You will be receivingblog feedbackfrom your teacher via email.
This is a very important opportunity to reflect on the work you've done so far in GCSE Media Studies and identify the areas you need to improve over the next few weeks. Whenever you receive blog feedback over email you must do the following: Open up your email in Outlook and read your feedback carefully 1) Copy and paste your feedback and Next Steps into a NEW blogpost in your blog called 'Blog feedback and Learner Response'. 2) Below the feedback paste a screenshot of you completing your Next Steps and then publish the blogpost. 3) Reply to the original email from your teacher confirming you have completed the learner response and provide a link to your learner response blogpost. This is how we get better in Media Studies - make the most of this opportunity!
In addition to camera shots and angles, we also need to learn about camera movement and editing.
Remember, writing analysis in Media means picking out the interesting or important aspects of something and then examining WHY or HOW they have been put together to create an effect on the audience.
Camera movement: notes
There are a range of key camera movements we need to learn:
Pan: horizontal turn left or right
Used to follow movement. A whip pan (very fast pan) can create a feeling of action or drama.
Track/Dolly: Camera moves on tracks/wheels
Tracks action smoothly – look for in chases or fast-moving sequences.
Handheld: camera held by hand, often shaky
Handheld camera can add urgency, realism, pace or unease to a scene.
Zoom: focal length of lens changed to make subject appear closer or further away
A zoom into a character’s face can show realisation or an emotional reaction.
Crane: Camera attached to crane – can pan, track or ‘swoop’ in or out as required
Crane shots are often high angle and show large, epic scenes of dramatic action.
Tilt: Camera tilts up or down from fixed point
The hero or villain can be made to look weak or powerful using a tilt (high/low angle).
If you want to know more about camera movement, or missed the lesson, this episode of the Shot List from Studio Binder goes into real detail:
Editing: Notes Video: Cuts and Transitions Film transitions
Cut (Straight cut, jump cut, match cut):Shot changes from one to another – the most common cut. Dissolve: Shot melts into another – often shows passing of time. Fade: Shot fades away and another shot appears. Fades to black often signify endings (of the day, scene or film)
Pace of editing The speed at which the film cuts from one shot to the next makes a huge difference to the experience for the audience. Generally, slow cuts build tension while fast cuts suggest action and excitement. Juxtaposition The word juxtaposition literally means ‘the act of placing together side by side’. In editing, this is called Parallel Editing. In film, two shots may be placed together to create meaning for the audience. E.g. A shot of the hero may be followed by a shot of his love interest to link these in the audience’s mind.
Rocket Jump film school on YouTube has an excellent video outlining cuts and transitions in editing:
Camera movement and editing: blog tasks We need to be able to recognise and analyse the camera movement and editing when studying film or television. As ever with media, we need to be able to explain theeffect this camerawork has on theaudience. What connotations are created by using this style of filmmaking?
Create a blogpost called 'Camera movement and editing'.
Re-watch the Minority Report chase scene that we analysed in class:
Blog tasks:
1) Pick threeaspects of camera movement in the Minority Report clip. Identify the type of camera movement and write about why the director chose to use that camera movement in the scene and what effect it has on the audience.
2) Pick two aspects of editing in the Minority Report clip and write about what effect it has on the audience.
3) Finally, revise last week's work on camerawork by picking out twoshots or camera angles in the clip that communicate meaning to the audience.
Extension task
Linked above is a video from Studio Binder on camera movements - read their webpage on this topic and you'll learn about this in even more detail.
Here's another example of how you write media analysis for camerawork and editing using the BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.
1) Analyse the camera movement: The camera movement at the beginning of the scene is slow, steady and fits the relaxed atmosphere as they enter the restaurant. The smooth track or dolly shot as they walk to the table (0.14 - 0.17) makes the audience feel as if they are joining the party and included in the exclusive group in the island restaurant. This all changes in the scene where the kidnappers take the main character's son. The camera movement is suddenly handheld and edgy, signalling the tension and danger to the audience. This adds realism and suspense and contrasts strongly with the smooth camera movement of the opening to the scene. The camera continues to move (handheld) throughout this scene as the kidnapping develops - this keeps the audience on edge and creates the idea that danger or something terrible may be happening. As the kidnappers try to escape, the camera pans loosely from left to right and back again (0.57) to create the effect of someone looking around to see where the next danger will appear from. Finally, when the kidnappers have gone and the boy is returned safely, the camerawork is still handheld but not as shaky as previously. This restores normality to the scene as the danger has passed.
