Collecting target audience research

I will be putting together some questions to ask my target audience. During the week I will be interviewing some people with a camera. I also plan to collect some qualitative feed-back on my target audience by handing out a few questionnaires by hand and the rest on Facebook.

Vox Populi

A Vox pop meaning the "voice of the people" is used as an effective way to gather general information from the public rather than the stressful and unreliability of handing out questionnaires. This will help me have an idea of what sort of conventions I can include in the Short Film/Poster/Double page spread of a magazine review.

I did research on how to conduct a successful Vox plot on the BBC website and also looked at youtube from existing Vox Pops.








Got my results from my primary research I will be doing an analysis on them and post it on my blog in future.
From the research I will know how my target audience want the media text to be produced.

Target audience profile

Younger Audience

I am a 18 year old male living in London with my parents I am from a working class family and in my second year of college looking to go university next year, I have a part time job in the local café. On a normal day I would wear jeans, a jacket and trainers. I enjoy RnB, Hip Hop and Funky House music. I enjoy action / Dramatic films that I can relate to or get a strong connection with the characters. I like listening to a wide range of music especially music with personal reference/ emotion. I am a bit of a rebel and belief in second chances. I have younger siblings. My favourite films are the Godfather and Scar-face.




Older Audience

I am a 29 year old male living in Essex I am currently working full time in the banking sector. I am middle class and have 2 children. On a normal day I would be dressed in a suit. I enjoy classic. pop and reggae music.

I enjoy action films made by UK directors and star UK actors such as Danny Dyer and Frank Harper, I also enjoy dramatic films that are compelling and have a twisted story, or narrated. My favourite films are Sin City and the Matrix.

Target audience

From my research into short films, I have come to a conclusion that there is a niche audience for short films. Short films are much less mainstream than Hollywood blockbusters and as a result appeal to less people. It is my understanding that the target audience for short films mainly include members of the film industry as well as people interested in art house cinema. I feel short films appeal to both genders and to individuals aged over 20. This is due to the fact that short films are more sophisticated and 'arty' and as a result don't appeal to the masses. As a result of this the mediums short films are shown through are less traditional to that of main stream films. It is my understanding that my short film will either have to be shown at specific art-house cinemas, internet viewing or television e.g Channel 4 between breaks.

Audience Theory

The effects/ Hypodermic model

The hypodermic needle model is a model of communications. This model owes much to the supposed power of the mass media - in particular film - to inject their audiences with ideas and meanings in which the audience wholly receive and accept. The model is out of date but continues to influence present media texts in terms of and control in the media.















Uses and Gratifications

Uses and gratifications is a more recent model of audience which suggest that there is a highly active audience making use of the media for a range of purposes designed to satisfy needs such as entertainment, information and identification. The audience ha s the power and they select the media texts that best suit their needs.




The active audience


In this model, at its simplest level, the audience accept or agree with the encoded meanings, they accept and refine parts of the texts meanings or they are aware of the dominant meaning of the text but reject it for cultural, political or ideological reason. It recognises the importance of the analysis of signs, particularly visual signs, that shape so much of modern media output.


Mode of address

This refers to the way that a text speaks to the audience in a style that encourages them to identify with the text because it is 'there' kind of text. For example Friends is intended for a young audience because of the way it uses music and the opening credits to develop a sense of fun, energy and enthusiasm that the perceived audience can identify with.

This does not mean that other groups are excluded, merely that the dominant mode of address is targeted at the young.


Ethnographic model

The latest research into audience has resulted in an ethnographic model, which means that the researcher enters into the culture of the group and uses questions and interviews to try to understand media engagement from the perspective of the group. What seems to be emerging from this work is

a) the focus on the domestic context of reception of media texts
b) the element of cultural competence, and finally
c) technologies.

Approaching my target Audience

I will be approaching my target audience by giving out a couple questionnaires on Facebook and by hand, from their responses I will make decisions on what I should include in my Short Film, Poster and double spread magazine review. My target audience is quite open as it is an open text which can relate to a wide audience because of its aim to be dramatic and entertain. My main direct target audience will be ideally be a male from an urban background/ inner city who enjoys dramatic films between the age of 18 - 37.

Link between Short Films and Features Films

As part of my research I looked at how short films are linked to feature length films it can be said that short films are basis of feature length films. I found a perfect example which illustrates this SAW the original (short film) and SAW (the feature length film)


















saw original and saw 1

Short Films textual analysis

Post – It Love

The short film is about two shy office workers who like each other, and are expressing their love through well-mastered and clever post-it note images scattered around the office. Each of them takes turn to better their image until the finale when they both catch each other in the act and give each other a cheeky smile.

