Flip Vlog

This is our blog after Friday's shooting with our shiny new equipment!

Filming!

This is a shot of the dolly shot we fashioned out of a trolley. Lots of laughs and a surprisingly good outcome. Will definitely be using this again if need be!

Practice Filming

After getting our equipment on Friday, Lucy, Athena and I went out into the big wide world (Enfield Town) to film some shots. Using the flip, we got an over the shoulder shot, some close-ups, tracking shots and zooming shots, as well as some others. We fashioned a dolly shot from a trolley, which we are very proud of.
Seeing as we didn't have a lesson today, we decided to edit yesterday (Tuesday) to meet the deadline of Friday. Lots of fun editing again, and Athena proposed that we use Intro by Alt-J as the soundtrack. Lucy and I loved it as soon as we heard it and we messed around and got it to fit with the film, which was something we hadn't done before - we had put music at the end of our prelim but for this one, we wanted the beats to fit what was happening.
Despite Miss Foster asking us to put the whole film in black and white, we did edit a few into sepia because we thought it looked a bit nicer. Our argument is "We're experimenting!!!!". But most of it is in black and white, which looks "sophisticated", as Miss Foster so adamantly believes - I think I'm a bit more impartial to sepia but have a look for yourselves:

The new iPod advert

I saw the new iPod advert today and it really intrigued me as to how they do it - looks so clever!

'Batman Begins'

I couldn't find the clip Mr Saunders showed us in class yesterday, but it was on the opening scene of 'Batman Begins', where Bruce Wayne (Batman, in case you didn't know) and Rachel (his lady-friend) are children, playing in the garden of Wayne Manor. 

Mise-en-scene in 'Batman Begins'.
We all got asked to comment on different elements of Mise-en-scene and apply it to 'Batman Begins'. I wrote about lighting; what it presents and how it is effective. So, here we go!


       At the very start of the clip we were shown, the 'DC Comics' logo was shown in a really grey and dull lighting. This could foreshadow that the film is going to be quite dark; not following the usual superhero* conventions of hero defeating the bad guy. This sets the tone of the film, and without realizing why, the audience are already hooked; anxious to see how the film unfolds.
      Lighting is used to create tension. In the opening seconds, the scene in the greenhouse where Rachel and Bruce are is diagetic lighting which gives the scene a sense of normality. The effect of this is that the audience do not suspect that anything bad will happen.It also suggests an innocence about the children; as well as their age. However, this quickly changes when the boy, Bruce, falls into the well. It is underground, so naturally there is minimal light. The limited lighting suggests a loss of hope for Bruce, creating tension for the audience. Rachel then runs to the house for help. The house is shown in a higher key light than the well, which can signify hope. However, the sky behind the house is dark which could foreshadow that something bad is going to happen. These juxtaposing ideas create tension for the audience. 
      Towards the end of the clip, Bruce Wayne is shown as a grown man. Half of his face is in the darkness while the other half is visible due to the diagetic light. This effect is really impressive because it shows that Bruce has a past that still haunts him.


*if you believe Batman is a superhero that is... The definition of superhero is "A benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers" - Bruce Wayne doesn't have superhuman powers, he has a wallet. That is all.


(I tried to vlog but was let down by my technical equipment - apologies)

Editing Vlog!

Another little vlog for you all, but this time it is about the editing process of our Prelim. Enjoy!

It's finally here!

After the stress of writing a script and whether or not OFSTED were going to be in on our filming, our much awaited Preliminary video is here! *applaud*



The fact that this will forever be on YouTube deeply saddens me, but these are the sacrifices Media Students must make.

Prelim Vlog!

This is a bit late, but we'll blame that on technical difficulties..
Prelim Vlog.. Enjoy!

Perks of Being a Wallflower

I went to see the Perks of Being a Wallflower on Saturday!
With it being my favourite book of all time, I was actually nervous to see it. I think its because it was the first book I read that didn't end how I expected it to. I just didn't know how it would transcend onto the big screen and I didn't want it to be ruined.

But sweet baby Jesus, it was actually perfect. SO well done! It was like seeing my child go out into the world for the first time. Not too sure whether it's just a rose-tinted glasses thing but it really was a spectacular adaptation. Stephen Chbosky should feel very proud. (Soppy Alice).

Moving on to the media side of things...
(I may give things away here, so if you haven't read the book or seen the film; A - shame on you and B - look away now).

When Charlie was experiencing drugs, the audience saw the world from his perspective. I'm not too sure what the technique is called but it was like people were moving really slowly, and you could see their silhouettes. Really disorientating, but very effective.

