Camera Training: Still Images

High angle shot -  used to make the subject look small, weak and vulnerable.

Low angle shot - used to make the subject look powerful and important.

Over the shoulder shot - used to show somebody following another person, or to put the audience in the position of the character.

Tilt angle - used to confuse and disorientate the audience.

    

 Long shot - used to establish the location and any action occurring. 

Medium close up - used to bring focus to characters.

Close up - used to allow the audience to identify with the character's emotions.

 Extreme close up - used to closely identify with a character, emotion or action (often used to symbolise horror in a thriller film).

Bird's eye view - Used to add to audience appeal, giving the audience a different view of the action.

Worm's eye view - often used to indicate fear, with the audience viewing events from the character's vulnerable perspective.

Media Questionnaire

NAME: Siân Campbell

GCSE RESULTS:

Philosophy & Ethics: A*

Media: A 

English Literature: A

English Language: B

Science: B

Geography: B

Art: C

Maths: C

Music: C

HOBBIES: Reading, Watching films, Listening to and playing music, Playing video games

MEDIA INTERESTS:

Print media- I don't really read newspapers, although every now and again I will read a couple articles on the internet as not only does it help to inform me about what is going on in the world, but it can also be fairly beneficial for certain subjects, like Philosophy & Ethics; as there are often articles about animal cruelty, wars, and issues such as abortion and euthanasia.

 Much like newspapers, I don't really read magazines either, although on the odd occasion I may pick one up; which is usually either 'Comic Heros' or 'Neo'. I sometimes read 'Comic Heros' because I absolutely love reading comic books and graphic novels, and it has information about upcoming releases, has interviews with artists and writers and also sometimes includes  some articles about video games. Similarly, I sometimes read 'Neo' as it is pretty much the only English magazine about anime, manga, and other Japanese culture. It includes articles on upcoming anime, cosplay and also has a page of new anime and manga releases.

Music industry- My favourite genre of music is probably 'alternative', which covers a fair amount of sub-genres; and my tastes in music range from older bands ( The Smiths, Nirvana, The Cure, The Stone Roses, etc) to more modern ones (La Dispute, Touché Amoré, Bring Me The Horizon, Devil Sold His Soul, etc) I access music on the internet through videos on Youtube and iTunes.

 I don't think illegal downloading of music off internet sites is the best thing as it is someone's work which they have put an immense amount of time and effort in; and although if someone illegally downloaded a very famous artist's music it probably wouldn't really effect the artist themselves a great deal, whereas smaller artists may have spent a fair bit of their own money and time to produce their music, and it would probably have quite a big effect on them if people illegally downloaded their music as they may not be getting the sales for their product from someone else. Another reason is that, for the large majority, it is someone's job; so they may not have another source of income. In this sense, if you wouldn't not pay a builder or a decorator for their trade, then why wouldn't you pay a musician for theirs? Despite this, there are always going to be people who will illegally download regardless of others feelings about it - including the laws on the subject.

 Personally, the music industry doesn't really have an effect on the way I dress or how I decide to present myself, whereas it may have an effect on the way I see things as- like for most people- their are certain bands, or songs, or lyrics that connect with you or that you can relate to on a personal level. This means that it could present you with a new perspective on a certain subject or how you live your own life, or can bring serious issues to attention and the possible repercussions that may follow. 

Video games- I have a few favourite video games as it is a hobby I have enjoyed since I was very young, but I am really enjoying the game that I am playing at the moment - Portal 2. It's a Puzzle-platform game where you play form the main character's (Chell) point of view, using your portal gun to complete each test chamber.

Some people believe that video games have a negative effect on  attitudes to gender as the majority of female characters in these games are a secondary character - such as the 'trophy' which presents them as objects, which could possibly influence people to have this view in the real world. Some people also believe that video games have a negative effect on attitudes to the solution of conflict as in a fair amount of video games this 'solution' is- or leads to- violence. Therefore, some may believe that it is okay to act out violently in real life when faced with conflict. 

Personally, I believe that the majority of people who play video games are smart enough to be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy; so therefore are able to know what is acceptable in everyday life and what should be left in the video games. 

New technology- New technology - especially the internet and digital cameras- have helped our understanding of the world as the internet has made information of countries and their cultures more accessible to people, and digital cameras have made images of countries and the current issues happening available to us; so if there is a report on the news about issues in a certain country across the world we are able to see what is going on, and have a better understanding. 

Our ability to communicate with others has been massively effected  by new technology such as mobile phones and the internet- due to social networking sites. This is because with the aid of these new technologies we can now get in contact quickly and more conveniently with people who could be on the other side of the world, which could then possibly also help us with our understanding of the world. 