Representation

The short film has two main characters, a male and female. They are represented as being two people who are very shy but share a loving interest in each other, and this is shown using various different techniques. In scene 1 they are found photocopying some paper and as you can see they have both gone on different copier machines because they are too shy to talk to each other. When standing in front of the machines the shyness is once again represented because they both peer over the wall-section to glance at the other person simultaneously and quickly look down when they spot the other person staring at them. The girl is in a close up shot and you can see a small smile appearing as if to portray her happiness that the male was looking at her too.

This has obviously proven to the girl that the male has indeed interest in her, but the shyness is once again conveyed when she leaves a piece of blue paper with a smiley face made out of post it notes . This portrays the shyness because the girl had no confidence to speak to the male, and vice versa.

The next scene  shows the male character sorting out his tie in the toilet; an anonymous character walks into the cubicle behind and shuts the door only to reveal the next step in the loving interest between the two characters. This time round it’s a thought bubble containing a pink heart, (made out of post it notes), placed perfectly where the male is standing. Once again representing the shyness because the female still hasn’t brought up enough courage to speak to the male instead leads him on with another picture. The heart represents her loving interest and cleverly tries to give a sign to the male that he may be thinking the same.

Genre

From watching this short film I believe the film to be in the genre of romance and comedy. In scene 1 they are both standing at the copier and do the exact same actions, copying, picking up more paper, filling machine and it’s quite comical to watch as they are both in sync. Scene 2 shows both genres at the same time, because first of all its humorous due to their shyness towards each other and how they quickly look down at the copier again, but this also shows hints of romance and love because both have noticed each other. As explained before the girl looks down and begins to smile so this is also a convention for the love genre.

Desperate to make another image the female goes into the stock room and comes out with piles of post it notes which is viewed upon as comical because she looks determined. In scene 8 above just outside the stock room there is a white piece of paper on the wall, this reads “Stationary out of the stock room must only be used for work purposes only”, and the humorous factor is obvious as the female doesn't intend to use it for any purpose for her work. The last two scenes shows the more romantic side because they catch each other in the act and she can see how much effort he puts in for her to notice him.

Short Films textual analysis

The Ends By Justin Edgar

CAMERA – there are a lot of mid-shots and long shots used in the film. These are used to signify the setting and surrounding of the film – the poverty stricken and rundown estates and this connotes the stereotype for such places of violence and shootings. There are many close-up shots used of the characters to signify emotion. At the end of the film there is use of a bird-eye shot, this is to show how insignificant the character’s lives are, as the scene beforehand is of Jaybee’s girlfriend shooting herself and the shot represents her as small and a worthless life.

EDITING – there are a lot of fast-paced and shaky camera movements used to connote the seriousness of the shooting and that Angela’s future is uncertain. Focus-pulls are also used from character to character to signify that one character’s actions affects another, such as the pull from Angela’s sister to her brother, who begs the gang members to call the police.

MISE-EN-SCENE – the setting of the film is in a poor estate surrounded by drugs and violence. This connotes the stereotype portrayed by the media of where violence actually takes place in Britain. Clothing and language of the characters also represent the stereotypes of Inner City London gang members.

SOUND – sounds such as the gunshot were edited to seem realistic. The beginning of the film uses a dark non-diegetic soundtrack to notify the audience that a serious incident is going to occur whereas at the end of the film, the soundtrack changes to a piano-based saddening theme which connotes that the actions in the film have taken place and there is no point of return.

Short Films textual analysis

Young Offender By Isabel Anderton

CAMERA – there are a lot of close-up shots of the protagonist of the film and his actions. This is to show the emotion of the character to add an in depth view of his thoughts and feelings. Many of the close-up shots are of Ali writing, this is used as it is significant to the narrative of the as he only writes when he is angered and builds tension when he begins to write more aggressively. There were some mid-shots used to signify the ethnic diversity between the inmates, which is integral to the narrative as Ali has a hatred for ethnic minorities.

EDITING – there were many focus pulls used but not between the characters. Many of the scenes begin with a camera shot behind a set of steel bars, to then focus on Ali. This signifies his loneliness throughout as he is not just literally trapped behind bars but mentally too – he feels isolated being one of the only white British males in the institute. The lighting is also dim throughout, which also signifies the ‘darkness’ to Ali’s personality and his hatred of different ethnicities.

