Terms you should use for your statement on representation

You have been studying a unit on collective identity (unlike many other students from other centres), so you should have a good idea of the sorts of analysis expected under the heading 'Representation'. Here are some terms you may find useful:

General Terms:
- traditional, contemporary
- dominant ideology
- mediation
- collective identity
- representation

- masculinity and femininity

You should also make some comments here about the ways in which you have represented key themes or issues (this is particularly relevant if subject matter includes things like domestic abuse, rape and other sensitive issues). Be clear about how you want your spectator to be positioned in relation to these issues - do you want the spectator to leave your film having specific views on these issues?

What to write for the section on key media concepts - G325 exam question 1b prep

Key Media Concepts
This is one of the areas you need to comment on for Friday's deadline. For narrative and representation, I have uploaded 2 handouts to moodle, under Media A2, Advanced Portfolio. Read these again to help you. Consult the glossary linked on the right for key terms. For genre, consider how short films use genre (very flexibly, hybridised) - short films do not use genres in the ways in which mainstream films do).
For short film promotion, show that you understand where (on the internet) short films are seen by audiences, reviewed in online magazines and promoted - make links to websites you have used, and also look at important film festivals where short films have their own category. There are links to related websites dealing with short film promotion on the right bar.

DEADLINE APPROACHING!

Don't forget that the deadline for planning and continuing research is this coming Friday! Study the list in the booklet and further down on this blog to remind you of what is needed, but it's essentially all of the elements for planning, including the storyboard of key scenes. All of this MUST be on your blog by Friday, with every member of the group being represented as having undertaken at least one aspect of the planning. All members should be able to comment on the storyboarding, in terms of aims and intentions. I suggest that each member posts at least one of the sections of the animatic. If the storyboard isn't in the order of the film, then this will need to be explained. Remember: ANY SHOTS NOT STORYBOARDED DO NEED TO BE LISTED IN A SHOT LIST OR SHOOTING SCRIPT. LIKE THIS EXAMPLE FROM 'THE MUMMY':

How much of the short film needs to be storyboarded?

Following our experience of this last year, we have decided that it's sufficient for you to storyboard key scenes only in the short film. However, you do need to plan each shot, and this means providing a shot list with full notes on shot size, angle, movement and action for every shot on the blog. Don't forget to check my blog frequently (or your dashboard for updates) for advice.

Are you keeping up?

The first deadline has passed now, and you should all individually have posted at least 5 short film analyses in bullet point format. Please check your blog for comments from me suggesting additional work.

The second deadline is underway now:

Deadline Two: Ongoing Research and Pre-Production Planning
On your group blog by the date below, with everyone contributing equally, and all individual posts tagged, aiming for 1 post per day per group member:

- evidence of ongoing research into short films which reflect the ongoing process of your planning (embed links to more films the group finds inspiring, with comments)
- short statements (bullet pointed paragraphs) on initial group decisions in each of the areas for assessment in Unit G325: genre/style, narrative, representation, target audience, use of film language (eg ideas for key shots and dominant mise en scene). Remember that you will need to consult members of your audience for feedback later in the process!
- allocation of roles at this stage
- location research (photos taken and uploaded with notes)
- initial props ideas and photos with notes
- lighting notes (on animatic or as separate posting)- use examples from others
- storyboard as animatic (with or without commentary)
- outline script (either as part of animatic, or separate posting)
- initial ideas for additional sound (soundtrack, foley/fx, ambient)
- notes, images, links on initial research into short film promotion (advertising, reviews)
- some audience feedback on story ideas, proposed characters and scenes (can be gathered and presented through social networking sites), with comments posted

Friday 28th January

Are you recording the right sort of material for the first deadline?

Make sure that your posts are tagged individually to represent the whole group, and record the following types of comments as bullet points:

- what you thought was effective in terms of camerawork (use terms and explain)
- effective selection of mise en scene (use terms - eg for lighting)
- effective sound design (use terms and explain)
- interesting and creative editing (use terms)
- interesting narrative structure and story content
- themes and issues raised
- character construction and relation to spectator/viewer
- interesting and creative presentation and design of titles (you will need to devise, design and plan the presentation of your own title and film company, so start to notice this now)

All of this must be expressed as part of the preparation for your own work, so link any comments to your own developing ideas asap.

Is this the future?

guardian.co.uk home


http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/10/iphone-park-chan-wook-paranmanjang

Oldboy director Park Chan-wook shoots new film on iPhone

Award-winning South Korean film-maker says phone 'creates strange effects' in 30-minute movie Paranmanjang



* Associated Press
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 10 January 2011 15.12 GMT
* Article history

South Korean director Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook, whose CV includes blood-soaked thrillers such as Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. Photograph: Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters

South Korean film-maker Park Chan-wook is wielding a new cinematic tool: the iPhone.

New Links Added

I've added more links to short film websites and to the Exam Board 'Get Ahead' blog, designed for Media teachers and students to help everyone to 'get ahead'! Have you read the articles about current short film work and why it's important and exciting?

Here's the beginning of the article linked to the right:


The best short films on the web

From attention-grabbing promos to thoughtful documentaries, a new crop of directors is creating innovative and daring pictures that are cheap to make, easy to share, and finding an audience as never before. Here, we speak to those responsible for some of the best.....

DEADLINE APPROACHING!

This Friday, January 14th there is a deadline for completing your initial short film research. The details for this from the booklet appear below:

Pre- Production Research

• This is an essential part of your individual assessment, and contributes to the marks for research and planning
• There are at least 3 ways in which your research work is assessed:
- Through the research and planning marks allocated as part of the portfolio assessment,
- As part of the evaluation of production work as part of the Advanced Portfolio
- As part of the exam for unit G325: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
• You will be required to undertake some individual analyses of existing short films, so that you understand the limitations of the form, the kinds of films made in this form, and the styles and genres used.
• You will need to understand the audiences targeted by the short films you study, and consider how the film uses style and content to do this
• You will also need to develop an understanding of the ways in which short films are accessed by audiences, and why
• At every stage, and for every finding, you will need to relate research material to ideas and decisions for your own product
• You will complete the first of these very early in the process, and record it directly onto your blog (at this stage, an individual blog)

DEADLINE INFORMATION:

Deadline One: Initial Research
Each member of the group must contribute several posts to this:
On your group blog by the date below, with posts tagged with your name:
- initial research on short films
- bullet points using film language terms for camera, mise en scene, editing and sound, with links or embedded examples
-- Comment on aspects of the films you find successful or interesting, and suggest elements of these films that could inspire your group’s work
- comment on narrative structure and build an understanding of the typical short film format in relation to narrative, characterization and themes or issues.
- suggest audience profile for each, commenting on what may be learned by where the film was found (eg youtube? Virgin Media? etc)
Friday January 14th