New A2 Media Blog

And so another fun year of Media Studies begins…

view my new A2 blog here: http://jamesperkins93a2.wordpress.com/

Anamatic Storyboard

Title Research

Dawn of the Dead

I have chosen to analyse this title sequence because it contains elements which are specific to the type of opening sequence we have in mind for our own.

The title sequence uses a blood sucking/swiping effect for every title which appears on screen with an appropriate sound effect to accompany it, the fact that every title has the same effect forces emphasis on the blood and how and why it is used. I think it is effective because it is simple and connotes a strong message of blood and sucking which reinforces the zombie nature of the film.

The font size is different but is mainly the same throughout. The main difference in font size is that the main title ‘Dawn of the Dead’ is in large letters and is the largest font throughout, the rest of the sequence traverses the stereotypical ‘importance means larger font size’ and keeps every name the same size which could suggest equality among the people who made the film but also the equality which is apparent throughout the film. The only change to this is that the role title is in very small font which may suggest that the person is more important than the role.

The titles stay on screen for approximately 2 seconds each before they are sucked off the screen using an effect, the main title stays on screen for roughly 4 seconds to force emphasis on the title itself.  This may be perceived as strange because even longer titles are only allocated the same amount of time as shorter titles, this may suggest the unimportance of certain titles.

The font style echos the thriller, it is in a military like fashion which suggests order and importance but then connotes the story of the military unable to stop the zombies and shows the strong, important font style effortlessly sucked across the screen, this further suggests the zombies (sucking effect) as being much more powerful than the government and military.

The font colour is blood red, this connotes and reinforces the idea of blood being splattered and then sucked by a zombie. This echos the story of the thriller and creates emphasis on the importance.

The positioning is completely random but clear enough to be visible, allowing space around the titles. The only title with a significant position is the main title ‘Dawn of the Dead’,directly in the middle, this connotes the importance of the title and also how it is central point of the film.

The transitions between the titles and the shots used for the opening are very fast cuts to suggest mayhem and riots and they are also moving which creates a blurred image and may be used to foreshadow the action which happens later on in the film.

Batman

When watching the opening titles to Batman, (shown above), it is easy to see that every title is; in the center of the screen,  all fade in and fade out after a rough duration of 3-4 seconds, are the same font all in capitals, font colour and font size. However the one exception being the name of the film ‘Batman’ which stands out in a larger font which makes it bolder. I think that the because of these similarities there is good continuity, although suggests that everyone mentioned is of the same level of importance, which may or maybe not be true, but you would have thought the producer and director would have been in a larger font compared to say the costume designer. Despite this i think that the colours used where a good choice as the yellow stands out on the black background well, and also the size of font is easy to read.

When creating the titles for our opening i think it is a good idea to take into consideration the font colour which works effective here, however i feel that having every title the same font size and position didn’t work so well, although as there was nothing in the background it didn’t prove to be so bad.

Deja Vu

Order of Titles and Opening Credits:

– Touchstone pictures and
– Jerry Bruckheimer films
– Jerry Bruckheimer films presents
– A Scott free production
– A film by Tony Scott
– Denzel Washington
– DÉJÀ VU
– Val Kilmer
– Paula Patton
– Bruce Greenwood
– Adam Goldberg
– Matt Craven
– Elden Henson
– And Jim Caviezel
– Erika Alexander, Rich Hutchman, Brian Howe

When watching the opening credits it is noticeable that the order in which they appear is relevant as to how important they are in relation to the making of the film, for example we see that the producers and directors of the films all appear at the start of the credits apposed to the end as they play a major role. Likewise with the introduction of Denzel Washington being before the title of the film, whereas the actors/actresses with lower celebrity status’s and less important roles as characters,  appear only once the title has been announced.