MISE-EN-SCENE – the film is set in a Young Offenders Institute and most of the shots of Ali are in his cell, which connotes that his mind is trapped with his thoughts and feelings of hatred. The plaster in which Ali is required to wear over his racist tattoo is a significant part of the mise-en-scene, as when he finally decides to let his feelings overrule him, he removes the plaster, connoting that he is being himself and not conforming to the rules of the institute.
SOUND – the diegetic sound throughout the film has been edited to appear louder to the audience. This is used with small occurrences such as when Ali writes, the sound of the pen to paper usually increases as he continues to write, which connotes that he is becoming more angry.

Short Films textual analysis

SNAP Director – ManoloCeli.

Music cuts out when kids skipping, comic effect. Music then returns after photographer and tourist appear in the frame. There is upbeat music throughout the film, however it is relaxed at the start. When the action begins, its builds up in pace. It uses electric guitars and drums, sounding a little like rock music almost. The main character is nearly always in the centre of the frame showing he is most important, he is the artist.The cafe is a casual setting, and easy to relate to. The streets are too. It was filmed in Florida. His clothing is average too, they change through the shots when he is running and changing corners. It symbolises a change in time, showing a new person. It shows the audience that he has done that kind of thing before. There is what looks like a camera bag on his back, showing he is perhaps a photographer. The film pace shifts from slow motion at some points./ Such as when they run through the pigeons. Over head shot was used in the gallery, showing people admiring his photographs of angry people. In the credits, it shows him training on a tread mill, he has sports achievements on his wall, and hockey stick, showing he was ready to take those photos. The shot then fades out of the shot, ending the story.

Overall it is an artistic film with excellent shots and composition.

Short Films textual analysis

Strangers (2004)- short film by: Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv

One of the first shots is a tracking shot of the train, because the train moves quickly past the screen it suggests to he audience that the storyline will be quite Fast paced and also the fact that the location is underground on a train you expect it to be an adventure.

A lot of extreme close ups are used to again catch the facial expressions of the characters because this is also a no dialogue film and from the above screen grabs the shot represents a tense atmosphere for the characters and this can be identified because of the close up.

This is a narrow depth of field shot. This has been done to focus the audience’s attention on the Arabic newspaper to enforce its importance in the narrative. It also helps the audience to have an idea on a theme of the film. A lot to the shots in the film are like this which doesn’t follow todorovs theory of the rule of thirds as the screen hasn’t been equally split to create an effective shot. What the shot does show is no location just darkness around the character this can portray a sense of being stuck or underground. This is the location of the film and from the dim lighting and the fact that its underground it shows implications of genre specific elements for an action adventure.

The mise en scene in a non dialogue short film is very important to help the audience understand the narrative and storyline; in this particular film the props are the main aspects that help to deliver the messages and themes. For example the close up of the necklace is of the star of David which is Jewish and the close up of the Arabic newspaper suggests that one of the themes is religion. The same as “signs” the film title is in black and white but I think for a different reason and considering the themes of this film I think that it has a link to do with a racial issue. This title is shown just after the film starts which make the audience think about it and its as if the title its self is a message in the film. The screen grab on the left on the right shows the character now with someone else standing on the platform just after exiting the train. Also I think that the first screen grab represents time in a different way because these two strangers of opposite cultures have just helped each other escape and centuries ago they wouldn't even of spoke. The way the first screen grab is positioned with the characters standing on opposite platforms just accentuates the divide between them and their backgrounds.

Textual analysis

Offside is a short film that uses a football commentary as a metaphor for the Middle East conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. 

The film carries a serious statement about the futility of the conflict, and hence is a serious drama piece. Two pairs of soldiers stumble across each other whilst one is listening to a football match on the radio. As the stalemate unfolds, the situation in the football match mirrors the real life events, especially after their deaths, where the ‘goal’ is declared ‘offside’. The ‘look’, or mise-en-scene, of this film helps to communicate this statement, by using the common iconography of the conflict (i.e: the border fences, the armed guards, the hot, isolated landscape).

The camera work throughout is quite straightforward. Beyond the establishing shot of the Border, much of the film is shot in MCU or CU on the two pairs of guards or the radio. Once both sides have killed each other, the wide shot returns, showing how the violence has done nothing to alter the situation. The shots are edited together to reflect the football commentary. For example, as the commentator says the names of players passing to each other, the shot cuts to another of the soldiers, as if each pass is a chance for each man to ‘score a goal’. There is also the use of ‘slow mo’ as one of the soldiers fires.

