Audience and Institution Practice Essay

5. In relation to the media area you have studied, discuss the ways audience consumption has changed over time.


Throughout this academic year in AICE Media Studies I’ve learned a lot about the media world. Not just in terms or production, but planning, and marketing as well. The type of Media I feel I've studied the most is film. In film particularly, audience consumption has changed majorly from renting a movie or paying to see it once in theaters to primarily streaming services now.

 One of the most distinct and obvious changes in audience consumption is the move away from movie theaters to streaming services. The highest grossing movie of 2018 was Black Panther which made almost 12 billion dollars. In 2019 the highest grossing movie was Avengers: Endgame which made around 11 billion dollars. This obviously isn't due to popularity because Endgame is part of the Avengers franchise that has already amassed billions of viewers and fans. Black Panther however, while part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has a completely new story, characters, and setting. So the reason Avengers: Endgame grossed less money than Black Panther is because the amount of people going to the box office is decreasing. Why are less people going out to see movies? It's because it's more convenient for consumers to watch on a streaming service.

Viewers have grown lazy and the reasons why audiences prefer streaming goes beyond convenience. Streaming services have become more affordable But in recent years it's become especially apparent that films are being distributed differently. The Avengers franchise is easily the biggest franchise marvel has created. It's because of this that the box office numbers are an anomaly. Perhaps Disney's streaming subscription service Disney Plus has something to do with why the numbers are so low. Disney Plus was released in November 2019, the same year as Avengers: Endgame. How films proceed in the past is usually a few months after a film has left the theater it is available in Blu-ray and DVD format for mainstream purchase. Maybe audiences anticipated that in the following months after the film's debut it would be available to stream on Disney Plus.

Not only has the media for audience consumption changed but audience consumption has changed because the audiences have changed. Generation Z is one of the most diverse generations in history. Not only that but audiences have recognized a lack of diversity in film in the past and now call upon reform not just in legislature but in movies and tv shows. Again taking a look at blockbuster films like Black Panther which has received lots of praise and positive feedback. On the other hand films like Beauty and The Beast (2017) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, we don’t see that same praise. Beauty in the beast hardly grossed one billion usd and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald grossed around a half a billion usd. This is not due to the lack of cross convergence, synergy, or any other kind of advertising and promotion. Beauty and the Beast was a popular remake and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was a spinoff of the popular Harry Potter franchise that made billions. Black Panther however, had a predominantly Black cast and was acclaimed by tons of film critics.

 In short, audience consumption of films has changed a lot. Not just in the type of media they prefer to view new films but also in the type of films they want to see. Viewers want to view from the comfort of their own home whenever it’s convenient. Audiences are changing and they are calling for more change in film as well.

Game of Thrones Extract Essay

The theme behind this extract is “Asserting yourself, even when you feel inferior, is the only way to get what you want”. This is constructed through a number of different camera angles, movements, shots, editing techniques, and sounds; as we follow a king and his subject asking for a loan at a bank. When the bank denies their loan the subject stands up for his king and his kingdom and explains why despite their beliefs, they are worthy of a loan. 

In the opening scene, a sound bridge builds throughout the scene. The music gets louder as the boat reaches its destination. This builds a sense of anticipation and suspense in the scene that is retained throughout the extract . This sets the tone for the entire extract until it is challenged by the subject- Sir Davos- when he reprimands the loan officer in the next scene. This action wouldn’t be as powerful when conveying the message if the tone, as established by the sound bridge, hadn’t shifted from one of suspense to one of determination. The camera also zooms out as the boat reaches its destination, which the audience learns is a city. The camera zooms out on this big city and provides an explanation for the intimidated look we saw on the king and his subject’s faces. The emotion that is conveyed shows the audience that they are afraid but are determined to accomplish their goal, despite any intimidation inspired by the scale of the city and the statue shown. 

In another scene we see the inside of a bank and three men, who appear to be bankers or loan officers, who enter the room where the two men are waiting to sit at the table. The setting of the bank is shown as fancy, which further contributes to the idea of the city and banks’ wealth, and in turn allows the audience to begin making inferences as to what the king’s goal there is. . The floors are emerald and there are tall windows that allow natural light to flow in. This helps convey the theme by creating a threatening mood. It is unnerving to see the king and his subject wait in a big regal bank, as it puts his lack of control over the situation in stark contrast to how a king should feel. When the three loan officers take a seat at the other side of the table, their chairs are higher, gold in color, and have a tall back; in comparison to the king and his subjects' stools. The props of the chairs convey the meaning of the extract by relating the chairs they are sitting on to their relationship and power in the interaction. The chairs represent that the loan officers have control and are above the king and his subject asking for a loan.