The internet has made it extremely easy to find out about films, TV and the music industry as all you have to do is go on Youtube and there will be a video from the show; go on Twitter or Tumblr and there will be discussions about new films people are looking forward to, or go on Facebook and you can see who has listened to which artist and who likes what music. This means that all sorts of films, TV and music can reach a lot more people as it has become much more accessible due to new technology. 

Similarly, the internet has made it much more common for people to make their own media texts. This is because it is another way for people to get feedback on their creative project, and can see what the people who actually consume their content think about it- whether it be a video on Youtube, a drawing on Facebook, or a short story on Tumblr. 

Television- I don't really have a favourite television channel as I tend to watch the majority of shows I like On Demand or on DVD box sets as they are either broadcasted on channels I don't have access to or are anime series from other countries. My favourite genres of television is probably 'crime' and 'horror/supernatural' as the majority of shows that I watch and enjoy are of these genres. 

I think the programmes that I consider most memorable are Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Adventure Time, Blue Exorcist, Attack on Titan and Claymore. This is because they have amazing storylines, brilliant actors/voice actors and have great visuals or artwork.

Feature film- My favourite film genres are horror, comedy or science fiction. I especially like horror films as with old horror films they can be either amazingly good or so bad they are funny- which is enjoyable either way- and new horrors are a bit more creepy in some cases as they have better effects or costume and some good storylines.  

The first film that in find outstanding is The Lost Boys. Being a film that I first saw when I was younger, it has been a film that I have grown up absolutely loving; it has a brilliant storyline including some popular features  of horror films, but is also intentionally funny. The actors in this film are absolutely brilliant, especially Kiefer Sutherland who plays the character of David amazingly. I also really like the frog brothers, who
seem to be the main comic relief in the film, along with the interaction between Michael and Sam as they are facing a major issue but are still arguing and Sam still uses 'You wait 'till mom finds out, buddy!' against Michael.

          

                    

Another film that I find outstanding is The Dark Knight. I think it's fair to say that the best thing about this movie is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. As I adore comic books, With the joker being my favourite comic book villain of all time I was very interested to see whether this film would do him justice - and it did, above and beyond. It is by far still my favourite Batman film ever - primarily due to Ledger's performance, he executed it extremely well and was certainly without a doubt the right choice to play the character.

                 

Another film that I find outstanding is This Is The End. Despite comedy being one of my favourite film genres, I don't really watch them all that much- so for me I think This Is The End is a great film as it includes aspects of horror - such as the apocalypse, demons and exorcisms. The greatest aspect of comedy, in my opinion, comes from the fact that the characters are exaggerated versions of the actors themselves (who are all brilliant actors in their other projects as well as this film). This amazing cast is made up of many 'big names' of which you will recognise, the main characters/actors being - my favourite- Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. I really like the CGI, as they have made the setting look amazing and very distopian - which is extremely fitting for an apocalyptic comedy film.

                                

I watch films at the cinema, on DVD or on tv but I don't really have a strong preference, although more films are available on DVD or TV as cinemas don't really play old films (other than certain ones on the odd occasion) and don't play that many foreign films - which are sometimes the best ones. 

My favourite cinema is probably Vue as it has decent size screening rooms, and it is fairly accessible. 

Personally, if I'm just watching films on DVD or TV then I would prefer to watch it on my own, but if it was a film at the cinema then I would rather go with someone else rather than on my own.

Are you a media producer?- In media at GCSE we made the a cover for a video game that we had made up ourselves, which we did individually. We also made the front cover, contents page and double page spread (including article) of a magazine we made ourselves of a certain genre that we chose - mine, for example, was a music magazine- which we did individually. Later, we worked in groups to create a trailer for a action film- which we filmed and edited together. 

CONCLUSION

A media text that offends me is probably any video of Katie Hopkins appearances on This Morning that appear on Youtube. For example, in one of these appearances she talks about children's names being linked to class, and if she associates their name with a lower class, she would not allow her children to play with them - without even meeting the child or their parents first; and then goes on to say that 'You can tell that they are the type of child who wouldn't have done their homework'. In another appearance -with a plus size model- she said 'People like [the plus size model] who think you can be fat and beautiful are simply in denial' and saying that being on the slightly larger size is 'just an excuse'. Once again, she appeared on the show - with Katie Waissel, a tattooed 'celeb'- and said that 'When you are young and impressionable, you will do anything to be like your idol. If you have a tattoo you will never be a high achiever'.

