Preliminary.

Below is our finished Preliminary exercise.

Editing our Prelimiary Exercise.

We started editing our clips on Monday 20th September for our Prelimiary exercise. Connor did most of the editing but we all had a imput. Some things we didnt like so we had to come to a agreement as a group on how we wanted the film clip edited. We also had to cut out alot of footage to make the clip shorter as 2 mins was enough. We added background music, "love guru- 9 to 5" and decided as a group that this would be our film, and it fits in with the film. We used adobe premire pro to edit, we encounterd various problems including lag.. this was becasue the school computers where very slow so it was dificult to watch the film clip in full.

Why you must see Love Actually

From the makers of Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary Brings a Magical Love story, staring Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Alan Rickman. This delightful yet comical love story explores the ups and downs, of boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wife’s, fathers and sons and rock stars and managers, all in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

‘Love Actually’ follows the lives of very different people with a multi-storied script. In fact, ten stories intertwine, loosely connected by friends of friends, family and next-door-neighbours. This film is undoubtedly the one to watch

Rock star Bill Nighy sets the scene in a recording studio for his hit new Christmas song ‘Christmas is all around’ which is really just a new version of ‘love is all around’. This immediately informs the audience that it is Christmas, setting a feel good atmosphere. ‘Love Actually’ is a romantic-comedy that follows the ups and downs of people’s relationships all in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

I think that the actors in this film are good because they are able to convey a variety of contrasting emotions throughout the film, such as happiness at some parts and anger and sadness in other parts.

My Favourite scene is when Sam (Thomas Sangster) realises he is in love with young singer Joanna (Olivia Olsen). He is a drummer in the band she is performing in nearer the end of the film. It is the school talent show and she sings ‘All I want for Christmas’. The camera is directed as if the audience were Sam; this makes you feel part of the film. She points at him and there is pause, the camera is still while she makes eye contact with him. At the end she is at the airport and there is a brief feel of sadness while he tries to run after her. He then catches up with her; this is the first time they have been seen together through out the film.  The film then skips to when she comes back off holiday and shows them both together with the rest of the family at Christmas. I find this the best scene because it comprises many feelings at once and you are left in suspense as to what will follow.

Another of my favourite scene is when actor Colin Firth who plays Jamie a writer who falls in love with Aurelia a maid who is hired to clean his house. Aurelia is Portuguese so they both struggle to understand each other. The best part is when Jamie is writing a story and his papers blow into the water, Aurelia jumps in to collect them and Jamie soon follows. He says ‘there best not be eels in here’ and Aurelia reply’s later in Portuguese saying ‘ Watch you don’t disturb the eels’. This is amusing for the audience because he doesn’t know what she is saying.  They manage to have a conversation, using actions, about his writing and what types of story’s he writes. At the end when she has to go she says ‘This is the saddest part of my day, Leaving you’ of course she says it in Portuguese so he thinks she’s not that into him when really all along she is, and falls in love from the first time she sees him.  It is a beautiful moment when the audience realises they have developed feelings for each other, but them themselves are unaware of how the other is feeling.             

This is an inspiring film its expresses many important issues. What stands out for me the most is the message that when you think things aren’t going so well, if you carry on with faith then you can hope for a brighter outcome in the end. The actors in the film clearly show this, for example, problems with relationships being resolved in the end.

I think this film is really wonderful because it doesn’t just involve adults or just involve children but it shows all ages together and I think this makes it a good watch for all ages, especially at Christmas time this film shows family’s and friends coming together and that should influence people to do the same. Also it shows different types of scenes from relationships at work to relationships at home, and at school. I like how Christmas songs are played throughout the film mainly at the parts where family is involved. Then when Colin (Kris Marshall), heads off to the U.S more summery songs are played.

Today the rest of my group havent been here so i havent been able to do all the editing, although i have looked at Premiere Pro and had ago at editing some files. I have looked through all the scenes we shot and have picked out the good ones from the bad.

Preliminary Exercise..