In the following scene the loan officers, the king, and his subject are having a conversation. The low angle used while the loan officers are speaking establishes a sense of dominance, with the bank being ‘above’ the king. A shot-reverse-shot is also used to go back and forth throughout this conversation, showing the two characters’ reactions and attitudes throughout the conversation. This allows the audience to see how the conversation played out more clearly and see who's in charge of who, and whether the party in control shifts through the conversation.

In the final scene the king and his subject are denied a loan and the subject stands up and asserts himself, providing a sound argument  in his king’s favor, and therefore why the loan officer is wrong. The dialogue is essential in this scene in order to convey the theme of this extract. The dialogue where the man stands up is important because he is standing up for himself in order to achieve his and the king's goal which is what this extract is all about. Action-match is also used when the king’s subject points. This is important because not only does it finish the action of him pointing but it emphasizes his argument and determination. Pointing shows confidence and aggression. This action represents overcoming feelings of inferiority in order to accomplish a greater objective.

In this extract most of the camera angles, movements, shots, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene of this film contributed to creating a tone and theme. The tone was intimidating, threatening, suspenseful, and daunting. While everything in the film leads the audience to believe that the king and his subject are inferior to the loan officers, the entire extract shifts when the king’s subject stands up and advocates for their desire despite the dismissal of the loan officers. In this moment the empowering dialogue shifts the mood and reveals the true meaning of the extract. That asserting yourself, even when you feel inferior, is the only way to get what you want.

The Chase CCR

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Final task- The Chase

Music Video

Commercial

Filming Blog: No school

As mentioned last blog school was cancelled due to the spreading of COVID-19 virus. This blog will be about how my group tried to make plans to film. So far the CDC has recommended self quarantine  or social distancing. Social distancing is the practice of staying at least 6 feet from people to prevent the spread of germs.Originally one of group members Maya texted the rest of our group. Maya was interested in when we could begin to film. While the idea originally sounds practical, it could be dangerous. School was out which means more time to film for AICE Media Studies. But by weighing the idea that school is only out because of it being a social place; filming for Media Studied might not be a good idea. Nobody in our group responded to Mayas text. After, Maya was confused as to when we would film. Another group member Gavin responded. When filming the last few times we filmed at Gavin’s house. Gavin’s response asked if we could film Sunday. Our group decided Sunday was appropriate. Then we discussed one possible outcome. Because of the increasing volume of establishments closing, will we be allowed to socialize. The CDC has recommended self quarantine but our group discussed the possibility of it being mandatory. If we are not able to film then my group is completely lost on how to finish our Final task. Attached is a screenshot of the text conversation between my group. We are discussing the plans for us to film. 

Editing blog: COVID-19

Due to the widespread pandemic of COVID-19 our school district has closed schools. This week we would’ve continued to film more of the required shots for our Media Studies project. Social distancing has unfortunately prevent our plans for filming. Our entire community has felt the effect of this virus. Because of it’s ability to quickly spread most families have chosen to self quarantine. By not being able to leave and staying 6 feet apart, editing seems like our only option. Issues that may occur with editing is the software. Because schools are closed students must do all school work at home. When in AICE Media Studies we use Pinnacle Studios which has been downloaded to all our school computers. Some students only have their work saved on the school computer. For those students who have their work and are working from home, other editing software includes iMovie. Some issues that may make the film worse is the noticiarlos difference in editing format. My group is still editing and cutting our shots together. The bad news is Cambridge has said AICE exams have not been affected. Because the AICE exams are still on the same days we must continue to prepare as of there will be no cancellation. It is really unfortunate considering all the other circumstances but it is just the reality. The good news is my class has been preparing. We started our final task in January and know how to prepare on our own. Our teachers are also available through online emails incase we need them. Attached is a screenshot of our final task being edited in iMovie.

Re-Filming: Lighting preferences

In conjunction with my last blog my group decided to fix filming issues. Our class did a peer review last week. Some notes we were given said that it was hard to see. My group came to the conclusion that there was too much light in front of the camera. In order to fix this we adjusted the camera location to the other side of the room. In this particular scene there was a big improvement. The light was now behind the camera. This allowed the camera to focus on the character. The scene was more fluid and you could see what was happening more clearly. The scene that we decided to reshoot was the scene where Alex re-enters the room to find out her grandma lied to her. This scene is pivotal to the story line of our movie opener. This scene is where the conflict is first introduced. If not conveyed properly our entire final task could be confusing to watch. One issue we ran into was length. Our movie opener was already cropped. In my editing blog I mentioned that I had to cut out 30 seconds of footage. Our video time limit was 2 minutes and our video was already that length. The issue with re filming is that every shot needs to be the same length as the original. This was especially hard considering timing the words and cutting the shot was hard. When we plan on re filming other scenes we need to make sure that none are even a half second too long because then multiple fractions of a second can build up to our movie opener being too long. Attached is a screenshot of me editing the new clip into our video.

