Friday 30 October 2015

Research : Codes and Conventions Of Horror Films


Codes:

Codes are signs that give a film a meaning. There are two types of codes, symbolic and technical.

Symbolic codes present us with what is hidden beneath the surface of what we see. This could be used with character's emotions and actions throughout the film to show you how the character is feeling at different times.

Technical codes are ways that the equipment is applied to tell the story effectively in a film. This could be the lighting in a horror film, which would probably be dark with a small amount if light.

Some elements of films fit into both types of codes, such as the music which is non-diegetic.

Conventions:

Conventions are things that are commonly used in films that give it a certain genre. For example in horror films some conventions are that the characters are in the middle of nowhere and can't get help when in danger, when someone is being chased in a building they run past the door that is unlocked and go upstairs where they are trapped, or someone trips over when they are being chased.

How codes and conventions are applied in media studies:

Codes and conventions are used together in any study of genre – it is not enough to discuss a technical code used such as camera work, without saying how it is conventionally used in a genre.
For example, the technical code of lighting is used in a way in all film genres. It is a convention of the horror genre that side and back lighting is used to create mystery and suspense.

Monday 12 October 2015

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Describe the set brief for the preliminary task. What was it that you were asked to create? Use the correct media specific vocabulary and show that you understand the meaning of these terms.


For our preliminary task we had to film and edit a video with someone entering a room and exchanging two pieces of dialogue with another person. We had to include a range of different camera shots, angles and movements, and also use the 180 degree rule, match on action and the shot/reverse shot.


Explain everything that you did leading up to the point when you started filming (pre-production). Discuss how this process helped to prepare you for filming.

We started by coming up with some ideas that we could use and picked out our favourite one. Once we knew what we wanted to make the video about we started planning and discussing how we could use the different camera shots, angles and movements to fit well with what was happening in the video. This helped us prepare for filming because it would be easier to do as we would know what we wanted it to look like and could get straight on with it.


Describe the filming process itself (production). How did this go?

When we were filming we looked at the story board and made sure we made the clip as close to our initial plans for it as we could. Our filming process took about two hours. We took multiple clips of each shot so we could pick out the best of each of them when it came round to editing.


Explain the editing stage for your Preliminary Task (post-production). This should include how you applied new skills you have learnt.

When I started editing I looked through all of the clips we filmed and picked out the best ones that would go well together. I had to check that there were no mistakes such as the match on action shot was ruined or we didn't stick to the 180 degree rule. Once I had done this I put them all together and made sure it was all in time and flowed well.


Evaluate your finished Preliminary Task. How well does it meet the expectations of your set brief? Which parts of it do you think are particularly strong? Where are there weaknesses? What can you identify as being an area for development when it comes to producing your Main Task?

Overall I think that the finished preliminary task was good and met the expectations that we wanted it to. We managed to get in a good range of shots, angles and movements. We also put in the match on action, 180 degree rule and the shot/reverse shot which made it better. We could have improved by making some of the match on action shots better so the clip looks more realistic, an example of this is that some of the facial expressions change between shot that are put next to each other.

Preliminary Task



Here is my Preliminary Task for media.



Tuesday 6 October 2015

Learning To Edit With Adobe Premiere Pro



  • I have learnt how to create a new project on Premiere Pro
  • I have learnt how to import clips and audio in the Premiere Pro
  • I have learnt how to navigate through videos by using the left and right keypad and by scrubbing
  • I have learnt how to move a clip into my timeline, with or without it's audio
  • I have learnt how to trim with the razor tool for precise cuts between shots
  • I have learnt how to play the video in full screen to see any mistakes, or for video viewing purposes
  • I have learnt how to add video transitions and effects to my project
  • I have learnt how to decrease the volume on a video
  • I have learnt how render a video so it is ready for exporting
  • I have learnt how to export my project to my desktop
  • I have learnt how to post a video on youtube