Filming problem!!!
We realised the sound hadnt been recorded, this means we had to go back and record some scenes again. This caused problems as this time filming we didnt have the same bottle and kept laughing so had to retake it quite a few times. In the end we managed to over come the problem and got all the footage we needed, the only thing is by doing this we missed out on time for editing. Also we had to take the camera to the ict technitions to download our film clips onto a shared area for my group. This took time so we couldnt begin editing the same day.

Preliminary exercise

What we did...


We began our filming, myself and ryan where acting. We started by choosing a room we would film in. We film ryan reciving a text and walking down the corridoor to meet someone. After this i was filmed reciving the text and then walking down the stairs to meet ryan. We then met up and sat under the stairs and exchanged a few lines of dialouge (this is also shown below in our story board) We included match on action, 180 degree rule and also shot/ reverse shot.

To begin, drew up a basic story board as a group. This consisted of two people texting, then walking around the school, eventually meeting. Once they meet, they sit under some stairs and swap some dialogue. This storyboard is very basic; it didn't include any media terminology. However when it comes to our actual assignment we shall develop the storyboard, allot more than this one has been. 


                              <Story board>
Here is our script...


Fran: Heyaa
RyRy: Hellooo
Fran: What lesson you sciving?
RyRy: Science
Fran: i dont blame you, that Miss Moorehouse is such a bitch!
RyRy: Yeah i think im failing becasue of her, do you  have that drink i asked for?
Fran: ermmm.....ah here it is.
RyRy: cheers, see you later.
Fran: See ya.




Problems....
To begin with we had to wait a while to get cameras because the person was on the phone. It took us a while to find a location and sometimes we had to wait a while until people moved from the place we where filming in. We could not resolve this so just had to wait. Also with lighting we had to shut the blinds in some rooms becasue the sun was too bright, in some cases we had to change the direction we was filming in.With the scene “receiving the text message" there was technical difficulty, with the mobile phones interference and the microphone, (causing a most irritating noise) we overcame this by turning off the microphone. This could have also been done by muting the audio in the clip when editing it

 Overall...
I beleive our filming went well and we got all the footage and more that we needed .



Understanding Terms

Continuity means continuing. This is where the scene is shortened but is still understandable to the aduience as continuing. The scence could be shortened into 3 short clips so the audience can assume what happens inbetwen each shot or sequence.
e.g a 45 min train journey could be shortend into 3 shots or sequences, Getting on the train, While he/she is on the train and Getting off the train. The audience would therfore assume he is still on the train in between shots.

The video above shows how the tenis ball is thrown in one shot and it then switches to another shot of someone else catching the ball, this shows how the audience automatically assume the ball is traveling from one perosn to another.

Match on action this is a technique where you cut from one shot to another veiw that matches the action and pace of the first shot. This creates the impression of continuity even though the shots may have been filmed weeks apart. when the charecter begins action in one shot and completes it in the second a visual bridge is created, this acts as a disguise to cover up the cut from one to another.

These pictures demonstrate two different shots, the second shot matches the action and pace of the first shot.

Shot/reverse shot Shot reverse shot (or shot/countershot) is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. The video below also demonstrates this:

The 180 degree rule The 180° rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters (or any  other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

e.g, if Owen (orange shirt in the diagram) is on the left and Bob (blue shirt) is on the right, then Owen would be facing right at all times, even when Bob is off the edge of the shot, and Bob should always be facing left. Shifting to the other side of the characters on a cut, so that Bob is now on the left side and Owen is on the right, will disorient the viewer, and break the flow of the scene.

This picture shows the axis between two characters and the 180° arc on which cameras may be positioned (green side). When cutting from the green arc to the red arc, the characters switch places on the screen.

The video below also demonstrates this.

Preliminary Exercise.

Produce a continuity exercise which involves a charecter opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another charecter, with whom they will exchange a couple of lines of dialogue.

            They will demonstrate:

• 
  
  Match on action
• 
  
  Shot/reverse shot
• 
  
  180 degree rule

Introduction to media studies

Hello, my name is Francesca.
My target grade for this subject is a D and i aim to acheive higher than this.
My media group is Connor, Liam and Ryan.
I have picked Media because i thought it would be a intresting subject and would be more practical than other subjects. I also want something to do with media and graphics when i leave school.
I enjoy working with other people to create a final piece as a team.