The captions used at the start and close of the films are generally straightforward, but the title of the film is shown in an animated ‘flickering’ font, to mirror the radio tuning into the game. A tuning sound effect is used in conjunction with this.

The production has clearly been blessed with the chance to film in the only location that could do this story justice, i.e: the actual place. They also have a small effects budget, as blood squibs are used to mimic gunshot wounds. These are shown in CU, to emphasise each strike, as well as making the budget clearly visable on screen.

In conclusion, Offside is a very well made short film that manages to successfully communicate a very valuable message about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and war in general, despite it’s limited cast and content. It is very valuable to the thinking process for our film, as it shows how five minutes is ample time to be able to communicate a serious message if desired.

Short Films textual analysis

Short film analysis.

Lovefield. . This is the first shot of the short film and as well as being an establishing shot its also the title. The title then disintegrates and the cameras slowly lowers and tracks thorough the cornfield. These are all medium shots and the positioning and movement of the camera crates meaning as the camera slowly creeps up the sign to show a black crow sitting on the top. The connotative meaning of a black crow is death and this gives the audience the impression that the film is a horror.

A lot of extreme close ups are used in this film not to portray characters facial expressions but to show aspects of the mise en scene like props. One of the close up shots is of a mobile phone and you can here the digetic sound of a phone constantly beeping because it can’t reach a line, which implies a feeling of desperation. The next extreme close up is of a blood spattered rag and this appears instantly after you see someone’s hand grab the straw as if they were in pain and then you hear screaming which not only confirms the person is in pain but that the audience think that this is a horror. The camera then pans towards the left and you see a person’s foot clenching with pain and you can see and hear from the digetic sound of someone screaming that they are struggling.

This is shot also has narrow depth of field shot, this has been done to make the audience focus on the bloody hand and the aggressive clutch around a knife. As this is a silent film, the digetic and non digetic sound of this shot is really important to reinforce the red herring. This shot does not strictly follow Todorvs theory of the Rule of thirds, as half of the shot on the left is the back of Suspected murders hear and the right side of the shot is of An open field which suggests to the audience that escape Would be difficult and its a very isolated place. This shot is a narrow depth of field shot showing the main character and the crow. This shot shows the link between the two and I think that the crow is the main focus point of the shot to accentuate the meaning of a crow which is death.

The sequence above shows shot reverse shot. The reason for this is to create a tense atmosphere for the audience as the camera shows close ups of the characters face to show his reaction and expression to the crow that is taunting him. The three screen grabs above show aspects of the mise en scene e.g. costumes. The costumes are one of the main factors when trying to represent your character correctly and from the shots shown above this character is portrayed as maybe violent from the blood on his hands in the first shot, intimidating from the second shot from the tattoo’s which are actually misleading as they represent someone balanced and loving as he has scales and below “mom” with a heart. The final image is a recognisable character from quite a few horror films, the middle age, sweaty long haired hill billy.

The lighting helps to understand the atmosphere and characters feelings. The lighting in this short film does show feelings etc… For example the first image is at the very beginning of the film and from the grey dull clouds you as the audience can tell that the narrative is going to be dark, whereas the second image is at the end of the film an where the audience see the red herring and you can tell the lighting is a lot brighter creating a warmer atmosphere.

Overall this a another great film which creates a twist just like mine my film also starts dark, it doesn't turn good but it shows an emotional side which I am going to use music and camera angles to create this effect

Textual analysis

The black background seems to absorb the word “Heartless” which could connote the destruction of love. Kanye doesn't break the forth wall by looking directly at the camera this could connote that we are the heartless ones that he cannot physically look at. The way the song is sung is like he is directly talking to the audience. So we feel his emotions. However the females look directly at the camera which may me that we are like them.

The video is conventionally targeted at 20-37 year olds in which it is thought may have experienced a minor or major degree of heartbreak throughout their life time. However the fact that the video is animated could resemble a young target audience, early teens. The music video would be watched at home on TV or online on the internet via computers, phones etc. The song has a mass international audience as kanye is a well known artist of his genre.

The mise-en-scene is used in a conventional way, the location is set in the streets of a city, Kanye walks through the city in distress there are no other people in the background apart from buildings this represents he loneliness in the world. The sunglasses conventionally represents wealth and status. But in this case it resembles his insecurity, he is hiding is facial emotions by wearing the glasses at night. There is a close up shot of his jacket which is phat farm an American designer brand which shows his wealth. There is a long shot of a clothes box which is lui vuitton a highly perishable designer product this again shows his wealth.

