Media Studies 3: Coursework: Final Checks Before Filming

The filming process is starting as of this week and to make sure that we are all set and not missing anything  I have created a checklist for Vicky and I. After all of the preparation Vicky and I have put into this coursework we both feel that the filming will go smoothly, even with any glitches that may crop up.

We hope to have all of the footage filmed and ready to edit within 3 weeks,including any re-shoots needed. 

FINAL CAST LIST 

Guy- RHYS J

Gal-SHANNON D

Pig - FAKE ELECTRONIC TOY PIG

Old Lady- BECKY J 

Apple- APPLE 

EQUIPMENT 

Camera-TYPE OF CAMERA - School Property

Camera Tripod- School Property

SD Cards- 2 of our own and school property for backups.

Batteries- Rechargeable Camera Batteries - School Property

Props- Basket, Flowers, Blanket, Costumes,Apple 

Filming Schedule- 2 Copies one for Crew and on for Actors

STORYBOARD

Written Script-One to share with actors

Drawn Scrip-One to share with actors

EDITING 

Editing Software- Apple IMovie, Photoshop, Fireworks (if necessary) for the main part of the editing process and Audacity for editing the music. 

After looking at this list Vicky and I have decided that we are fully ready to film and have a rough timescale of when we want certain scenes to be filmed by so that the editing process can begin.

LET THE FILMING COMMENCE !

Media Studies 3: Coursework: Adjustments

After having a meeting with our media teacher , Vicky and I have decided to add to the story board that we first created and we also decided to add to our overall narrative within the story board. We decided to do this because our first draft consisted of 4 different scenes that basically told the whole narrative, and overall it didn't seem long enough to become a 4 minute teaser trailer.

After revisiting the story board we have come up with new scenes and changed the narrative of the trailer to add more enigma codes. This allows us to have more footage to play around with and to have a better chance of a successful trailer.

To make our filming schedule easier for us and our actors, Vicky and I have decided to create two different storyboards for 5 main reasons:

1) To help the actors understand where they need to be positioned within the scene

2) To help with the editing after all the filming has finished

3) For help with when deciding what camera movements/angles we need to be used.

4) So that we have at least two different copies in case we lose/misplace one.

5) So Vicky and I can have the written copy and the Actors can have a separate drawn one to help them understand what they need to be doing in each scene.

Using this process has helped us to have a more efficient system of working together and communication. It has also given us the chance to develop an even better narrative.  From this experience alone it has shown me that nothing reaches its full potential first time around and that planning is crucial if you want a successful product.

After checking with our teacher, we are confident that we can start filming as soon as the drawn storyboard is finished.

Media Studies 3:Coursework: The production essentials

After finishing all of the paperwork for our production piece, as a group Vicky and I decided to make sure that we had all of the basics covered before we started to film.

Together we sat down and complied a list of the characters that we would need to cast and also all of the equipment that we would need. Our cast list goes as follows:

Cast List 

Guy- RHYS 

Gal- DEE 

Dog- FLASH THE DOG 

Old Lady- BECKY 

Man- KIERAN 

This is the most updated list so far. This was not the first list that we created and may not be the last as some of the actors have not confirmed that they will be in our production piece.  However to cover our backs we have created a potential backup cast list.

Back-Up List 

Guy- GLEN 

Gal- SHANNON 

Man-FLYNN

Old Lady- COURTNEY

Dog- LUCY THE DOG 

Having a list of equipment needed is helpful for us as a group as it allows us to understand who has what equipment and what we will need to get before filming commences. The equipment list that we created is stated below:

Equipment 

Camera

Camera Tripod

SD Cards 

Batteries

Props- BASKET, FLOWERS, BLANKET , COSTUMES

Editing Software 

As our Media Studies class only has a few high tech cameras that we have to share out between the groups, we have decided to try filming with our own cameras so that the footage that we film is separate from the other groups and so that we can work on the production at home in our own time as well as working in our dedicated media lessons.