Re-Editing Blog: Fixing the cuts

Since the peer review I have made some editing fixes to our Final Task. In our movie opening the transitions or cuts were not consistent. This meaning that some cuts were faster and some were slower. Some cuts were also different types as shown in the picture attached. When reading some of the notes that were left on the peer review I decided that we needed to re-shoot scenes also. Because the volume of scenes was too much to re-shoot we decided to tackle the re-editing first. The specific change I made was changing the blunt cut to a slide transition. This made the scene look more professional. At first when I added the slide transition it looked fake. Our movie opener looked more like a powerpoint and less like a thriller. Then I discovered that when setting the slide transition you could adjust the time it took to switch scenes. I adjusted this from 2.0 seconds to 0.5 seconds and our movie looked more professional already. After changing the scene transitions I also looked at changing the shot length. In the comments of our peer review we missed some required shots. Because our film is 1 minute and 58 seconds we don’t have extra room to add shots. So by looking at longer scenes and seeing which area we can cut, we can meet the requirements. Some edits I made were cutting out the chase scene where the aunt chases after the main character Alex. When we re-shoot I will need to re-edit again to include our re-shoots. I also re-recorded the voice over at the end of the video to make it seem more natural. Attached is a screenshot of me editing the transitions between shots of our movie opener.

Peer review

Today we peer reviewed another group in our AICE media studies class. I peer reviewed group 6 who did a thriller 2 minute opening. They did a really good job. It started off with an establishing shot and a nice montage. The montage was of the main character applying makeup. I really liked this because it established a mood and increased suspense. They also added very nice incidental music. The music was light and happy. This helped the entire film because towards the end it’s surprising when the mood shifts. The ending of the film was also great because it was scary and left the reader wondering about the rest of the movie.
If I were to comment on things they could do better I would fix the lighting. In multiple scenes the characters were sitting down and conversing. In all of these scenes I noticed blinds over the windows that were closed. I believe that opening these blinds would help with the lighting. Increasing the natural light would help this film dramatically. I understand that having a darker set scene increases tension. Having a darker scene is also common in the thriller genre. But because the scenes were so dark it was hard to understand what was going on in the film. So making these scenes brighter would make it a more enjoyable watch for the viewer. Other than that this film was very well shot and written.

Filming blog: Important scenes

Yesterday my entire group filmed again. We were finally able to decide on a time when we were all free. After school we all rode home with Gavin. Then we had a few minor detours but we all made it to Gavin’s house. Then we all decided how we were going to film over a snack. The main predicament that we came upon was that we didn’t have someone to play the grandma. We discussed all possibilities. Some of which included having Gavin’s mom as the grandma or Maya, another group member, as the grandma. Then we decided we would discuss it after we went to ask Gavin’s neighbor to help. We went to Gavin’s neighbors house and he agreed to help by starting in our film. We decided that we would have nobody play the grandma in the film because we couldn’t find an actress. When filming this time, we tried to consider all the required shots of the project. Some shots we needed were action match, pan, and a tracking shot. We also re filmed the opening scene I discussed last blog. We did this because we were filming at Gavin’s neighbors house not his.
We had trouble deciding what we wanted to include as our action match. Thomas really wanted to do the same scene but different shots and Gavin wanted to do a transition. The transition he wanted to do was a cup being put down and the noise cuts into knocking on the door. Unfortunately I don’t think we ended up filming any action match. Because we didn’t film all of our scenes we will need to film some more this weekend at other locations. We will also need to figure out and film our action match.
Attached below is a screenshot from our footage that we filmed yesterday.

Filming blog: opening scene

This weekend my group and I got together like I discussed last blog. We met up at 1pm at one of our group members Gavin’s house. His house is located about 20-30 minutes away from all of our other group members houses. Unfortunately all of us were later in our arrival time. This means we didn’t all congregate until 2pm. Once we were all together we discussed our plan. The plan for filming that I discussed last blog was that we would film it all in two locations. One location would have a minority of the scenes while the other one would have only once scene filmed in it. We decided to start filming the opening scene. We only ran into one issue...our actors didn’t show up. We had texted actors to see their availability but none of them responded. So we decided to change the characters but not the plot.  The minor change we made was the gender of the character and her relative. The teenager Alex, is now a boy. The aunt, is an uncle, played by one of Gavin’s neighbors. Gavin is now playing Alex. Our group did run into some technical issues as well. We struggled with camera shots without a tripod. Because we didn’t have professional equipment we ended up wasting time on how to film a realistic P.O.V. shot. So my group decided to check out a camera in class today in the hopes it will make filming after our open ending scene easier. Attached is a screenshot from the footage of our opening scene.