For each credit the colour and size of the font remains the same throughout, with exception to the title of the film where the letters are displayed in capitals, this is done to portray great importance of the title. Not only is the title bolder than the rest but is also left on the screen for a considerable amount longer than the other credits, also emphasising its importance. The particular font colour used at the beginning is white, which, I believe to be the wrong choice, since the scenery is brightly displayed making it difficult to read the text. When producing our own credits, we shall remember to take this into consideration, as to make it as easy as possible for the audience to read. Along with this, I felt that the text could also be bigger and slightly bolder to highlight, adding to making it easier to read.

The effects used for this production are fairly basic, yet effective in the way that they relate to the film, for example, some of the names fold back on themselves, which plays on the theme of “folding time back on itself like a piece of paper to see into the past”. This is an idea to consider when adding effects to our own credits, relating it to the film, proving rather affective in this situation.

Types of Shot

Types of Shot

Aerial/Birds Eye View Shot

A shot taken from an overhead position. This is often used as an establishing shot. This creates the effect that we, the audience are omniscient and have the power to judge. This shot may be used to create tension between characters by only showing the top of their heads facing each other.

Extreme Long Shot

This shot is generally used to establish or set a scene, it normally shows an exterior such as the outside of a house or a landscape. It is often used to show thrilling action such as in a war film or in a disaster movie. This shot is so wide that the subject is barely visible and is put into a scene to give a general impression rather than detailed information, this shot can also create a sense of mystery due to the lack of information about the setting. This shot rarely contains dialogue and helps to create an atmosphere. This shot could also be used with a voiceover which adds a omniscient atmosphere for the audience.

Long Shot

A long shot is used to show the entire subject and usually intended to place it within its surroundings. This gives the character a sense of place and reason within the mise en scene. It has been suggested that a long shot is used to show the distance between the front row of the audience and the stage in live theatre. In this shot, it is hard to show emotion and usually dialogue is not used. This could also be used to show two different paths such as two towns which represent good and evil.

Mid/Cowboy Shot

This shot frames the subject from the waist upwards and often revolvers around dialogue, it is also used to highlight a character. This could also be used to highlight the characters movement.

Establishing Shot

This shot is used to establish a scene or setting, this gives the viewer information about where the scene is set. It is used to convey atmosphere and can vary from  type of shot used, from a close up (a sign) to a wide/long shot(an entire village). This shot is often used towards the beginning of a scene. This gives the audience a sense of place,time, setting or character, this shot is also used to stimulate questioning from the audience such as who, where, what why? As the audience we expect these questions to be answered as dialogue continues. This could also be used instead of action such as a limp hand of a dead subject.

Two Shot

This shot contains two characters who are possible engaging in conversation, it is used to establish a relationship between the two characters. It often shows equal areas of each persons body. This could also be used to show the tension between characters by lack of dialogue.

Close-Up Shot

This shot often frames the head and shoulders of a subject to show the expressions and emotions of a character. it can also be used on an object which is filmed up close or zoomed into to reveal detail. In this shot, the image is more powerful than words, particularly the emotions which are conveyed. The surrounding are unimportant in this shot and are often out of focus. This could also be used to out-focus the subject and focus in on a minute detail in the background to create atmosphere.

Extreme Close-Up Shot

This shot is used on a particular part of a object or a subjects face or body which fills up the whole frame and dominates the frame. This shot is often used to convey the deepness of emotions, such as a clenched fist, or the importance/magnitude of an object in the narrative. The surroundings/details within the mise en scene are not relevant in this shot. This could also be used as a motif such as a ring which symbolises an action without it happening on screen.

Point of View/POV Shot

This shot shows the view from the subjects perspective. This shot is usually edited to make clearer to the audience whose point of view it is. This shot is very personal of often forces the audience to feel the emotions of the character. This could also be used to show the characters physicality such as eye level and balance.

Over the Shoulder Shot

This shot is filmed from behind a characters shoulder towards the other subject. The character facing the subject varies in size within the shot to convey different meanings such as; if the subject is an inferior character, the character facing them would take up more of the frame to make the subject seem smaller. This shot is often used instead of back to back mid shots to create a clear relationship and also enhance the level of continuity. This shot could also be used to show the body movement/language of the character who is slightly in-frame.