Also, at the end of the film, Charlie had a breakdown. The audience saw a series of very quick flashbacks of Charlie's childhood which was really effective, because personally, it made me feel quite dizzy. I'm assuming that was the aim because my cousin felt the same. Also, because Charlie was a 15/16 year old boy going through the struggles of High School, he can be related to, so all that he goes through and the emotions he feels, is, I'm guessing, supposed to be accessible to teenagers.

Lots of close-ups are used on Charlie's (beautiful) face as he is the main character. Also, if you read the book or see the film, you'll quickly learn that he is a very emotional boy. He is a 'wallflower' - he takes everything in whilst sitting on the sidelines. These close-ups allowed the audience to see these emotions, making me cry loads.

In the fight scene in the cafeteria, the audience don't actually see all of it because Charlie blocks it out of his memory. The screen flashes black a few times and when vision has been regained, the scene we see is Patrick, Brad and Brad's friends all on the floor whilst Charlie looks at his battered knuckles, suggesting he hit them all to save Patrick. (I read the book so I knew what happened HA HA).Throughout the film after that, the flashbacks of the scene arise when Charlie is emotionally unstable again. As he remembers, the audience gets to see what really happened.


In conclusion it is SUCH A FANTASTIC BOOK/FILM! I recommend both!



Enjoy!

Moderator's Report - Summer 2012

Moderator's Report - Summer 2012
Below is the full moderator's report for our centre from Summer 2012 coursework unit:

"Thank you for your prompt submission of the centre’s entries for this series. The work was securely packaged, the central hub for the blogs was appreciated and the candidates’ blogs were easy to navigate, despite the additional examination related posts.The centre’s comments were clear and referred to the appropriate level and mark descriptors. Marking was in-line with what is considered to be the agreed national standard for this unit.In research and planning, there was a range of evidence in place for both the groups and the individuals.There was a clear ‘journey’ of progression from the brief to the evaluation across the sample, mainly due to the frequent blog posts. It was clear that the final moving image constructions were result of the detailed research and planning. Video-logs were strong across the sample and candidates posted regularly. It was felt that key concepts, like audience, could have been documented in more detail and the candidates should relate planning to their potential construction whenever possible. It is especially important to link all stages of planning and research when a group changes ‘concept’ midway through the process.
The video work made use of forms and conventions which made them clearly readable as openings to films within their chosen genre. Use of sound and the post-production titles were particularly strong from this centre. Editing was generally well considered to create meaning for the viewer. The centre correctly identified the professional film to some of the examples and how framing was successful in creating a cinematic feel. This led to the majority of the candidates falling well inside the Level 4 criteria.
In the evaluation element, all candidates responded to the seven stipulated questions showing an understanding of the key concepts, outcomes and the process of construction. A wide range of technologies was successfully employed. The mixture of video commentaries was explored here in detail. It may have been helpful for the centre to identify the different individual candidates in the group commentaries for the moderation process. Some candidates included outtakes of the evaluations, which although entertaining, was unnecessary for the moderating process.
Overall, it is clear that the candidates are well supported and that they responded positively to this. The centre has fully embraced the spirit of the specification. The video work made use of forms and conventions which made them clearly readable as openings to films within their chosen genre. Use of sound and the post-production titles were particularly strong from this centre. Editing was generally well considered to create meaning for the viewer. The centre correctly identified the professional film to some of the examples and how framing was successful in creating a cinematic feel. This led to the majority of the candidates falling well inside the Level 4 criteria.In the evaluation element, all candidates responded to the seven stipulated questions showing an understanding of the key concepts, outcomes and the process of construction. A wide range of technologies was successfully employed. The mixture of video commentaries was explored here in detail. It may have been helpful for the centre to identify the different individual candidates in the group commentaries for the moderation process. Some candidates included outtakes of the evaluations, which although entertaining, was unnecessary for the moderating process.Overall, it is clear that the candidates are well supported and that they responded positively to this. The centre has fully embraced the spirit of the specification. 

It was a pleasure to moderate such a well organsied centre. Thank you."


The examiner's report from last year. 
Very lovely stuff. Let's hope this year's AS can live up to last years!!
(We definitely will.) 
(We'll be even better.) 
(Totally not biased...)

Prelim stress: The Sequel

As if I wasn't already nervous/absolutely bricking it for our prelims tomorrow, I got told that OFSTED are coming in to observe tomorrow... Lets hope I don't fluff up my lines or get stage fright. (I'm definitely going to fluff up my lines AND get stage fright now...)

 Example of my face tomorrow..