Teddy has an Operation

I thought I would blog about this extremely trippy and weird video that we watched in Media today, here it is:

Firstly I would like to say how intrigued and amazed I was whilst watching it. I don’t know what it is about it but I love how each part of the teddys organs is almost fairytail mixed with real life. For example, Teddys bonbons have turned to cigarettes instead of sweets. I love the idea of that and I think its really clever. Its almost disturbing as the voice of the speaker is so calm, also all the medical instruments laden around Teddy look quite sinister, and then there’s this cute fluffy teddy bear in the middle. This contrast makes the video so mesmerizing to watch and it’s quite funny because of Teddys Unicorn Crotch and the bad boy that broke Teddys heart.

Each thing in Teddys organs has a meaning for example, Teddy has a BIG heart, because teddy bears are supposed to be childrens best friend. And Teddys sprinkles are supposed to symbolize the sweetness of a relationship between a child and their teddy.

The background sound of dings and calm fairy like music makes the whole video seem like a dream, as the video is so different and quirky it feels like your imagination.

I just find this whole video really interesting and think anyone should watch it because its a bit different.

Preliminary Exercise: Script

This is our script for our Preliminary Exercise, in this task our main aim is to get to grips with camera work and put into practice some of the shots we’ve been learning about. We have to include a character opening a door and crossing a room, then sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom he/she then exchanges a few lines of dialogue.  Each group was given a word which we had to include in our script and ours was ‘Armageddon’ , therefore our script had to be based around the world ending. This is what we came up with:

Tom fast walks into the room, gently pushes the door open and carefully closes it behind him. He darts his eyes around the room looking frightened.

Location: Classroom Interior

 Tom

What are you sitting here for? They’re coming!

Ben

Just having a cuppa Tea

Tom

sits down on a nearby chair

Haven’t you seen whats going on?!!

Ben

No, I’ve been in here all lunch

Tom

You idiot. People are dying outside!

Ben

I had no idea, why hadn’t anyone told me about this?!

Tom

Slams table

Its ARMAGEDDON!

Key terms and Techniques for Filming

Match on Action- This is an editing technique where one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. This is not a graphic match or match cut, it portrays a continuous sense of the same action rather than matching two different things. It is simply a cut that connects two different views of the same action at the same moment in the movement.  For example,  a person begins to get up from a sitting position and is being filmed side on. Then the camera cuts to a shot, which shows the person finishing standing up, but filmed from the front so you can see the persons whole face.

Shot/Reverse shot- A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking “back” at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other.

The 180 Degree Rule-  An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. The 180-degree rule enables the audience to visually connect with unseen movement happening around and behind the immediate subject and is important in the narration of battle scenes.

Educating Yorkshire

I am basing this post on British Social Realism and i have chosen to write about Educating Yorkshire which is a reality programme about the school life of teenagers of this day and age and what its like inside the school during the school day. A quote taken from 4od in the programme description:

‘Filmed at Thornhill Community Academy near Dewsbury, Educating Yorkshire captures every detail of life in the school, from playground hijinks and inspirational lessons to life-changing events. It follows the work of headteacher Jonny Mitchell to better the chances for all his students and build on successive years of improving exam results.

Located at the heart of a diverse northern community and with a student population that is almost exactly half white-British and half British-Asian, the school offers a fascinating insight into modern school life in the UK. Told with warmth and humour, Educating Yorkshire explores the universally recognisable themes of teenage life and those all-important pupil-teacher relationships that lie at the heart of everyone’s formative years.’

This entertaining programme grips and entices its audience as the teenagers you get to know on the programme grow on you and you want to know about them and why they do the things that they have done, for example one girl shaves off her eyebrows and draws them back on, she is extremely proud of her achievement and announces it to the whole class.

The programme is filmed by cameras set up around the school capturing the fights, disputes and general humour that these teenagers generate. Its very eye opening if you have left school and want to remember what it was like, however if you yourself are still in school you feel as though you can relate to these teenagers because they are usually going through the same as you.

If you are interested in watching it here is the link to episode 2 on 4od, and it is on TV on Thursday nights at 9:00 :

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/educating-yorkshire/4od

iOS 7

The most significant media news at this moment in time is that of the new iOS 7 slick design which has been released today. Its basically a ‘new structure, applied across the whole system, that brings clarity to the entire experience. The interface is purposely unobtrusive. Conspicuous ornamentation has been stripped away. Unnecessary bars and buttons have been removed. And in taking away design elements that don’t add value, suddenly there’s greater focus on what matters most: your content.’ That quote is from the Apple website, promoting this new design.

Basically iOS 7 refines the experience of the iphone,  and redraws every icon around a new grid system. Sticking to a precise color palette. And remastering audio alerts to be more distinctive and pleasing. On their own, these may not be details you consciously demand or even expect. But they all work together to create a more harmonious relationship between individual elements. And a better, more delightful experience overall.