The end presents kanye walking around in circles smoking. The intended thought of the audience is what is he going to do? Next there is a mid shot of a seductive looking woman walking towards the camera looking to trap the audience, followed by that is a shot of a female looking at the camera walking away she looks back twice and the slams the door this is very ionic as this can be seen to resemble Kanye’s personal life as his fiancé who was in a long term relationship left him it could be said that the whole song is directed at her but he is not vulgar enough to give specifics of his own life.

Short Films textual analysis

Ratrix Hero Analysis
'Ratrix Hero' is a short animated film which take its inspiration from the film Matrix. The hero is a rat and is chased by agents with cat heads.

Camera

There is a worms eye view of the location in which the short film is set. This is done to show the bad weather which symbolises that something bad is going to happen which builds tension. This is also done to set the location of a city and to show how big it is. There is panning of the city in order to build tension and to highlight the shadows which makes the audience wonder what may lurk in them. There is a very fast zoom of the mouse, which is the man character. This is done in order to show his importance in the scene and to add a fast pace to it. Close ups of the mouse are also used in order to build on his importance in the short film. There is also a birds eye view shot of the city in order to show the surroundings and to set the scene. There are a vast high amount of P.O.V shots used in order to build tension and to put the audience in the characters shoes. Mid shots are used to show the surroundings and makes the audience what has happened in the past. Depth of field is also used to highlight the chicken which shows he is key to the plot of the short story. A long shot is also used in order to show the chickens location and a low angle shot is used to show the mouse falling. 

M.E.S.

The short film is set in a city atmosphere which is quite dark and dingy. This portrays the setting as quite dangerous and not a very nice place to be. There are bins and graffiti which adds to the fact that it is quite a dingy area. There are very bright colours used in order to show the aspect of the explosion in the scene which contrasts again the dark background. The buildings in the scene are damaged which shows that the setting is dangerous. The main character in the short film is wearing a black robe and sunglasses which shows that he is quite mysterious which adds to the tension in the scene. 

Sound

Diegetic sound is used throughout the scene in order to build tension. The chicken and the cat in the film makes a high pitched noise which makes the audience wonder what is going to happen to them. Music is also used in order to build tension throughout and to establish an ending to the short film.

Editing

Fast cut shots and fast fades are used in this short film to build tension which therefore keeps the auidnece interested and draws them in. Vast amounts of slow motion effects are used to draw the reader in and to add a more dramatic effect therefore building tension.

Overall I think this is a great animation it is humorous and shows how feature length films and short films are linked.

Short Films textual analysis

The Black Hole is about a sleep-deprived office worker who accidentally discovers a black hole but greed gets the better of him…

Directed by Philip Sansom and Olly Williams.

MES

The short film has white titles on a black background this is done in order to make the titles stand out. The film is set in an office. It is dull and boring which makes the audience wonder what is going to happen is such a boring environment. The office is cluttered with computers, chairs and more which makes the audience uncomfortable because it is not a very nice place to be. The protagonist in the film is not very happy with his job because he kicks the photocopier and his facial expressions shows that he is not happy. His facial expressions also show that he is shocked about What he finds he can do with the black hole. This makes the audience interested and draws them in because it makes them imagine what it would be like to own a black hole of their own.

Sound

The short film is quite quiet which links to the boring office atmosphere and also makes the audience wonder what will happen. A lot of diegetic sound is used in order to highlight what is happening in the clip. Non diegetic sound is used which mostly makes up sound effects which are used to built tension up until the man gets stuck in the safe. When the man gets stuck the sound goes silent for a while establishing the end of the clip and the tension ending.

Camera

The short film opens with a camera crab from the left hand side of the screen to the right which centralises the man showing his importance to the film. Depth of field is used to highlight the man which enforces his importance in the film. Vast amounts of mid shots are used in order to develop the surroundings and to show the emotion of the character. There is a close up of the man kicking a photocopier. This shows that he is not very happy with his job and is getting annoyed. Close ups of the mans face is used throughout the film which is gone primarily to show his emotion changes. A low angle shot of the man drinking is used from the black holes point of view. This is done in order to tell the reader that the black hole is very important in the film and to build tension because it makes the audience wonder what is going to happen. A zoom is used of the door which is done to show that the man is draw to it.

Editing

Cut shots are used throughout the film to built tension and to add pace. Fast cut shots are used when the man is taking money out of the safe which builds vast amounts of tension and draws the reader in because it makes them interested in what is going to happen next.