One media text that has altered my attitudes are the many works I have read. The quote 'What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person' from the novel 'Paper Towns' by John Green is one that really stood out to me. This is because we put way too much pressure on ourselves and sometimes other people to be the best at everything, to not struggle with things, and to be perfect in every way; where the truth is that we are only human, and we can't expect so much from ourselves and others when we give such little credit for what we do achieve. In a way, this also links to the quote 'If you expect nothing from anybody, you're never disappointed' from the semi-autobiographical novel 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath as we shouldn't expect so much from others and ourselves. This doesn't mean don't have goals and aspirations in  life, but don't expect so much that you are extremely disappointed and resentful.

I chose to take media studies as I did it at GCSE and enjoyed it, and I have an interest in lots of different types of media. 

Media Studies Summer Task

           In the two clips I looked at – the first from ‘Casino Royale’ and the second from ‘LA Noire’ – there are many different features used to help create effect. 

         The clip of ‘Casino Royale’ opens with an establishing shot which introduces the setting of the clip to help orientate the audience. In doing so, this helps to create an ‘elitist’ feel as the building is quite grand which portrays the idea of wealth and status. As it looks like a high class industrial building, it could suggest that the person of interest inside the building is of a high status within a company or social group – thus reinforcing the idea of wealth and status. Whereas the fact that the building is very large could make it – or the people inside- seem quite intimidating and overpowering. This would once again present the idea of the status and power of the people or activities that are associated with and within the building.    

       The flashback to the fight scene appears to be less steady than the other scenes in this clip, which could suggest it was filmed on a hand-held camera. The use of a hand-held camera in the flashback helps to add effect as it creates a ‘shaky’ movement to the scene, which enforces the sense of pace and urgency which is reflected within the actual action between the characters in the scene. This is reflective of the action between the characters in the scene as it shows the conflict between the two parties, which could result in a fatal demise for one of the characters. Therefore the urgency and pace within the actual scene is effectively enhanced by the unsteady movement of the hand-held camera, which could also be seen as symbolic of the mind-set of the two characters in that very moment as their ‘fight-or-flight’ instinct kicks in, which could cause them to involuntarily or subconsciously act violently and suddenly.

         The clip being shot (or edited) in black and white helps to enhance the shadows within the shot, creating a sense of enigma and ambiguity.  The shadow in the background creates a sinister feel to the room that the shot is set in, which is projected onto the audience – giving them a negative view towards the antagonist. This occurs before we meet the protagonist, and the character roles are established. The fact that the heavy shadowing obscures the characters features and setting creates a sense of mystery and secrecy, which could be symbolic of possible concealment or hidden agendas of the antagonist and the activities occurring within the building or room. This could possibly enhance the negativity of the setting and character – helping the audience to identify the character role of the antagonist.

 

          In Contrast to ‘Casino Royale’, the clip from ‘LA Noire’ opens with a long shot which appears to jump from location to location, which may seem to disorientate the audience. This creates a busy feel to the setting, making the characters/inhabitants seem quite important and possibly fairly high class as the movement shows ‘they have things to do and places to be’. This is also enforced by the shots of cars and suburban houses- which help to reinforce the idea of wealth and high class, as it shows that the inhabitants of the area aren’t particularly short on money and seem to focus on materialistic things.  This could then be seen as a basis of which the status of the inhabitants is set on – as it gives the idea that the characters are focused on materialistic things as the more you have or the nicer your car is, the better you are than everyone else and the more respect or power you should get.

       In the clip from ‘LA Noire’ it shows a mid-shot of a man on a horse, which then zooms out to show the audience  it is a simulation, and therefore fake. This could symbolise that not everything is as it seems as it doesn’t lead us to believe it is fake until it zooms out – which could create a sense of deceit. This could suggest that the characters in the clip are putting up a façade by only portraying positive images to the audience and only showing them what they want them to see as it doesn’t show any negative images within the setting, making it seem too good to be true- which could possibly arouse the audiences suspicion. Therefore, the man on the horse could be symbolic of the images that we do see in the clip – such as the higher class inhabitants and materialistic objects; whereas the zooming out of the shot and revealing it is fake could be symbolic of the images we don’t see. This could be seen as concealing degradation within the area – for example, we are not shown images of lower class inhabitants, drug dealers, criminals, prostitutes, etc. Therefore, similarly to ‘Casino Royale’, the clip from ‘LA Noire’ has an enigmatic and ambiguous feel as it seems as though the characters have hidden agendas and information is being concealed from the audience – creating a sense of mystery and secrecy.

Hello, i'm Siân and this is my media blog.