This is England (Shane Medows, 2007)

‘This is England’ is a British drama film set in 1983 and based around the life of 13 year-old schoolboy Shaun. The genre of this film is British Social realism, reflecting the real life and society we live in. Shaun gets bullied at school by an older lad called Harvey after he made an offensive joke about Shauns father who died in the Falklands War. They fight in the school grounds and get extremely told off and get the cane. As Shaun is walking home from school after the awful day he comes across a group of skinheads led by a guy called Woody who feels sympathy for Shaun and invites him to join the group. Firstly one of the lads in the group dislikes Shaun as he feels he has taken his place in the group, Shaun gets punched by him yet they make up afterwards and iron out their differences. Shaun soon becomes a little skin head himself as one of the girls from the group of friends called LOL, shaves Shauns head. Shauns mum is appalled and tells off LOL. LOL and the other girls sport interesting shaved head hairstyles themselves, reflecting the 80s trends and style. One girl in particular called Smell quickly becomes the interest of Shaun and even though he is 13 and she is 16 they still seem to become boyfriend and girlfriend. This group of people Shaun has been hanging out with quickly force their habits onto him, drinking, smoking and vandalizing, even their fashion sense rubs off on him.

The camera work used in this film makes it very believable as the camera is mostly hand held so you as the audience feel as though you are there yourself. The montage at the very beginning of the film invited the audience in as its almost like home movies being played, creating a homely and English sense. The lighting and colour looks as though no special effects have been put on it, no bright lights or slick edits. This helps the film become more realistic in the audiences mind. A montage is used at the very beginning of the film to set the scene and this informs the audience the time the film is set and lays down the facts of social happenings going on at that moment in time. Another montage is used near the end when showing the Falklands War, this also helps evoke the time and place the film was set.

This film includes LOTS of swear words and foul language but it helps set the scene of young inner city skinheads causing trouble.

Here is the trailer in case your interested-

 

A Tale of Two Sisters (Kim, Jee-Woon, 2004)

As the scene begins an establishing shot is used to inform the audience of whats happening and the surroundings in the room. It is totally silent after the man leaves the room and this builds tension in the air like something doesn’t feel right. The camera then films from under the table which is a mid shot, displaying the character from looking up at her. The shot then turns to over the shoulder, showing the audience what the character is looking at. At this point the sink doors are creaking open, this uses diegetic sound which comes from the world of the film. A reaction shot of the girl is then shown, displaying her uneasy feeling and curiosity. The camera follows the girl as she edges to the sink to investigate. At this point the sound of her breathing is very loud and noticeable, showing diegetic sounds as its from the girl. An establishing shot is then used to show the sink with the door open, the girl walks into the scene. Her breathing is still very prominent showing how scared she is. An establishing shot is then used to show the floor with nothing there, the girl then bends down as the camera is filming from under the sink, and she is used to reveal a dead girl sitting in a chair behind her. There is then a reaction shot of the character to show how petrified she is, and the sound of the breathing again, another sound is played over the top which is non diegetic as its been added over the top by the film makers. The sounds is laughing by the dead girl and the character in the scene can hear it, making her reaction shot look particularly horrified. A rumbling, thunderous sound is also added over the top to enhance the tension in the room, it builds louder and faster eventually finishing with an establishing shot of the table and chairs empty and complete silence accept for the breathing from the relief of the character. A clip then appears on the floor, showing an establishing shot. The character moves her hand to pick it up, the camera follows, showing how the camera could be hand held, focusing the audiences attention on the characters hand and movement. When the hand comes out from under the sink there is a quick sound which is sharp and short, making the audience jump. The girl screams which is diegetic and an establishing shot is used to show how shes backed away but become facing the dead girl. Finally a reaction shot is used to capture her shocked and petrified face.

AS Media Course

What I will be doing in my AS Media Course:

• Make a Blog documenting the course and my interests.
• Make the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.
• Make an Evaluation on my blog which creatively says:
• • In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
  • How does your media product represent particular social groups?
  • What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
  • Who would be the audience for your media product?
  • How did you attract/address your audience?
  • What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
  • Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

How the course works:

• AS Media is a one year course, this AS qualification is worth 50% of the total AS marks.
• The coursework will take place throughout the year and the exam will take place sometime in May.
• I shall be required to complete one coursework unit, which will require a portfolio  of work.
• There will be one exam with two sections. At some point in the year there will be a mock exam to help prepare for this.

ME

Hiya, I’m Jess and this is my AS Media blog.

I’m from Lincolnshire which is quite a boring place to live. I’m in a family of 6 and my brother is like my best mate. I also have 2 sisters, one of them is 10 and she is the best little cook I have ever met, I swear she’ll have her own cake shop when she’s older. My other sister is a bit of a handful and slightly on the wild side.

I like rollerskating and going out with my friends, basically being surrounded by the people I love makes me happy.

In this blog I shall write about media and it will contain most of my media course. Hopefully it will be quite interesting.