Overall I think this short film is very good. This is because even though it is set in a dull, boring environment I think the storyline has been thought out well because it interests theviewer and draws them in. The ending is also quite funny and sends a message to the audience which is not to be too greedy.

Similar short films

 

During my research I will be looking at a number of short film and different types of media text which I think will influence my decisions in producing my short film. From looking at a range of short films I have learnt it can be open text with no particular conventions however I have gone for the Action and Dramatic genre so it will need a storyline, characters the audience can relate to, locations, props and a range of camera angles.

(see links on the right of my blog under "short films")

Quick Narrative sketch

In short films there is not enough time to establish a full narative through dialogue and storyline. As a result I will have to use camera techniques, editing, diegetic sound and mise-en-scene. I plan to use these technical elements  effectively to establish a narrative. My narrative will be constructed using a combination of cinematography styles, editing pace and mise-en-scene (in particular lighting).


Unlike a short film a feature length film would easily follow the traditional narrative theory (Todrov's narrative theory) which there is an equilibrium - disequilibrium - re-equilibrium. 

I will use Barthes' enigma code to convey narrative. This is the idea that the media presents a series of mysteries and clues which must be unravelled by the audience at the end of then text.  This theory allows me to convey a narrative through the camera rather than dialogue..

Narrative / Storyboards

FIVE W’S AND ONE H

The short film starts with a fictional story of a ex gang member who has recently being released from prison. Soon after being released he witnesses the death of his wife and the kidnap of his son after hearing his wife dying words get our son back, he is drawn back into the lifestyle he is trying to leave. He is the contacted by the person who set up the kidnap of his son who tells Johnson if he doesn’t do as he says his sons dies.

 “ Good mourning ..... whatever life is tough we are going to play a little game, I ring you, you do the job, you don’t do what I tell you the kid dies, you don’t do it when I tell you the kid dies, you don’t where I tell you the kid dies, you don’t do what I tell you the kid dies, you don’t do it to who i tell you the kid  dies, you ask why the kid dies and if you don’t it how I tell you the kids, you get the drift now by Johnson have a good day.

The audience then get a close up of Johnson’s face as the camera pans out showing the whole scene then the camera fades to black.


I then started to image each seen and how it could be best shown with full effect so I started storyboarding each shot. 

Narrative Theory

Tzvetan Todorov –Equilibrium

All stories start in a state of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, setting in a motion a chain of events. The resolution of the story is the creation of a new/different equilibrium.

Equilibrium>Disruption>Resolution/Re-Equilibrium

My equilibrium would be a peaceful start with the mother and daughter leaving their house, the disruption would be the the kidnapp of the protagonist daughter and death of his wife, the resolution would be the the call from the main antoganist and the re-equilibrium is left in suspense.

Vladimir Propp

Vladmir Propp was interested in the narrative of folk tales. He identified a theory about characters ‘Stock Characters’ and actions as narrative functions; they provide a structure for the text.

The Stock Characters relevent to my short film are:

The hero – a character that seeks something

The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest

The princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots

Roland Barthes’ Enigma Codes
Enigma/hermeneutic code      -           anything that sets up a question in the narrative
Semic Code                              -           the way in which the character, actions, events, settings take place on meaning; mise-en-scene, semiotic analysis, psychoanalytical theory
Symbolic code                          -           Signifying binary oppositions or psychological symbols
Action code                              -           Codes of behaviour in the diegetic world that are universally understood, from our de-coding of other narratives.
Cultural/Referential Code        -           Codes that are defined by the world outside the narrative diegesis, with are understood through our interaction with the wider world.

Robert McKee

Robert McKee has a simple 5 part  structure for narratives:

1.                  Inciting incident - the death of his wife.
2.                  Progressive Complications - the kidnapp of his daughter.
3.                  Crisis - He has to do what he is told to get his daughter back.
4.                  Climax
5.                  Resolution

Brainstorm (RESEARCH AND PLANNING)

This a theme board that I have created, brainstorming ideas and themes that I wish to communicate in my film. It covers dramatic issues from physiological games to the stress and trauma . This helped me link my thoughts into a more cohesive idea of what I want our film to include.

Shooting the Five W's and one H

I will be shooting the film 'the Five W's and one H' I thought it would be a good idea to do this video as it is dramatic and entertaining I believe the target audience will be able to relate to. I plan to make the video as realistic and cinematic as possible using as much media skills as possible.