Filming blog: filming prep

Unfortunately, our group hasn’t gotten the chance to film yet. Luckily, we have a set date on when to film. We will be filming this Saturday at an already decided upon location. We will film at one of our group members Gavin’s house. In addition to filming at Gavin’s house we will be using our personal cameras. The other option we had as a filming instrument was the school cameras. Our teachers and school are kind enough to let us rent out cameras for filming our movies. While we would like to take advantage of this opportunity, we don’t particularly fancy the school cameras. The battery dies quickly and the quality is subpar. My group believes that by using our cell phone cameras we can achieve better quality and we are planning ahead. Because we plan on filming multiple days at different locations we think it’s more convenient to use our cell phone cameras where we can instantly access footage. The other place we plan on filming at is the cemetery by our group member Maya’s house. I believe we will get a majority of our filming done on the first day but because the cemetery is only one scene. Plus, the cemetery is far we have set a separate date. We also need to call the cemetery once we have a filming date to confirm our authorization of filming at that location. My group has also confirmed the filming date because we manage the film, and especially me as the director, we have more influence on the dates we film. However, we are still waiting on confirmation from some actors. We have reached out to all actors and potential actors for our film. This is important because we need confirmation that they can show up to film our movie or else we have nobody for our film. Attached below you will find an attempt from my group member Maya to contact one of our actors.

Planning blog: Storyboard

This is our storyboard for our final project. This year in AICE media studies was the first time our group was introduced to storyboarding. We have learned all about why they are important to a film. Storyboards help us plan our film ahead of time. Not only does it help with the planing aspect but the visual too. By having to draw every scene we think ahead. This helps us eliminate any issues we might run into for filming. This also helps our group work together. If one person visualizes a scene one way and everyone else is thinking something different then it could cause issues during filming. This way all of our group members are on the same page and we are ready to film.

Planning blog: Location, Sound, Participants, Health, Schedule

This is the planning for the final project. In this power point my group and I go over the planning aspect to our final project. The power-point goes over; the locations that we will use. The music that will be playing and making sure that it cannot be copyrighted. The participants are labeled, positions such as the director, actors, filmer, and editors. It also covers health and safety in the film. Things such as how to prevent injuries and in the event of an injury what we should do. Our schedule is also detailed in the power-point. It is important for a schedule because of all the extra curricular that my group is involved in we need to organizer. That is what we discussed in the power-point.

Planning blog: Title Design

This is our title design for our final project. We decided to make a powerpoint and break up different aspect of our title design sequence to make it more organized. While allowing us to be more organized this also helps us plan ahead. By planning ahead we eliminate any mistakes we could have at the last minute and not be able to fix. We separated our design into font, color, spacing, and transitions. Using google slides also allows our plan to be easily shared with our group members. By using google slides we can also easily embed our slide into our blogs. We have easy access to our information and won’t lose our hard work. We did run into some problems while doing our title design powerpoint. But now those problems are resolved and my group has an idea and plan for what we will be doing for our final task.

Planning blog: Sound script

This is the sound script for final project.We separated our opening sequence by scene and indicated exactly what the audience will be hearing in each scene. We included the dialogue, voice over, any diegetic or non diegetic sound and the music heard in each scene. The importance of making a sound script is to ensure a smooth filming and editing experience. If we neglected this step in the planning process it would almost certainly result in error and many circumstances in which we would need to reshoot or re-edit. Due to a short time frame and a busy schedule we do not have the luxury of filming an abundance of reshoots or much time to re-edit. Another reason we do this is to organize our thoughts. Writing out the script for our opening sequence allows us to discuss wether we feel these sounds make sense in our movie and if the dialogue is clear and understandable for the audience. The sound is a major component in guiding the viewer in how to feel and portraying the emotions of the characters. For these reasons we found it necessary to write out our sound script before starting the filming process.

Planning blog: Shooting script

This is the shooting script for our project. This can also be used as the “directors script”. We created the shooting script as somewhat of a written form of our storyboard. We separated our opening sequence by scene and did a breakdown of what we will film. We included the camera angles, camera movement, shots, and a brief description of what the characters will be doing in each scene. The importance of making a shooting script is to ensure a smooth filming experience. If we neglected this step in the planning process it would almost certainly result in error and many circumstances in which we would need to reshoot. Due to a short time frame and a busy schedule we do not have the luxury of filming an abundance of reshoots. Another reason we do this is to organize our thoughts. Writing out the script for our opening sequence allows us to visualize what the opening sequence and make edits if we feel necessary.

title research: trapped

To further my genre research, I watched another movie opening from my genre. The movie opening was from the movie “trapped”. I watched it on the website www.artofthetitle.com

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? In the opening sequence, a total of 31 titles are shown. It ends with the creator of the movie and the title of the movie. Its duration is one minute

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? The pictures in the title sequence are close-ups of dead bodies and the lethal wounds that led them to death. It also shows the location of the movie which is in the ocean due to the fact that the movie's setting is on a boat in the middle of nowhere.