2) Analyse the editing:
The pace of editing suddenly increases when the kidnappers burst into the restaurant (0.22) with a series of rapid cuts to communicate the drama and danger to the audience. There is then a close up of the boy's father juxtaposed with a shot of the main kidnapper holding the boy. This tells the audience these are the two critical characters for this scene and that they will decide what happens next.
There is a lot to take in for camerawork - We will be covering this across the next two weeks and returning to it when we study TV later this year.
This task will also give us an opportunity to use everything we have learned about media language so far (denotation, connotation and mise-en-scene) to improve our media analysis. Remember, writing analysis in Media means picking out the interesting or important aspects of something and then examining WHY or HOW they have been put together to create an effect on the audience. Camera Shots: Notes
Learning to accurately identify different camera shots and the effect they have on an audience is a critical skill in Media Studies. Before long, you'll find yourself naturally identifying interesting examples of camera shots, movements or angles when you're watching movies, TV or YouTube. The key aspect is always to consider WHY the director has chosen to present the scene in that way - what are they trying to communicate to the audience? Here's a great YouTuber for Film Studies - Darius Britt AKA D4Darius. Notice that he uses 'full shot' instead of long shot - but otherwise this is pretty much the same as the shots that we learn in class: Camera shots recap:
Wide shot / establishing shot (WS/ES)
Long shot (LS)
Medium shot (MS)
Medium close up (MCU)
Over-the-shoulder shot (OTS)
Close up (CU)
Big close up / Extreme close up (BCU/XCU)
Camera angle:
High angle: makes subject look small and weak.
Low angle: makes subject look big and powerful.
Unusual perspective: can be used to surprise the audience or show danger (e.g. looking down off a cliff)
Here's a reminder graphic courtesy of resource site poetryessay.co.uk:
Camerawork: Blog Tasks
We need to be able to recognise and analyse the camera shots and angles when studying film or television. As ever with media, we need to be able to explain theeffect this camerawork has on theaudience.
Create a blogpost called 'Camerawork blog tasks'.
Watch this clip from Doctor Who and complete the tasks below:
Blog tasks:
1) Pick three camera shots from the Doctor Who scene, take a screenshot and explain what type of shot it is and what meanings or effect they have on the audience.
2) Pick one camera angle that is used in the scene, take a screenshot and explain the effect it has on the audience.
3) Pick one aspect of mise-en-scene from the scene, take a screenshot and explain what connotations are being communicated to the audience.
Here's an example of how you write media analysis for camerawork using this BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.
1) Three camera shots: - The opening establishing shot clearly shows the characters getting off a boat and walking into the restaurant. This both sets the scene for the following action and also confirms the characters are very rich. - The extreme close-up on the main character's eye at 0.52 successfully communicates the intensity of the scene and the mixture of fear and emotion he feels as he watches his son being kidnapped. This has the effect of causing the audience to sympathise with the main character and wonder what will happen to the boy after being taken. - The over-the-shouldershot at 1.13 shows the main character recognises the man who saved the boy and that the man with the face injuries is not who he says he is. Like many over-the-shoulder shots, it is also a medium close-up which allows the audience to see the confusion on the main character's face and the realisation that he has seen him before. 2) Camera angles: - The power between the two key characters is shown using camera angles. The high angle shot at 1.21 looking down on the man who has been beaten up shows his powerlessness and that he will rely on others to make him better. He looks broken and defeated as the close-up shot from above shows him looking up at the main character. In contrast, the main character is shown in a low-angle close-up immediately afterwards (1.23) to show his power over the broken man. The camera is looking up at him from the perspective of the man on the floor. This introduces a clear power relationship between the two characters - emphasised by the dialogue at the end: "We're going to take care of you." 3) Mise-en-scene:
- The restaurant setting helps to communicate the wealth and power that the main character is dealing with. It is clearly a luxurious destination and the way the family greets the owner shows they go here often. The costumes support this with characters wearing expensive clothes and wearing sunglasses. Arriving by boat also shows how rich and powerful the characters are.
