and Framing and design and photograph a still frame for a Horror Film. Details Below. This will also be assessed.

Please can you make a LINK list with this blog as one of the links AND a LABELS gadget so you can organise and label your work.
These need to be done by the time you return on Monday 1st November 2011.

EXEMPLIFYING CAMERA MOVEMENTS

This part of your homework is designed to get you thinking about camera movement ahead of you working with camcorders (and eventually making your own film openings) after half term.

You need to look at each of the following camera movements and read the relevant sheets in your pack (start at p28). For each type listed, create ONE post with a brief explanation of what the movement is physically, and then having chosen CAREFULLY an example from youtube (or your own snippet/other web based video file), embed it into the post. You then need to write  about 5-6 focused and detailed sentences that explore the meanings/effects created by that camera movement (i.e. NOT mise-en-scene, not sound etc).

1. PANNING SHOT
2. TRACKING SHOT
3. WHIP PAN
4. REVERSE TRACK
5. CRASH ZOOM
6. CRANE/BIRDS EYE VIEW/AERIAL
7. WORM'S EYE VIEW
8. LOW ANGLE of any of the above

Good luck - Use the internet to help you with details, explanations and to search for examples and explanations - check what you're embedding - is it really a good example?

As an extension for the super fast among you, try finding a TROMBONE SHOT.

Look in our 'Making Sense of Film' for videos that show examples of what we have been studying and see if you can identify what is being achieved.

When you're working on your practical exercises - think about how you are moving the camera within and between focuses in a shot - how long will you hold? What movement will convey what you want to express?
This piece of work will be assessed.

Framing

Make sure you're familiar with the different shot distances that you have a sheet for in your pack. This is basically what we would call framing - Close Ups, Mid-Shots, Long shots etc.

When using framing there are two things to consider:

1. Which shot are YOU going to use and why - have you used lots of different shot distances?

2. What shot types have been used in the text and what effect is being created?

There's no point just identifying shots - you need to understand and exploit their purposes and effects. Look in the Image Gallery Blog for examples and see if you can identify what is being achieved and when you're working on your practical exercises - think about how you are framing a shot - what are you excluding? what are you including? what are you placing at the centre of the frame?

How frames are composed is called Shot Composition and this is important in creating BALANCE and/or FOCUS.

The Five Basic Rules of Shot Composition

with thanks to Smashandpeas and Richard Hemby for this post

While rules are often made to be broken in the field of photography, most experts agree that five basic composition guidelines will produce higher quality photographs and provide visual interest to your shots. By incorporating these guidelines into your photographs, you can ensure that you capture not only the elements you are photographing, but also the artistic design that you wish to capture.

Simplicity

Many of the best photographs concentrate on a few basic elements. By highlighting only those components that add to your composition, you can focus the viewer’s attention precisely where you want it. Avoid cluttered backgrounds; by changing the angle or the perspective and getting up close to your subject, you can often produce a photograph that is visually stunning and has no distracting or extraneous elements that reduce the impact of your composition. Professionals often position the primary component of their photograph off-center to add even more visual interest to the finished product.

Simplicity by korafotomorgana

Rule of Thirds

Professional photographers know that each shot is composed of three different spatial elements. The foreground, middle-ground and background are all present in most landscape shots; by noting and incorporating this into shot composition, photographers can create visual appeal by naturally drawing the eye to the middle ground and focusing attention exactly where the photographer intends. By manually setting exposure levels and deliberately selecting shots with these elements, amateurs and professionals alike can create works of art, rather than mere photographs. We have a more in depth article on the rule of thirds here.

Balance

While balancing the physical components of a photograph is important, another aspect that is often overlooked is balancing the colors present in the shot. Color theory is an essential element in the art of photography. Shots that focus heavily on first-order colors, also known as primary colors, tend to be more dramatic. Certain colors, such as red, orange, and yellow, should usually be employed sparingly and limited to one or two elements of the shot since they tend to attract the eye and create dynamic tension within the photograph. Too many high-energy colors, especially in contrast to each other, can overwhelm the viewer and cause anxiety rather than producing the visual effects desired; by balancing strong tones with neutral ones, a more balanced composite shot can be achieved.

Balance by Nicolas Ariel Zonvi

Framing

Professional shot composition requires perfect framing of each shot. This requires the inclusion of elements that give perspective to the main focus of the photograph. By being aware of the various components when composing a shot, the photographer can produce high-quality shots that include all the important elements while excluding extraneous material. Photography is the art of including some things while omitting others; this is the main object of framing. By choosing the elements to include, photographers engage in editing before the shot; by cropping the photograph after processing, the editing process continues afterward as well. Not only can you frame with your lens, you can also use objects in nature to frame.

Framing by Mike Goren

Lines

Natural lines present in the shot composition, whether intentional or not, can give an added sense of depth and perspective to the photograph. By paying attention to these lines and using them to advantage to draw attention to the focal point of the shot, photographers can create tension and drama in their photographs and make a visual statement with each composition. Diagonal lines tend to create visual paths to lead the eye to the focal point; repetitive lines, on the other hand, are often interpreted by the eye as background, bringing the main focus into sharp relief against the repeated pattern of lines.

Lines by Trey Ratcliff

Sherlock - Homework when finished

When you have finished watching the film you need to write a review. It needs to be no more than 3 - 4 paragraphs and should include the following:
    - Your personal response to the film
    - Some basic details - director, year of release, studio, other films director has done, films out at same time, possibly box office figures - use www.imdb.com to get all the information you want. For good detailed summaries of films, use Wikipedia.
    - What did you like about the film? Think about the camera work and editing as well as the development of characters, costumes, sets, props and the cinematography (use of colour and light)
    - How do you think others will respond? in your age group? in older/younger age groups?
    - What do you think about the ending? Have they set it up for a sequel? Would you see a sequel?
    - Were them some bits you just loved/hated?

That should get you started!
Due in one week from the lesson you finished the film.
POST IT ON YOUR BLOG

First Case Study - Sherlock Holmes (2009) Dir. Guy Ritchie

For the practical production, our first case study if Sherlock Holmes. You will have viewed the whole film soon and then we will be working on analysing not only Mise-en-scene but also the editing and camera movement.

To introduce you to the ideas of Framing and Classic Continuity Editing, we are going to use the excerpt from 'Pillow Talk' which stars Doris Day and Rock Hudson. You will be using Quick Time to edit the sequence and Powerpoint or Keynote to create a short analysis of the framing and editing. We will then compare it with some modern day editing from Sherlock Holmes and Fringe.

Welcome

This blog will be where you find all the support related to your foundation for AS and will link directly to your practical portfolio - G321 which is worth 50% of the marks.
If you need to contact us, use media@westhatch.essex.sch.uk.