What connotations do the images carry? The pictures are shown to tell the viewer how the movie is going to go. It does this by displaying these images that consist of foreshadowing and setting. It uses graphic and action matches to switch between the 2 types of images, in turn, making the titles more exciting.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? The thriller genre is reinforced here by the suspense within the images. It also alludes to the genre being a thriller by showing a dead body but not the killer leading the viewer to create suspense in the story and make it more exciting.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? The outset in the film is used to set up a kind of tension or surprise inside the viewer's mind. As well as giving the target audience these interesting images without rationalization. This tactic makes the viewer need more and end up extra invested in the film.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? What was said previously also applies here. It leaves the viewer with questions that could only be fulfilled in time within the movie. It appeals because the target market would be thriller/mystery fanatics and how they continually want to solve what's happening earlier than the film suggests it. To do this you have to be absolutely attentive towards the movie. This is why the strategy is so effective.

How has technology been used effectively? There were many different technologies used. These consist of low lighting, ominous music, close-ups, establishing shots, action matches, and graphic matches. The low lighting and ominous music add to the mysterious tone of the movie which also helps the thrilling side. It makes use of close-ups when it is displaying the body parts of the dead body. It makes use of establishing shots to expose that the setting is in the ocean. It uses the graphic/action matches to interchange between the establishing shots and close-ups.

title research: Skyfall

With the intentions of learning more about the genre we will be filming about I decided to to watch and study another film. The film I have chosen is Skyfall. I chose this film because of its unique filming techniques that really grasp the audience. I'm using www.artofthetitle.com. to help research the film.
How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
32 titles were displayed in the opening sequence.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images displayed in the opening sequence are clips of the main character drowning.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images in the opening sequence connote that maybe the main character has lost his touch and is not as good as he was.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The film shows guns and graves which hints towards death in the film which adds to the thriller in the movie.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film provides the audience with clips of the main character dying which makes the audience question if it is the last movie.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The directors' used strategies that are dark and gloomy to make the audience have a sense of anticipation.
How has technology been used effectively? (camera angles, transitions editing techniques)
The opening scene is made up of clips of the main character. They have a subtle fade editing from clip to clip which adds to the tone.

title research: Godzilla: Final Wars

To further my genre research, I watched another movie opening from my genre. The movie opening was from the movie “Godzilla: Final Wars”. I watched it on the website www.watchthetitles.com.

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
During the opening sequences of the film 20 titles are displayed.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
Images that are prioritized in the opening sequence is a nuclear blast, Godzilla destroying buildings and things, and Japanese people and police being terrified of this monster.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images connote Godzilla’s metaphorical significance. The first image of a nuclear blast represents how the Japanese are as scared of a large dragon with atomic breath and they are of an atomic bomb.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is reinforced because the outset establishes tones that are found in the thriller genre. By seeing images of people running scared, we know the movie is a thriller filled with suspension and action.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The outset establishes and enigma by using jump cuts and showing partial clips. In the outset we only see people running and screaming. We know it is from Godzilla but it leaves the audience with an enigma of “how did Godzilla escape?” “is Godzilla defeated?”
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
Strategies the film uses to appeal to its target audience is keeping main characters, having the same score/theme song, and franchising. This movie is one of the Godzilla franchise which means that they kept their target audience by franchising and giving the audience the same content just in continued movies.
How has technology been used effectively? (camera angles, transitions editing techniques)
Technology has been used effectively throughout this entire film. It is mostly used through editing. Godzilla doesn’t exist and they edited a big monster which is the antagonist of the film. The editors edit buildings being destroyed and fire coming out of its mouth.

title research: Code 8 (thriller)

To further my genre research, I watched some movie openings from my genre. I watched the opening of the movie Code 8 from www.artofthetitle.com.
How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
32 titles were displayed in the opening sequence.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images displayed in the opening sequence are clips from news articles and broadcasts.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images in the opening sequence connote wicked and powerful effects of science and technology on society.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The opening of this film shows very alarming media broadcasts this allows the viewer to pick up on the thrilling aspect of the movie. Also, the way the media broadcasts are displayed as glitchy contributes to the suspense of the opening scene.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film provides the audience with small clips of the main conflict in the movie but cuts to the next clip before the viewer can discover the cause or outcome.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The directors' used strategies such as a feeling of suspense and the use of social media to draw in younger audiences.
How has technology been used effectively? (camera angles, transitions editing techniques)
The opening scene is made up of clips so the director used technology to ensure the clips were properly edited together and in a way that would provide a feeling of suspense. In addition, the clips were edited to have a glitch effect which would also help the viewer feel on edge which is the effect the director is going for.

