12/09/16- Mr Kingscote
How the use of sound is effective in films.
There are sound tracks and soundscapes. Sound tracks are generally commercially produced and released - pre existing pieces of music that offer more to the film in terms of 'brand'. Soundscapes are the inclusion of all sound - ambient and interdental music, sound effects, dialogue - that is deliberately created to establish mood, tone or setting.
Diegetic sound is sound that the characters can here, non- diegetic sound is the sounds the characters can't hear. Parallel sound and contrapuntal sound. Parallel sound means when the music and the sound and scene go together and perfectly suit each other. contrapuntal sound is when sound is deliberately used to give a different feeling to what is going on in the scene. e.g. happy music in an action scene creates a juxtaposition between two contrasting moods within a film.
How the use of sound is effective in films.
There are sound tracks and soundscapes. Sound tracks are generally commercially produced and released - pre existing pieces of music that offer more to the film in terms of 'brand'. Soundscapes are the inclusion of all sound - ambient and interdental music, sound effects, dialogue - that is deliberately created to establish mood, tone or setting.
Diegetic sound is sound that the characters can here, non- diegetic sound is the sounds the characters can't hear. Parallel sound and contrapuntal sound. Parallel sound means when the music and the sound and scene go together and perfectly suit each other. contrapuntal sound is when sound is deliberately used to give a different feeling to what is going on in the scene. e.g. happy music in an action scene creates a juxtaposition between two contrasting moods within a film.
Example of Diegetic sound-
This is and example of diegetic sound because the character in the film hears the voice speaking to him when he brushes his teeth as well as the audience. |
|
Example of Contrapuntal sound-
This is an example of contrapuntal sound because as the character it threatening the captive with a knife and is about to attack him he is listening to a happy song which contrasts what is going on in the scene. |
|
Example of non- diegetic sound-
This is an example of non- diegetic sound because the characters the camera highlights and the sound when they are bought to the audiences attention will not be heard by the characters themselves. It is there to enhance the drama for the viewer. |
|
Example of Parallel sound-
This is an example of parallel sound because the song is very relevant for what is going on I the scene as they are doing dangerous things as said in the song playing - 'danger zone'. |
|
12/09/16
we watched the opening sequence to the ring and took notes on Close ups, camera movement, sound and camera angles. here are example of how these techniques have been used in different films.
we watched the opening sequence to the ring and took notes on Close ups, camera movement, sound and camera angles. here are example of how these techniques have been used in different films.
Example of close ups-
This is a good example of a close up because at 1:00 the frame goes from the face filling about 1/3 of the screen to the face of the character filling almost the whole screen therefor it is a close up. |
|
|
Example of camera movements-
This video shows many types of camera movements including; zoom, crane, tracking. Zoom is good to create drama, the crane is useful to get a very high angle and is very smooth. Tracking using a dolly is good for following a character and is very smooth and good for gliding shots. |
Example of Sound effects-
In this clip a screeching sound is used to build suspense and something they audience recognises as fear, as it gets louder the tension builds. it is made using a water phone which are metal bars that are played with a violin type bow. |
|
|
Example of high and low camera angles -
This clip is a good example of how high angles can make someone look small and inferior and low angles make someone look superior. it is a very effective way to show power and dominance or fear and weakness. |
13/09/16- Mr Hildrew
In todays lesson we watched and analysed the opening section to The Ring and fist looked at how the tension builds throughout the scenes and drew this graph as shown to the right.
We also looked at the characters and how they suited the film and made the scenes effective.
Katie
Physical appearance - she is slightly smaller then Becca, blonde hair and shows a lot of emotion in her face.
Costume- she is wearing a school uniform but her shirt is undone and she has bear feet and legs which makes her feel vulnerable.
Character- Katie is more emotional and shows fear. she seems more relaxed as it is her home, also she lied and slept with her boyfriend which in the pattern of most horror films she will be punished and be the more likely one to die.
Becca
Physical appearance- she has dark hair which makes her appear bolder and less fearful.
Costume- Becca is wearing socks and a cardigan which makes her appear more protected and therefore less venerable.
character- She does not show much emotion which makes her seem braver and she seems to have a bit of an attitude.