Media Studies 3: Coursework: Filming Schedule

As the time for filming is getting nearer , as groups we need to make a filming schedule that is ours to keep.This means that we need a list of certain details that are the biggest parts of the filming process. One of the main diffficulties with making a filming schedule is making sure that all of the actors are available on the filming days. Below is the list that Vicky and I have come up with that allows us to create our production piece in the shortest amount of time,which gives us more time to edit the production.
Vicky and I got together and drew up a small list of days etc that we would be able to film on.

Filming the different scenes within a week or two, including bloopers, this allows us to collect the footage we need, but also gives us time at the ending of the editing process to go out and film again if necessary.

Filming

1) Location

* Cycle Path/Quiet Street

*Ponty-Pool Park
*School Library
*School Canopy

2) Time of Day

* Morning

* Midday/Afternoon

3) Days

* Monday - After 3rd lesson

* Tuesday- 1st and 2nd lesson
*Lunch Times on a Tuesday and Thursday

*Media lessons -if essential

* Weekends- if essential
*During Half Term- if essential

4) Timescale- Filming

* 1-2 days for Park scenes

*1-2 days for cycle path/quiet street scenes 

* Park Play ground - swings 

This list may just seem that very general, however after con-firing with the actors we have all come up with suitable times thatis suited to everyone's schedules. 

Depending on the location, whilst filming we have to account for :

*Time to set up equipment

* Time to get to the location 

*Time to film the whole scene - including the bloopers. 

*How long the weather will last

*Costume changes for the actors

The days of filming will also depend on the weather as the scenes for our films require sunny/mild days. 

Media Studies 3:Coursework: Typography

After deciding which website we would choose our typography font from we looked at all the different categories the fonts were split into.

From these categories we created a list that we thought would work well with our genre, story line and overall look of our film.

This is the list that we chose from:
From Me 2 You
Alertse
Honey Script
Southern Aire
Organic Elements
Falling Rain
Little Lord Fontleroy
Je N'aime Pas Le Lundi
Typo Garden Demo
Little Bird
A Yummy Apology
Black Flowers Blossom
AKA Frivolity
Fancy Pens
You are Precious
Janda SwirlyGirl
VTKS Dear Love
Penguin Attack

Using the options on the website , we wrote out our title in the font the fonts listed above and compared them to each other after pasting them into a word document. From this method we narrowed it down to 5 fonts:

Fancy Pens
A Yummy Apology
Little Lord Fontleroy
Organic Elements
VTKS Dear Love

After asking around our target audience we decided on 'Little Lord Fontleroy'.

After deciding on our typography for the title of our trailer, as a group we studied the trailers for our research case studies and we both agreed that we would need another type of font for the credits at the end of every trailer. Having found the perfect title font on  http://dafont.com/  , as a group we went back to the site and started to look for a font that would work well for a trailer's ending credits. The perfect font for our film is SF Movie Poster.

Media Studies 3: Coursework: Characters and Reasoning

Whilst most films tend to give the characters names that fit into the story line and the characters personality, Vicky and I decided to vie away from this stereotypical convention by just giving simplistic and explanatory names to our characters.
As my previous post about our cast list shows, we have chosen to go with names that just introduce the characters to the audience:
* Guy
*Gal
*Old Lady
*Fellow Chap 

Having 'Mystery Man' as a character name, creates an enigma code to entice the audience to watch the full trailer to satisfy their curiosity and decide whether they would want to watch our film.

As our genre is a silent comedy we decided to add part of the comical sense into the characters names. For  example we have decided to give the fake pig a really elaborate name : Prince Persnickety Perryweather Pigworth the Fourth.

The character names also help up to identify the characters to the audience, without getting the names mixed up.

Media Studies 3: Coursework: The Details

As with everything in life, you have to plan things out. Contrary to what everyone believes Media Studies Coursework is no different .