title research: art of the title website

In order to understand more about our genre and films in general our teachers assigned us a task. To research the titles used in films of our genre. In order to do this my group and I will be using a website call www.artofthetitle.com. What this website does is takes a movie that you searched and shows you the titles.
The reason our teachers have assigned us to do this is for our benefit. In researching titles we further understand the elements that go into our genre, thriller. My group and I now understands the components needed to a good title transition in a movie. For a typical thriller movie, the titles will happen just before something extremely important. The reason for this is to leave the audience on a cliff hanger so that they stay engaged even though they now have to go through the not so engaging titles.
However, having said that the titles are boring, film producers are constantly trying to make the titles more engaging. They are accomplishing this by having titles that have a meaning to the movie. In many thriller titles the film will show something of significance in the background. Whether that be the main character of the antagonist it keeps the audience guessing and engaged even though titles are going on.
So overall, the title slides are very important because they give credit and also illude to the theme of the film. That is why it is important that we research them and use the tricks the pros use when we film our short movie.

title research: watch the title website

To further research movie openings related to our genre, we took the time to look through the webiste, "www.watchthetitles.com." Our teachers told us that this website consists of several movie openings from a variety of genres. They said hat it would give us a great idea of how we want to begin our final project.
          Our main goal in researching is to end up resembling one of these famous movies' openings into our final product. If we take the time to assess both the pros and cons of each film's openings, we can definitely find a way to incorporate these movies'  best features into our project. This will not only help us perfect our final project, but it will make our movie opening more appealing to those who view it.
          After watching a few openings from the thriller genre (our genre), I realized that both title fonts and music help set the mood for the movie depending on what genre its categorized in and what its theme/message is. In fact, because of genre is thriller, we want the components of our opening o resemble the elements of our genre. This includes suspense, tension, and excitement.
          Special effects are also important in a movies' opening, especially one associated with the thriller genre. After watching more thriller openings, we realized that effects play a big part in making openings more appealing/attractive. Openings that incorporated more editing seemed to look like they would be better than those who didn't at all or not as much. It would not only help us set the mood for our opening but to attract larger, more diverse audiences.
          Overall, this website gave us a general idea of how we should structure our opening and what elements we should focus on. Surprisingly, it also reminded us that the credits are also a major part of properly/professionally ending an opening/trailer.

genre project: taken 2

To further explore the thriller genre, I watched and payed close attention to the movie, “Taken 2.” I picked the second movie specifically because I’ve never seen it before. It’s weird because I’ve seen the first one several times.
       
To get back on topic, here are some common camera angles, movements, and shots found in this movie:
High Angles: Used mostly to establish chasing scenes in this movie with a wider, more full view.
Dutch/ Candid: Used to add suspense to some important, intense scenes.
Tracking Shot/ Pan: Mostly used in chasing scenes as well. Also used, however, to establish the main idea of the movie (that he is looking for his ex-wife).

Zoom: Adds suspense to the film. Mostly used on the main character, Bryan Mills, to emphasize/ intensify the idea that he is serious and will do anything he can to find his ex-wife.
Close up: Mostly used on the main character to intensify the suspense of the film.
Here is common mis-en-scene associated with this film:
Costumes: In this film, there were no differences in clothing between the antagonist and protagonist. Both character groups wore suits.
Lighting: Used mostly ambient light to capture the idea that the main character of the movie was traveling around the world trying to find his ex-wife.
Actor: The main character/actor in this film was Liam Neeson who plays Bryan Mills. He is known because of his skill set and intelligence.
Make-Up: Mainly used in fighting scenes. Injuries, scars, bullet wounds, etc.
Props: Most props revolved around violence as there were many knives, guns, other weapons present in the movie.
Setting: The setting of Taken 2 was Istanbul, Turkey. The antagonist group was from there and his ex-wife had happened to be vacationing there when she was kidnapped.
Common editing found in Taken 2:
          The editing found in this movie ranged depending on the situation at hand. However, general editing transitions used in this film can be described as fast, random, and rapid. This is mainly to maintain the suspense associated in the thriller genre. One editing technique that was used a lot were jump cuts. This was mainly to build upon the suspense of the movie with the constant change of direction/ plan of the main character. Flashbacks were also used a lot, but not for the same reason. Because his ex-wife was taken, another theme of the movie revolved around their lost relationships. Flashbacks were implemented to show the audience that he loves and misses her.

Common sound found in Taken 2:
          Loud, intense, and upbeat music was mainly used throughout this movie to build upon its suspense and keep the audience on their toes. It was probably the driving force of the film. However, some other sounds were implemented. For example, lots of dialogue was used to establish the movie’s situarion/ the idea that his ex-wife was kidnapped and that he would do anything to find her. Diegetic sounds were even used to portray the idea that kidnappings happen in real life all the time.

Elements of the Movie in Comparison to the Elements of the Thriller Genre:
         Taken 2 is definitely categorized under the thriller genre because of the suspense associated with the movie. The audience is overwhelmed by the idea that Bryan Mills may not find  his ex-wife or will die in the process. Taken 2 is also told from the point of view of the protagonist which is typical in most thrillers. It is also clear that the antagonist in this film (which is the Turkish group) has a plan/scheme. This is common in most thrillers and also helps build the theme/ purpose of the movie.