Mis-en-scene - in Katie's room her bed sheets are covered in circles which is a reminder of the films title 'the ring'. The room is quite ordered which implies so it Katie. it is also quite big and is decorated nicely which shows she is from a fairly wealthy family, also the fact she is wearing a school uniform on the weekend suggests they go to a private school. The whole film has a green/ yellow filter which gives the effect of being under water, like in the well.
|
14/09/16- Mr Kingscote
sound Types nonsimultaneas sound- sounds that carries narrative and is directly linked to the screen action, but is not necessarily diegetic. often used to enhance part of a story where words/ dialogue are important but the visual aspect needs life. synchronous sound- sound often added later in editing to enhance something we see and here at the same time. e.g. a car revving with an engiene or a man playing piano. Asynchronous sound- when the sound emanating from the video does not fit e.g. a woman screams but we instead hear and then see a steam strain bellowing as it leaves a tunnel. this links two things together helping to develop the narrative. Postsynchronization dubbing /Dubbing- Sound that is added in the editing process to create atmosphere. For example starters is produced heavily in this way- there are no natural spaceship sounds produced by models used, no blasters actually shoot. Sound Bridge- when sound from one video is extended- or bridged over another to allow a smooth transition between the two clips. |
19/09/16- Mr Hildrew
Mis-en- scene
It is a term that we give to the setting in the scene, it adds detail to the production scene and creates a suspension of disbelief. this is done by using; costume, set, props.
For example in the Ring the costumes are school uniforms, this makes the characters seem venerable and it is realistic as they are teenagers. Also in the bedroom Katie's bed cover has rings all over it this is a subtle reminder of the ring.
20/09/16
The Godfather mis-en-sen and sound motifs: in The Godfather the director uses sound a lot to build tensioning keep the audience engaged. in this example a trumpet sound motif is used to open the film then it goes silent and the man talks this makes the audience really listen to the character an listen to what he is saying;
Mis-en- scene
It is a term that we give to the setting in the scene, it adds detail to the production scene and creates a suspension of disbelief. this is done by using; costume, set, props.
For example in the Ring the costumes are school uniforms, this makes the characters seem venerable and it is realistic as they are teenagers. Also in the bedroom Katie's bed cover has rings all over it this is a subtle reminder of the ring.
20/09/16
The Godfather mis-en-sen and sound motifs: in The Godfather the director uses sound a lot to build tensioning keep the audience engaged. in this example a trumpet sound motif is used to open the film then it goes silent and the man talks this makes the audience really listen to the character an listen to what he is saying;
mis -en -scene is also used effectively to inform the viewer of the time it is set (1940's) this is done by the furniture in the room and the type of phone on the desk.
The train sound used in this scene is a motive because it is repeated. It is first used to build mention before he walks out of the toilet with the gun, this puts the audience on edge as we think he will shoot the men. it stops as he sits down then builds even louder just before he shoots them the loudness makes the audience aware something big is going to happen and because it is the sound of a train it implies he is powerful and dangers and will not stop.
The train sound used in this scene is a motive because it is repeated. It is first used to build mention before he walks out of the toilet with the gun, this puts the audience on edge as we think he will shoot the men. it stops as he sits down then builds even louder just before he shoots them the loudness makes the audience aware something big is going to happen and because it is the sound of a train it implies he is powerful and dangers and will not stop.
Continuity is very important in films to make it believable and an effective scene. if continuity is not used the audience will be confused and question the realism of the scene. this is an example of where there is very little continuity.
Here are some examples of these these things in other films:
|
This is an example of good mis-en-scene because on the desk we can see lots of paper work to show he is unorganised or busy as it is piled up. Also to blue colour of the wall is similar to the colour of his suit so he looks well placed in the room.
|
|
This is a good example of a motif as the sound is repeating and helps develop the plot and build tension. the tapping sound could link to something in the story.
|
Narrative Structures- Mr Kingscote:
Narratives rely on the presentation of an initial state of order, which is in some way disturbed in relation to a particular problem or set of problems. narratives, in short, have to be about change, disturbance, disorder.
Todorov's model of narrative: the simplest way of explaining a narrative structure is in terms of philosopher Tzvetan Todorov's model. (Todorov born march 1, 1939, sofia, Bulgaria) This functions on two levels. A state of being which is either stable or unstable. A casual transformation from one state to another via a chain of events.
from these two levels todorov determines five steps in the linear progression of the narrative. These steps are:
little red riding hood -
Narratives rely on the presentation of an initial state of order, which is in some way disturbed in relation to a particular problem or set of problems. narratives, in short, have to be about change, disturbance, disorder.