One of the most important parts of creating a trailer is,of course, the title. As a group we came up with a range of titles that would fit our plot line. Below is a list of our top 7 favourite titles.

1) Pipe Dream
2) 101 uses of a Granny Smith: Home Wrecking
3)Semblance
4)Planting the seed of despair
5)Time is of the essence
6)An Apple a day
7) The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree

From this list we still couldn't decide on a title so after asking around our target audience we shortened the suggestion of 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree' to just 'Far from the tree'. This works well as our title because it ties in with the plot line and also gives an enigma code to the audience.

Before filming even starts everyone needs to have a basic understanding of the editing software (i movie on Apple Mac) so that as groups we can film and then go straight onto the editing stage with no major problems. As a part of this as my group and I have been looking at the types of typography that we would like within our trailer.

These are a few that we have looked at:
http://cooltext.com/
http://dafont.com/
http://www.fonts.com/

After looking at the different font websites, we decided to use http://dafont.com/  as it gives us a bigger range of fonts to choose from and that fit our film genre. This is also a very well known font site which most people would have heard of in the media industry.

From this, the next step is to name the characters that are in our teaser trailer, to fit with the title.

MS3:Podcast on Camera Shots and Editing

Before starting to film our production piece, as a group we need to create some sort of storyboard to help us understand the layout of the film and the type of shots that we will need to use. This will also help us to film in parts/scenes.  Using the same podcast author as before, as a class we were given a range of youtube links that would help us to decide on different shot types and the types of editing that we could use to help construct our story boards.

Camera Shots
There are 4 different links for the types of camera shots. This tells me that there are a range of different camera shots/movements to choose from, which means that as a group we have to choose carefully on what types of shot will create the effect that we want within our production.  All of the links follow on from each other and are around  4-18 minutes long each.

The first link talking about framing ,composition and movement within a moving image. From this podcast I learnt different names for the same type of shot e.g. establishing shot could also be called a wide shot or master shot. I also found the 180 degree rule whilst filming interesting as it helps to understand how you would film a particular shot and also what type of shot it would be. The podcast also goes through a demonstration of a steady cam;how it works, what its mostly used for and what effect it has. 

The second link carries on from the framing and composition and talks about shot scale and the meaning of the image.This mostly includes the types of shots and what is included in them. Most of the shots I have already, but it was interesting to find out why the images are used and how to differentiate between shots that look similar. 

Looking at the 3rd and 4th pod casts they follow on from the previous podcast talking about the different types of shots;just as before. The last podcast also goes into detail on deep focus/depth of field which I had never heard of before. 

Editing
There is only one link for the types of editing. The podcast works as a slideshow that gives the names of the editing and a quick and simple definition. At the end of some definitions there are few questions that make you think about the type of shot transition and what effect it would have on the production. 

The non-digetic voice over gives more information to the definitions and also gives a little bit of history about the types of editing and other names for the same type of edit.

 From listening to this podcast I have learnt that there are a few similar editing types but that they give the audience a completely different meaning or understanding of what is shown within the scene.  I also learnt a few new editing types such as crosscutting and wipe. 

Overall after listening to all of the pod casts I have found that, even though I knew most of the shot types/movements/editing, there is a lot more detail to go into and that it isn't just as simple as film a number of shots and call it a film/trailer.

If you would like to listen to the podcasts yourself, the links are listed below.
Camera -  http://youtu.be/yCgUhvsHi6g
                  http://youtu.be/9EatBwU4l3o
                  http://youtu.be/pX0_ZAxYbVE
                  http://youtu.be/OmtlrgBgYv4


Editing-  http://youtu.be/Zo9-1sGSKKE

Media Studies 3:Coursework Research:Titles and Texts

When thinking about my individual research investigation I have come up with a list of potential titles that would fit the type of research that I plan on undergoing. The main bulk of my research is going to be based upon representations shown within the texts.