Ideas (RESEARCH AND PLANNING)

I had 3 genres (HORROR, ACTION/ DRAMA AND THRILLER) in mind which led on to making initial ideas and titles. 

Genre Theory (RESEARCH AND PLANNING)

WHAT IS A GENRE ?

There are many doubts surrounding genre theory, genre is hard to define due to the self-opinionated views the text fall under which genres, I believe genres have become more complex over the years creating hybrid genres. Conventional definitions of genre count on films "sharing conventions of content (Such as themes & settings) and/or form (including structure & style), by sharing these characteristics films are said to belong to that generic group". 

Semiotically, a genre can be seen as a shared code between the producers and the audience who receive  the text.

SET OF CONVENTIONS

The distinctive textual properties of a genre typically listed by film and television theorists include: 

FILMILAR NARRATIVE - plots and structures, predictable situations, sequences, episodes, obstacles, conflicts and resolutions

CHARACTERIZATION - similar types of characters, roles, personal qualities, motivations, goals and behaviour

BASIC THEMES - topics, subject matter (social, cultural, psychological, professional, political, sexual, moral) and values

SETTING - geographical and historical

ICONOGRAPHY - echoing the narrative, characterization, themes and setting

MODE OF ADDRESS - inbuilt assumptions about the audience, such as that the 'ideal' viewer is male 

MIS-EN-SCENE 

STYLE OF REPRESENTATION - how the text is presented  

FILM TECHNIQUE - stylistic or formal conventions of camerawork, lighting, sound-recording, use of colour, editing 

AUDIENCE

• The audience uses the identification of a genre as a way of judging whether a film will appeal to them or not.
• Genre can be used to gauge the expectations of an audience
•  The relative stability of genres enables producers to predict audience expectations.
• Audience use genre to make sense of the film that we see

From study genre theory I have learnt boundaries between genres are shifting and becoming more flexible. Genre has no rigid rules of inclusion or exclusion. It is difficult to make a distinction between one genre and another. Specific genres are easier to recognise but impossible to define. Many theorists question the existence of genre ‘In the real world’.

RESEARCH & PLANNING

I started off by brainstorming different titles I could use for a film and trying to piece together a short film, poster and review following the conventions of the short film. I decided to work by myself on this project and proceeded with researching different genre of short films

"GENERAL" Codes and conventions of a Short Film (RESEARCH AND PLANNING)

Narrative 
- Simple narrative 
- Interesting and engaging 


Sound 
- Non diegetic sound is used either fast or slow paced instrumentals (music with no lyrics)
- There’s commonly either no dialogue or limited in short films – events and storylines told through camera and action or narration


Editing 
-Fast paced – matches non diegetic music 
- Match on action engages audience 
- Transitions commonly are straight cuts.


Camera 
- Close ups are dominant within short films as it increases engagement with audience 
- CU’s also help to carry a narrative so audience feel involved and helps to build on mood of the text 
- Tracking is also a technique commonly used to help the audience to understand the characters profile in a short period of time


Mise-en-scene 
- Setting is important
- Commonly set in locations which are ordinary to every day life E.g. – house, car park, town centres.


THIS IS THE GENERAL CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A FILM I BELIEVE SHORT FILMS ARE OPEN TEXT AND HAVE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY AS IT IS NOT PRODUCED FOR A MASS AUDIENCE WITH EXPECTATIONS.

What is a short film ?

Short films defined by length 

Short films have a duration less than the standard feature length film which is 90 - 120 minutes. A short film is longer than one minute but no more than 15 minutes.


Short films defined by content 

"The depiction of a carefully considered emotion or the capture of a particular moment". Short films are considered to be the  equivalent of short stories or poems. Short films often focus on difficult topics which more commercial films usually avoid.

Short films defined by form

"The function of a short film should be recognized as multifarious."  Short films often focus on difficult topics which more commercial films usually avoid.

Short films defined by production

"Short sequence of moving images", Short films can be created in many ways.

* Shot on film
* Shot on film digitally ( This is how I will be shooting my film)
* Created using 3D animation
* Hand drawn animation

The different methods in which the text can be produced allows creators to create open text allowing multiple or mediated interpretation by the viewers, they can also express themselves and their ideologies.

Short films are received by the audience in many different ways:

* Youtube
* Openfilm
* Britfilms
* Reelclever
* Newgrounds
* BBC Short films
* Fill in TV time slots.
* Before Feature length films.