Todorov's model of narrative: the simplest way of explaining a narrative structure is in terms of philosopher Tzvetan Todorov's model. (Todorov born march 1, 1939, sofia, Bulgaria) This functions on two levels. A state of being which is either stable or unstable. A casual transformation from one state to another via a chain of events.
from these two levels todorov determines five steps in the linear progression of the narrative. These steps are:
- A state of equilibrium (balance)
- A distribution of that equilibrium by some action
- A recognition that there has been a disruption
- Attempts to restore the equilibrium
- A reinstatement of the equilibrium
little red riding hood -
- Packs basket + visits ill grandmother. (equilibrium)
- she takes the short cut which is a dark forrest. (equilibrium)
- she meets the wolf on her journey and says she is going to visit her grandma. (disruption)
- wolf goes to grandma's house to eat her. (disruption)
- she bumps into the wood cutter. (disruption)
- she enters the grandma's house and sees the wolf dressed as grandma, night gown, glasses, night cap. She says; what big eyes, ears, teeth she has. (recognition)
- the wolf leaps out of bed and tries eat (disruption) her but the wood cutter bursts through the door and kills the wolf. (attempts to restore)
- grandma is found either in the cupboard or pulled from the wolfs stomach. (reinstatement of the equilibrium)
- At the beginning of the story they are a happy family in a new home (equilibrium)
- A shark comes into their home and eats the eggs and the mum (disruption)
- a few years later Nemo and his dad are happy and he is going to school (equilibrium)
- Nemo goes to school and touches the boat causing him to go missing ( disruption)
- His dad starts to look for him (attempts to restore)
- They are reunited (reinstatement of equilibrium)
21/09/16- Mr Hildrew
180 degree rule: When there are two characters in a scene there is a line between them. The camera cannot cross the line through the characters or it will confuse the audience.
26/09/16
Image & Representation: media representations are re- presentations, meaning they are artificial imitations of a true reality.
Stuart Hall- "representation is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of signs and images which stand for or represent things"
Nick Lacey - " it must be remembered that representations are not created by the media, they are concepts of every day life" this is true of fashion's representation of the modern woman: the average female in the uk is % feet and size sixteen dress size but women in the media do not match this.
180 degree rule: When there are two characters in a scene there is a line between them. The camera cannot cross the line through the characters or it will confuse the audience.
26/09/16
Image & Representation: media representations are re- presentations, meaning they are artificial imitations of a true reality.
Stuart Hall- "representation is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of signs and images which stand for or represent things"
Nick Lacey - " it must be remembered that representations are not created by the media, they are concepts of every day life" this is true of fashion's representation of the modern woman: the average female in the uk is % feet and size sixteen dress size but women in the media do not match this.
31/10/16- Mr Hildrew
The Smurfette Principle
The smurfette principle is the idea that in films there is only one female in a group of dominant male characters. The female is usually sexualised and dose not have a leading role. this is not realistic to the real world because in films the male to female ration is 4,5 but in the real world it is 0.96 males to females. Some examples of films with this principle are - star wars, The Matrix, The big bang theory.
The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added. the idea came from comic writer Alison Bechdel a comic witer who made this comic strip about the Bechdel test.
Evaluation of the Bechdel test and smurfette principle:
The smurfette principle and the Bechdel test show the representation of women in films and television. The smurfette principle is the idea of casting one female in a group of males. She is often used as a token minority and strongly stereotyped. The Bechdel test is a set of questions you can ask to find out if a film is sexist and representing women in the best way. These questions are; whether there is one or more female character, if they talk to eachother for more then two minutes about something other then men. These two things are so importent because they give the film makers a criteria to work with, creates better awareness for gender equality and highlights sexism in the film industry.
An example of where the smurfette princle is apparrent is in the television series, The Big Bang Theory. This this show all of the men are very intelligent and there is one very pretty, very blonde (in looks and intelligence) female. This makes the women the minority and makes her seem inferiour to the men. Directors and film writers use this technique purely because they know it sells. Its the genre theory. The film makers know thta making a film with one female character amongs many men will sell so they keep making these types of films to keep the audience coming back. I think the smurfette principle is very important as it highlights sexim but one drawback is that is does not show how strong that female character is. For example in the hunger games there is one female role so she is a smuirfette but she is a very strong and powerful character so the label 'smurfette' does not work for her.
The Bechdel test is also important to highlight the representation of women. The test is very useful for people to be able to tell if the film they are watching or making is sexist. However it does also have its drawbacks. The test has no links to the films context so if the film was based on a story with an all male cast the film will fail the test but it is not neccerily sexist. For example The Shawshank Redemption is an all male cast so it fails the test but it is not sexist as it is set in a male prison. Films which do pass the test such as The Help, have strong female characters which represent women in a positive and powerful way giving much better role models and insperations for people to see in films.
I was very shocked when i learnt about these tests as most of my favourite films have smurfettes and do not pass the Bechdel test. It has made me more aware of gender representation and inequality in film and television and i think things need to change so people dont grow up thinking men are hero's and women are just useless objects waiting to be saved.