Reverse Over the Shoulder Shot

Similar to the Over the Shoulder shot, but the character is looking in the direction of the camera and the audience become aware of the character’s background and subjects which enter the scene before the character does. This is often used to create dramatic irony. This could also be used to show the reaction of a character to action going on behind them.

Reaction Shot

A shot which shows the reaction of a character either to another character  or an event within the sequence. This shot is often used to show the audience the emotions of what the character has said or is saying. It is often used as a cut during scenes which involve lots of dialogue, it is also typically done as a medium or close-up shot. This could also be used to develop relationships between characters and also good to start or end scenes with.

Worms Eye

This shot is the view of an object from below, this is the opposite of a birds eye view. This shot is commonly used to create a third perspective and usually used to make the audience feel inferior to the character or objects within the shot. This could also be used in a shot in which the camera is directly in front of the subjects face but they are unaware of its existence, could represent an invisible being.

High,Low,Canted Angle Shots

Different angles of shots which are used to convey different perceptions about the character or the audience, such as framing a character above the camera to convey authority  or power. A canted camera angle is used to make the shot appear to be skewed or tilted. This could be used to convey physical attributes of a character within the scene.

Eye Line Match

This shot is where the level of the camera is the same as the viewer, at eye level, this is often used to create a relationship with the subject and this impacts the development and escalation of emotions. This could also convey a level of equality between the viewer and the character.

AS Blog Entry #1 – The Media and Me

How does the media affect me and the world that I live in?

The media affects me is many more ways than i first thought, i found myself being very heavily reliant on the media from everyday tasks to surfing the internet and listening to music.

The first glimpse of media which affects me when i wake up is the newspaper, this keeps me up to date with current affairs and helps me to learn new things and most importantly gets my brain ready for a long day ahead. Not only does this help myself but also the others around me such as creating conversation with new students. This affects the world i live in because it enables me to meet new people and stay up to date with others.

During the summer i worked as an office assistant in central london and the media was vital to my punctuality and efficiency of my journey, the internet enabled me to check my train was running and also the quickest way to reach my destination. Throughout my work experience i also learnt about other types of media such as presentations and advertising opportunities within internet and print publications. The internet also helped me to carry out tasks quicker and with more knowledge of the subjects in question. This affected the view of other people about me, the better i did my job, the better impression they got of me.

I also use the internet at home and at school, i use the internet to social network via Facebook and keep up to date with my friends and family. This affects the world around me because i can talk to my friends, arrange going out and also help with homework and advice. In school i can access lots of information to further my understanding of a subject and further my education and get better grades. This essentially affects my whole life, the better i do at school helps me to go on and do better things in life and ultimately decide my career choices as an adult, the career choices which will affect my family as well as myself.

When i’m not at school or doing homework, i’m probably watching TV, I find it a great way to relax and socialise with my family, watching television also alerts me of current affairs and new products or promotions through advertising. This helps me to broaden my vocabulary by watching soap operas and TV drama’s, this gives me further understanding of new obstacles when they arise, this helps me in the outside world and gives me to ability to convey my knowledge and give help. An alternative to watching TV is video gaming, it is more interactive and with new features such as voice chat, it’s a way to socialise with friends, chat and play. I often play online games such as Call of Duty because you could be playing with or against people from the other side of the world just as easily as your next door neighbour. The game also provides me with endless possibilities to play the game in different ways and have fun.

I also own a mobile phone which allows me to easily contact friends and family wherever they are and is the easiest point of communication. I am heavily reliant on my mobile phone because my parents and brother are often at work/school, this enables me to make arrangements much easier than waiting around at home. This not only affects the way i spend my time but how others can depend on me to get things done so more less time is wasted.

Overall the media has a huge impact on my life, it makes my life easier, more entertaining and much better, from texting my mates to reading about last nights football game.This task has opened my eyes to enormity of how large the media is and how it interacts with my way of life.