My list of potential titles are :

1) The representation of men within silent films

2) The representation of Charlie Chaplin's characters within his films

3) How do the representations of men within silent films compare to each other?

4) How does Charlie Chaplin represent his male characters?

5) Looking at the representations of men within my three chosen texts

6) The way in which Charlie Chaplin represents his male characters

7) Do silent films portray the stereotypical view of men?

8) How well do silent films show the stereotypical view of men?

9) Evaluate(ing) the way in which Charlie Chaplin portrays his males’ characters within my two/three chosen texts. 

For my coursework I have decided to look at 2 different texts that relate to my individual research title. Only using 2 texts gives me the option of watching and analyzing then in depth and gives me the advantage of being able to stick closely to my chosen title. 

1) Charlie Chaplin: The Champion

2)A Woman Of Paris - Written and Directed by Charlie Chaplin

I chose Charlie Chaplin:The Champion because this film has a range of different representations of men e.g. the difference between the two main protagonists and the fact that the whole film is centered around men is a 'must' for my research investigation. Another factor is that it is a Chaplin film which makes this a famous film and suitable for my research into silent films. 

Even though,as the title suggests, my second text, A Woman of Paris,is based on the love life of a young woman,it also has its fair share of male representations which are helpful to me as they stand out within the film which is dominated by the female protagonist. Another reason I chose this text is because it is the first and only drama that Charlie Chaplin every directed. 

MS3: Podcasts on Research Methods

As a helping hand towards the research part of the coursework my teacher gave us all a link from YouTube  and told us to listen to the pod casts as it would help with our coursework investigation. 

There are 3 parts to the podcast and they all follow on from each other. Each part was around 4 minutes long, and it was packed full of useful information that has given me ideas on how to conduct my coursework investigation. 

When listening to the podcast(s) I found that even though most of the information I already knew, some of the added detail to the information was completely new to me. For example I learnt that you could use search engines such as Google Advance to narrow down your search. I also learnt that there is a site called Library Catalogue that could help with finding documents on the web relating specifically to your search. 

Another research method that I learnt about would be Scholarly Journal Articles , which could help me to gain specific information that relates solely to my investigation. I also found that within any investigation when using newspapers that show a biased view of a topic or may not be entirely true , needs to be acknowledged within your investigation. 

I also learnt that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter could be used for primary research to create a bigger sample for your research. Sites such as Planet eStream or Google video , that are mentioned within the podcast, are new to me , which has given me a wider range of sources to find visual texts that can help me to get my point across to the audience that may read my investigation. 

Overall after listening to the podcast , I have learnt a number of different techniques to help me better my research to create a focused investigation that will help me to create my production piece correctly. 

If you would like to listen to the podcasts yourself, the links are listed below. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcB30eb9DPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWdWx0aSD1M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OewsT0VIwtE

Media Studies 3:Coursework research

For my second year of studying media I have to create a short film/trailer of a genre of my choice. I had the choice to work individually or within a group. I chose to work within a group as it allows every member to focus on one thing along and shares out the workload.  But before I do that I have to undertake a research investigation into my film genre. My group's film genre is going to be Silent Comedy.We chose this film genre because it is 'original' and we have a range of ideas that would be fitting for a silent film.

To start with as a group we all looked at different silent comedies that included a range of famous actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Rudolph Valentino and Lon Chaney Snr/Jnr. This led on to looking at trailers for the films which gave us a better idea of what was included within a silent comedy and the types of narratives within the films.

For the investigation there were 3 choices we could base the research on:
* Representation
* Genre
*Narrative

I chose to look at representation because I feel that I have a good ability of picking out different representations;how they are shown and what meaning they convey to the audience and using the  small bits of information that I picked up whilst watching the trailers I thought that representation would be an easy topic to write about as the representations are conveyed through actions and facial expressions.

From this I have decided to look at the representation of men because this is a less obvious view to look at and the generic representation of women is simplistic and never really changes.