The smurfette principle and the Bechdel test show the representation of women in films and television. The smurfette principle is the idea of casting one female in a group of males. She is often used as a token minority and strongly stereotyped. The Bechdel test is a set of questions you can ask to find out if a film is sexist and representing women in the best way. These questions are; whether there is one or more female character, if they talk to eachother for more then two minutes about something other then men. These two things are so importent because they give the film makers a criteria to work with, creates better awareness for gender equality and highlights sexism in the film industry.
An example of where the smurfette princle is apparrent is in the television series, The Big Bang Theory. This this show all of the men are very intelligent and there is one very pretty, very blonde (in looks and intelligence) female. This makes the women the minority and makes her seem inferiour to the men. Directors and film writers use this technique purely because they know it sells. Its the genre theory. The film makers know thta making a film with one female character amongs many men will sell so they keep making these types of films to keep the audience coming back. I think the smurfette principle is very important as it highlights sexim but one drawback is that is does not show how strong that female character is. For example in the hunger games there is one female role so she is a smuirfette but she is a very strong and powerful character so the label 'smurfette' does not work for her.
The Bechdel test is also important to highlight the representation of women. The test is very useful for people to be able to tell if the film they are watching or making is sexist. However it does also have its drawbacks. The test has no links to the films context so if the film was based on a story with an all male cast the film will fail the test but it is not neccerily sexist. For example The Shawshank Redemption is an all male cast so it fails the test but it is not sexist as it is set in a male prison. Films which do pass the test such as The Help, have strong female characters which represent women in a positive and powerful way giving much better role models and insperations for people to see in films.
I was very shocked when i learnt about these tests as most of my favourite films have smurfettes and do not pass the Bechdel test. It has made me more aware of gender representation and inequality in film and television and i think things need to change so people dont grow up thinking men are hero's and women are just useless objects waiting to be saved.
Representation of genders established in episode 1 of Luther
In this episode there is almost double the amount of men to women. This might be accurately representing the police force as there are more male police men and detectives then females. However it might also be stereotyping the police force suggesting they are mostly male, especially the chief constables and the people in the superior positions.
In the show the main character is John Luther. He is powerful and respected by everyone he works with because of his great detective skills and success. He has male co-worker called Justin Ripley. Although he is in the same position to Luther and is also male, he is inferior to Luther because of his character and he looks up to Luther. Luther’s boss, Rose, is superior to Luther but it seems as if she has had to adopt male characteristics to get to this position breaking the stereotype of the average working woman. She has short hair and does not dress or appear to be very feminine at all. Although this could just be the personality of her character in the show I don’t think this is a good representation of working women as it creates the message for a female to get a well-respected important job they have to adopt masculine characteristics. Also although she has a well-respected powerful role she still has someone in charge of her who is male and is called Russell Cornish. He is filmed from a low angle making him look superior and he appears to have more control over the situation and be more important than Rose.
In the show Zoe Luther is having an affair with Mark North. Although Zoe has what seems to be a good job and appears to be high up in her business she is portrayed as quite a weak character as it seems she is being slightly manipulated into having the affair with Mark. This makes her a stereotypically inferior woman. And Mark who does not really care about John Luther meets the stereotype of an emotionless man controlling a woman and using her for sex. I think the roles (although they are wrong) are atypical for some men and women.
Alice Morgan who is the Suspect murderer is represented as an evil, powerful psychopath. This is different to the stereotypical murderer in most crime dramas as they are usually male. I think this is good because it make the program less predictable as you wouldn’t expect this young innocent looking girl to be a murderer. Therefor I think she is represented well as a woman for the character they have created her to be.
I think overall the representation of gender in Luther could be better. I think this because I believe some of the characters could pass the commutation test meaning they could be played by an actor of opposite gender so there is no need for there to be unfair representation of women. For example Justin Ripley could easily be played by a woman or even the top boss Russell Cornish could be a female character. This would make the program have better representation of women making it a more rounded program and it might even appeal to a wider audience as it would have strong, powerful female role models.
In this episode there is almost double the amount of men to women. This might be accurately representing the police force as there are more male police men and detectives then females. However it might also be stereotyping the police force suggesting they are mostly male, especially the chief constables and the people in the superior positions.