Mise-en-scene is a vital aspect of media language and builds nicely on our work on denotation and connotation. Mise-en-scène is a French term meaning ‘Putting on Stage’. It refers to the Media language used by the producer in their media product to communicate with their audience so…everything we see on screen. We can remember what this includes using the acronym CLAMPS:
Costume
Lighting
Actor placement and movement
Make-up
Props
Setting
When we look at a clip, image or advert in Media Studies we need to be able to identify aspects of mise-en-scene and explain the effect it has on the audience.
This video explains the power of mise-en-scene in film analysis:
Mise-en-scene: Blog tasks Watch the opening of television drama ‘Stranger Things’, a science fiction story set in the 1980s when four friends get wrapped up in a dangerous alternate universe. Create a new blogpost called 'Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things analysis'. 1) Choose THREE aspects of mise-en-scene (e.g. costume, lighting and setting) and write a short paragraph for each about the denotation and connotation and what is communicated to the audience.
For example:
Costume: The character at the start is wearing a white lab coat. This suggests to the audience...
Lighting:
Setting:
Props:
Actor placement/movement/expression:
Extension tasks
Watch the extract again. Try and write an analysis of the other aspects of mise-en-scene. Work through all the aspects of CLAMPS (the mnemonic we use to remember mise-en-scene).
Now think about the clip more generally. What does this opening sequence suggest the series will be about in terms of narrative, character and genre? What is it that tells you this?
The initial Photoshop tasks are essential in building a foundation of knowledge for what will become one of your most useful tools whilst completing your Media Studies GCSE.
Every single task that you complete in today's lesson should be uploaded to your Blog under the heading 'Introduction to Photoshop'
Colour Tasks:
1. Firstly, you need to select a colour palette that you wish to replicate throughout your task. Some recommended options include:
2. Secondly, you need to create a blank A4 page on Photoshop where you will copy your chosen image on to. Once you have done this, use the blank space below your image to create a colour palette based on your image. To do this, you will use the 'eyedropper' tool to grab a colour from your image, and the 'brush' tool to spread it across your page.
Example Palette:
3. Once you have created your palette, you should then create another A4 photoshop page and copy the blank parrot image onto it. You will then once again use the 'eyedropper' tool to select colours from your palette, followed by the 'paint bucket' tool to drop those colours into your parrot image. You should place a smaller version of your original image in the corner of your parrot image so that we can see the reference for your colour selections.
Example Finished Parrot:
Layer Tasks:
1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Layer Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.
2. Secondly, look across at the layers that exist in the document. These all contain rectangles of increasing size. Your task is to reorder the layers so that I can see part of all of the rectangles in the document. You should not need to move any shapes out of the way, this is simply about reordering the layers to allow visibility.
Layer Section:
Transform Tasks:
1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Transform Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.
2. Find an image on Google Images that you want to use for this task. Use Ctrl+T to enter 'Transform' mode which will allow you to both move and resize the image that you have selected.
3. Once happy with the size of your original image, right click the layer that your image is in and click the 'duplicate layer' option to create a copy. Once you have done this twice, use Ctrl+T to change the size of your two copies to make them different from the original.
Example:
Text Tasks:
1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Text Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.
2. Click the 'T' icon on the left hand sidebar to access the text tool. To create a text box, you should click and drag to make a box the size that you wish for it to be.
3. You are then going to create 3 text boxes all containing the phrase 'Media Studies' with the following requirements
a. Birch Std Regular - Yellow - Size 32
b. Snap ITC Regular - Purple - Size 48
c. Forte Regular - Red - Size 72
Again, every single task that you complete in today's lesson should be uploaded to your Blog under the heading 'Introduction to Photoshop' - If you're unsure of how to do this, then please ask!
Understanding denotation and connotation is the starting point for all Media Studies analysis. Remember the definitions: Denotation: the literal meaning of something E.g. A rose is a garden plant Connotation: the suggestion behind this literal meaning (reading between the lines) E.g .The rose suggests romance and love. When writing media analysis, you need to consider the following questions:
Denotation: what do you see?