To wrap up this blog, I am going to talk about the elements of this movie that I liked and disliked. To start, I liked how the storyline revolved around a man trying to find his kidnapped ex-wife. I feel like it made his journey more personal and subsequently connected the audience to film more. To be real, I don’t think I disliked anything about this film. I genuinely thought it was good. However, if I had to criticize something it would have to be about the antagonist group. I feel like the movie company could have kept the audience engaged more by making the antagonist group originate from a different country/ethnicity. This is because subtitles sometimes distract audiences. Some people don’t even read them.

Genre project: Split

To further expand my knowledge of the thriller genre I decided to watch the movie Split. Split is a psychological thriller that is about three teenage girls who get kidnapped by a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder. This means he has 23 different personalities and the viewer is constantly in suspense of who he is and what he is going to do. Some common camera angles are the low angle, high angle, close ups, long shots, and establishing shots. The low angles are used when looking at the kidnapped girls. The high angles are used when looking up at the antagonist named Kevin. This establishes a sense of dominance. The establishing shot isn’t until the end of this movie. When one of the girls is rescued the shot shows her walking out and being surrounded by animals. This establishes that she was being held captive in the maintenance area of a Zoo for the entire movie.
Common camera movements in this film are zoom, fade in, tracking shots, and jump cuts. When the girls are first abducted it fades in into a shot where it shows the room they are being kept in. The tracking shots and zoom are used in action scenes where they are trying to escape. Jump cuts are used throughout the film. The sharp jump cuts add to the suspense of the movie. Common sounds in this movie are non diegetic sound, sound bridge, incidental music, and dialogue. Non diegetic sound is used a lot in this film. It is used when the are kidnapped and they scream for help. A sound bridge is used when one girl finally escapes and the music gets louder and she nears freedom. Incidental music is used for many scenes in the film where the beat and music matches whats happening and increases anticipation and tension.
The Mis en Scene in this film helps make it more enjoyable for the reader and adds to the authenticity. The costumes are regular modern street wear. As the film progresses the customers get dirtier; one example of this is when one girl pees herself. The costumes also change as Kevin changes personalities. The lighting in this film is low when they are in captivity but get brighter when they are saved and outside. The actors are young teenagers who are abducted by one man who plays 23 different personalities. The makeup starts off minimal but towards the end of the movie it turns into special effects makeup as some of the girls are killed. The props include murder weapons like knives that are commonly found in thriller movies. Elements of a thriller movie include suspense, tension, anticipation, surprise, anxiety, terror, drama, and action. I enjoy the drama, suspense, and anticipation of the girls being rescued. I didn’t like the suspense, tension, or action that the movie had throughout.

genre project: Bird Box

To get a more in-depth understanding of the genre of my film, I decided to watch some movies that fall under this genre. The first movie is Bird Box.
Throughout the film, the director used a variety of camera angles most common were a high angle, close up and long shot. As far as camera movement the film included an abundance of pans, tracking shots and zooms. The mis en scene in this movie is what really ties it all together.
Costumes - The costumes of this movie start off as normal everyday clothes, however as time goes on in the “post apocalyptic” world their clothing becomes tattered, worn and dirty.
Lighting - The lighting of this film was mostly dim throughout the film, this is partially due to the fact that the plot of the film is not being able to see. However, the dim lighting adds to the eerie feeling the viewer gets throughout the movie.
Actors - The actors were in my opinion the most important part of this movie, because we never directly saw the monster of this movie we had to rely on the emotion displayed by the actors so get a sense of the affect this monster had on people. The feeling the viewer gets from this movie would not be the same if the actors could not portray this emotion efficiently.

Makeup - Similar to the costumes the makeup is very basic and natural, however as the movie goes on and the characters obtain wounds and are deprived of showers the makeup changes from everyday to dirty and special effect wound makeup.
Props - The most recognizable prop from this film is the blindfolds used by the characters to protect them from the monster. In addition to blindfolds the characters utilize basic survival props while occasionally yielding weapons.
Setting - The setting of the movie changed throughout however the characters were always in a dimly lit sheltered areas whether is was the house in the beginning or the shed in the woods towards the end.
The sound of this movie was very similar to what you would find in a horror movie. For example indistinct whispers and eerie music. Additionally, the dialogue is limited and when they do speak it is low to avoid exposure. What I liked about the film is how well the actors could portray the fear and the effect of the monster, without this component I do not think this movie would have been so successful in impacting my emotions. What I disliked about this film is the “incomplete” story line, while I know this is not directly connected to the way the movie was filmed it was something I found unfulfilling. Although the idea of the movie was intriguing the plot holes (for example the outcome of all the other characters) left me unsatisfied. Overall, this movie gave me a good idea of what to expect in this genre.