Short Film: Understanding the concept

First A2 Media lesson

Today we discussed the concepts of a short films in class the main points I understood and will follow up is:

* There are a range of different types of short films, films with messages, silent films etc, however there are no generic conventions for short films.

* Short films are not made to meet the audience expectations that would be found in full length cinema films such as High budgets, famous actors, wide range of technology.

The Brief

A2 G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media

Overview:
This is a coursework unit. You have a set brief to follow though you may define more precise details in negotiation with your lecturer. From this brief, you will produce:
                       

• a media portfolio, comprising a main and ancillary texts;

• a presentation of your research, planning and evaluation in electronic format(s).

The media portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following media:
Video

Print

Web-based


Each candidate will evaluate and reflect upon the creative process and their experience of it. Candidates will evaluate their work electronically, this evaluation being guided by the set of key questions below. This evaluation may be done collectively for a group production or individually. Examples of suitable formats for the evaluation are:

• A podcast
• DVD extras
• A blog
• A powerpoint

In all cases, candidates should be discouraged from seeing the evaluation as simply a written essay and the potential of the format chosen should be exploited through the use of images, audio, video and links to online resources. Marks should be supported by teacher comments and may be supported by other forms such as audio or videotaped presentations.

The production element and presentation of research, planning and evaluation may be individual or group work (maximum group size is four candidates). Where candidates have worked in a group, the evidence for assessment may be presented collectively but centres will still assess candidates on an individual basis for their contribution to aspects of the work, from planning, research and production to evaluation.
Though there is no formal individual essay component for this unit, in the G325 examination, candidates will be asked to write about the work undertaken from this unit and from the AS coursework unit. It is therefore recommended that candidates undertake some form of written reflection as practice for the exam.
G324 is marked and internally standardised by the centre and marks are submitted to OCR by a specified date, a sample is then selected for external moderation. The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks: 20 marks for the planning and research and its presentation; 60 marks for the construction; 20 marks for the evaluation.


In the evaluation the following questions must be answered:

1)      In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2)      How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

3)      What have you learned from your audience feedback?

4)      How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?


Your Brief:  This is what you have to produce for the portfolio
1. A short film lasting approximately five minutes which may be live action or animation or a combination of both together with:
             

• A poster for the short film

• A film magazine review featuring the film

I PERSONALLY WILL KEEP REFERING TO THE BRIEF TO MAKE SURE I STAY ON TRACK AND IAM PRODUCING THE  RIGHT WORK RELEVANT TO THE BRIEF 

Welcome to my A2 media Studies blog

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Having completed the AS media course I have learnt alot of media skills including

• Annotating media contents i.e Magazines and Tv drama’s of different genres in detail.
• Research and annotating college magazines for the preliminary exercise.
• Conducting surveys and questionaires to my target audience to help decide a suitable piece of media text to produce for them .
• Studied techniques in producing different types of media text. 
• Studied  Semiology and learnt that  anything in media text  has meaning and signs, and can be analysed in two parts DENOTATION and CONNOTATION which helped me when writing  textual anaylsis.
• Market research: I learnt about how to produce any public source of information successfully in this case a college magazine. FONT, GENDER, DISABILITY, ETHINCITY, HOUSE-STYLE and LANGUAGE (reading age and tone) all have to be considered before a magazine can be published.
• Annotated different types of media text and looked at the styles and conventions used in producing them.

Skills Analysis

In this section of my Blog I will keep an on-going record of the skills that I will be developing as I progress through the coursework project. I will be commenting on how I have developed the interactivity of this Blog in comparison to the AS Blog. I will be keeping a record of new skills I have developed through out the course. 

* Learnt hot to put links on my Blog roll, making categories to organise my work, customising my own header and layout.

* Found out how to use direct hyperlinks in my blog to Flickr images and useful websites.

* Found how to apply useful Gadgets to my Blog to increase interactivity and navigation.

* Gained experience in creating pie charts and analysing questionnaire results ( made in Microsoft Excel)

* Learnt that by signing up my Blog to Microsoft office i could publish my documents straight to my Blog without copying and pasting.

* Learnt how to upload youtube videos to my blog by embedding the link on a post through HTML.

* Learnt how to use Adobe After effects to create an introduction to the film.

* Learnt how to use a digital camera to record clips, my first recording turned out to be unsuccessful as I didn't consider lighting.

* The last time I used film editing software was on a MAC computer for GCSE MEDIA and CINECLUB ( a young film makers institution)  This software I used was final cut pro at a basic level. This time ill we be using Adobe première 3.0