Connotation: what is suggested? What does it mean?
Analysis: what is the effect on the audience? How is this effect created? Example: Skittles
Denotation: There is some text with colourful streams behind each letter set around a pack shot of the product itself. The background appears to be sky. Connotation: The advert builds on the slogan for Skittles ‘Taste the rainbow’. The connotation of the colour suggests that Skittles are joyful, fun and will provide a positive experience for the audience. The colours are vibrant and the sky in the background creates connotations of flying – this suggests to the audience that this is an exciting product.
Analysis: The advert helps the audience understand the product as the colours reflect the actual Skittles themselves. In addition, the text across the top of the advert (referring to a ‘punch in the mouth’) uses humour to connect with the audience and suggests the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. This adds to the positive, happy brand values that are suggested by the construction of the advert.
Denotation & Connotation blog tasks: Advert Analysis
Create a new blogpost in your GCSE Media blog called 'Denotation and connotation'.
1) Write an analysis of the WaterAid advert above using denotation, connotation and analysis. What can you see? What are the deeper meanings in the advert? What does the advert communicate to the audience? How might an audience react after seeing the advert?
2) Now choose your own choice of advert from Google images. Save it to your documents, insert it into your blogpost and write an analysis using denotation and connotation, explaining what the advert is communicating to the audience. Extension: Print advert research Read this design blog on some of the best print adverts of all time. Choose one advert that you feel is particularly powerful in terms of its use of connotations and analyse why it is so successful
Finish this for homework if you don't complete it in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.
Welcome to GCSE Media Studies - We have a brilliant two-year journey ahead of us and can't wait to get started!
Over the next two years you will create some amazing production work, learn a huge amount about analysing the media and end up with an excellent GCSE grade. All you need to do is work hard and be creative! Your first job is to start your GCSE Media blog and sign up to Google Classroom.
Once you have your blog URL, email it to your teacher. The URL is the address on the browser that ends with .blogspot.co.uk or similar. For example: Mr Pall's blog: http://mediamacguffingcse.blogspot.co.uk/ You will need to click the 'View blog' button in the bottom left in order to see your blog on the internet and copy the URL.
IMPORTANT: It is absolutely essential you remember your log-in details for this blog - it is your Media work book for next two years. The easiest way to do this is to use your school Google account to create your blog on blogger.com. First blog task When you have set up your blog, it's time for your first blog post! Click on 'New Post' and put the title as 'First 10 questions'. You need to answer the following questions (detailed answers in full sentences please) as your first post: 1) Which part of Media are you looking forward to the most? 2) What knowledge and skills do you hope to learn in Media?
3) What grade are you realistically hoping to achieve in Media?
4) What device do you use most to access the media? (The media = news, TV, music, film, social media etc.)
5) What is your average 'screen time' (or equivalent) on your phone each day. Is this about right, too little or too much? Why?
6) What was the last TV programme or film you watched?
7) What device or subscription do you use to listen to music?
8) Do you play videogames? If so, what do you play games on and what is your favourite game?
9) Are you on social media? If so, what social media do you have and why do you like it?
10) Finally, do you think the media is a positive or negative thing for young people? Why?
Extension tasks
Watch this clip from acclaimed BBC drama series Doctor Who - recently revamped in conjunction with Disney:
Why was the casting of Ncuti Gatwa a significant moment in the history of Doctor Who?
What aspects of this scene do you think an audience might enjoy? List at least three things and explain why the audience would enjoy each aspect.
How is this scene constructed to tell the audience the history of Doctor Who? Think about the script, camerawork and acting. What can you spot in Doctor Who that you will find in most television dramas? (E.g. characters, dramatic music etc.) These are called key conventions - list as many as you can think of. What would a Doctor Who fan ('Whovian') like or dislike about this scene? Note: If the YouTube clip isn't working please let your Media teacher know.
Finish these questions for homework if you don't manage to get through them in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.
If you DO finish everything - well done! Spend some time looking through our Media blog, particularly at last year's Media student blogs. This will give you an idea of the fantastic work you will be producing over the next two years.