In the show the main character is John Luther. He is powerful and respected by everyone he works with because of his great detective skills and success. He has male co-worker called Justin Ripley. Although he is in the same position to Luther and is also male, he is inferior to Luther because of his character and he looks up to Luther. Luther’s boss, Rose, is superior to Luther but it seems as if she has had to adopt male characteristics to get to this position breaking the stereotype of the average working woman. She has short hair and does not dress or appear to be very feminine at all. Although this could just be the personality of her character in the show I don’t think this is a good representation of working women as it creates the message for a female to get a well-respected important job they have to adopt masculine characteristics. Also although she has a well-respected powerful role she still has someone in charge of her who is male and is called Russell Cornish. He is filmed from a low angle making him look superior and he appears to have more control over the situation and be more important than Rose.
In the show Zoe Luther is having an affair with Mark North. Although Zoe has what seems to be a good job and appears to be high up in her business she is portrayed as quite a weak character as it seems she is being slightly manipulated into having the affair with Mark. This makes her a stereotypically inferior woman. And Mark who does not really care about John Luther meets the stereotype of an emotionless man controlling a woman and using her for sex. I think the roles (although they are wrong) are atypical for some men and women.
Alice Morgan who is the Suspect murderer is represented as an evil, powerful psychopath. This is different to the stereotypical murderer in most crime dramas as they are usually male. I think this is good because it make the program less predictable as you wouldn’t expect this young innocent looking girl to be a murderer. Therefor I think she is represented well as a woman for the character they have created her to be.
I think overall the representation of gender in Luther could be better. I think this because I believe some of the characters could pass the commutation test meaning they could be played by an actor of opposite gender so there is no need for there to be unfair representation of women. For example Justin Ripley could easily be played by a woman or even the top boss Russell Cornish could be a female character. This would make the program have better representation of women making it a more rounded program and it might even appeal to a wider audience as it would have strong, powerful female role models.
There are five types of representation in media -
Transparent
Social realism
Fantasist
Anti- realist
Post modern
Transparent representation of reality- this is a dominant Hollywood style. It is a slightly exaggerated and more exciting real life but nothing impossible happens. The sound, camera and editing allows the audience to follow the story in a logical order. The world is recognisable but events may be 'larger than life'. The people are more beautiful, talented and more spectacular then real life. It only works is the audience believe in it. An example of this is Clueless.
Social realist - This is everyday life and is not 'larger then life'. The camera, sound and editing draw attention to authenticity. We would experience these things in real life. Examples of this type of representation are The office and The blare witch project.
Fantasist realist- These events could not happen in real life. The camera work has to be only possible of a human so no flying shots, the editing might be 'expressionist'. Despite fantasy it still has something to say about real life. Films that use this can switch between real life and fantasy. An example is The matrix.
Anti- realist- The attention is focused on the process of making the film or constructing a story. The actors might talk to the camera and the camera might be in shot. These representations also comment on the real world. An example of this is Mrs Browns boys and The blare witch project.
Post- modernism- The texts comment on other media texts rather then directly on the real world. A central feature of post- modernity. Example of this is the Itchy and Scratchy show in the Simpson and Taylor swifts bad blood video. This is because it is referencing other things within the media.
Transparent
Social realism
Fantasist
Anti- realist
Post modern
Transparent representation of reality- this is a dominant Hollywood style. It is a slightly exaggerated and more exciting real life but nothing impossible happens. The sound, camera and editing allows the audience to follow the story in a logical order. The world is recognisable but events may be 'larger than life'. The people are more beautiful, talented and more spectacular then real life. It only works is the audience believe in it. An example of this is Clueless.
Social realist - This is everyday life and is not 'larger then life'. The camera, sound and editing draw attention to authenticity. We would experience these things in real life. Examples of this type of representation are The office and The blare witch project.
Fantasist realist- These events could not happen in real life. The camera work has to be only possible of a human so no flying shots, the editing might be 'expressionist'. Despite fantasy it still has something to say about real life. Films that use this can switch between real life and fantasy. An example is The matrix.
Anti- realist- The attention is focused on the process of making the film or constructing a story. The actors might talk to the camera and the camera might be in shot. These representations also comment on the real world. An example of this is Mrs Browns boys and The blare witch project.
Post- modernism- The texts comment on other media texts rather then directly on the real world. A central feature of post- modernity. Example of this is the Itchy and Scratchy show in the Simpson and Taylor swifts bad blood video. This is because it is referencing other things within the media.
Richard Dyer's star theory is that some actors have specific charactersitics and become known for these characteristics so even when they are playing a different role they are still known for their most famous role. For example Jim Carrey and Daniel Radcliff will be always remembered for Evan almighty and Harry Potter as they played them so well and they were such sucsessful films.
story board for The Ring opening sequence-
Here we looked at the opening sequence to The Ring and storyboarded it to practice looking at the individual shots and practicing how to use a storyboard. Before today I had no idea about all the planning and thought that goes into making a film so it was very interesting.