genre project: Get Out

To understand the thriller genre more I decided to study a thriller movie. The movie that I chose to study is "Get Out". I Chose get out because of its unique aspect on a thriller. To further inspect how it uses the thriller genre I decided to research the movie using CLAMPS. CLAMPS stands for camera angles, lighting, actors, makeup, props, and setting.
Camera angles- In "Get Out", there are a variety of types of camera angles. However, the most commonly used camera angles are a lot of close up shots. The reason for these close up shots is to limit the audiences perspective. This leaves more unknown areas making the movie more scary.
Lighting- The lighting in this film was bright. But it was bight with a strong dark contrast. That makes the movie more eerie. Which in turn makes the movie more like a thriller because the audience gets the sense that something is not right.
Actors- The actors in "Get Out" were majority white except for the main character who was black. The difference in skin color gives an intruding feeling. That feeling again hints to something being off in the film. Which further adds to the scare factor.

Makeup- The makeup is not that noticeable in the movie. Leading me to believe that they didn't use any that is out of the ordinary. That makes unorthodox compared to a typical horror film which normally uses a lot of makeup.
Props- The props in this film are everyday house hold items. Which allows the movie to hit close to home. Making it even more scary.  The costumes in "Get Out" are average white clothing. This helps power one of the underlining themes of racism because the main character who is black seems out of place.
Setting- The setting in this movie is in an average white suburban neighborhood. This also gives an intruding feeling being that the main character is black.

genre project: thriller

We finally narrowed down our choices to one genre for our film; we chose the thriller genre. We chose this genre for many different reasons. One of them being we think our audience will like it more. When looking at audience sizes from different genres thriller has the biggest. Genres like horror might be much for certain viewers. Genres like animated have younger audiences. The thriller genre however, engages audiences from all ages and keeps the film suspenseful and action filled.

genre project: thriller and horror

Thrillers are a common used genre in the modern filming industry. That is because of the suspense that they generate grasping the audiences attention. So, this blog will be about what common editing techniques and mis en sene is used to generate a good thriller. First off, thrillers are usually long clips and don’t have many cuts in them. The purpose of that is to captivate the audience’s attention and draw suspense. A prime example of this would be the new thriller “1917”. In this movie there is only one jump cut used. The purpose of this is to bring the audience into the main characters point of view making all of the horrors and heroics that happen in the movie seem more understandable and real-life. Thriller films also have specific mis en sene. In thrillers, most of the props and costumes worn are every day materials. The purpose of that is to make the movie seem more real life. So by using everyday clothing and props the thriller genre becomes more interesting because the audience can relate to the main character. So, that is overall what makes a thriller a good movie genre.
Because horror films are very popular amongst our age group, we decided to research this genre first. In literature, horror is one of the many fictitious genres whose purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the audience. Horror feeds on the audience’s deepest terrors by putting life’s most frightening and perplexing things (death, evil, supernatural powers or creatures, the afterlife, witchcraft) at the center of attention.
           To go further, there are five key elements in the horror genre. The first is foreshadowing. It is what build up anticipation for the viewer. The second is fear. There is nothing more to say other than it is the driving force behind the story/ purpose of the film. The third is suspense. It builds upon the fear elements with the constant unknowingness of what is going to happen. The fourth is mystery. This is important because it leaves the viewer thinking about what they just saw. The last, but not least important element is imagination. This intensifies the terror associated in horror films by making the audience used their heads.
          To be completely honest, I don’t have a problem with horror movies. The “scary” aspect doesn’t really affect me at all. However, sometimes horror films are a little much. The unrealistically of some horror movies makes them less enjoyable to watch, for me at least.
         
           Here are some camera angles, movements, and shots that are typically used in the making of horror films:
High angle: these kinds of shots are used in horror movies to make the figure or object that is being looked down upon seem completely powerless or vulnerable.
Close ups in horror films are mainly used to reveal certain characters emotions in important scenes.
Tracking shot/ pan: used very effectively in horror films to establish a scenario where a character that is being followed or watched.
Titled Angle/ Candid/ Dutch: add dramatic tension to shots as well as signify the presence of a supernatural being.
Long Shots: used in many horror films, typically to establish the movie’s setting (where everything “scary” is going to happen).
Low angle: effective in horror films because they emphasize how intimidating or scary a villain is.
Zoom: adds dramatic effect to horror films by intensifying the genre’s elements of fear and suspense. This is because you don’t know what u might see next.
          Here is mis-en-scene that is usually associated with the horror genre:
Costumes: The costumes associated with a horror film determine it’s style. The also help to  identify the antagonist of the movie.
Lighting: The lighting in horror movies is usually dark and atmospheric. This is used to create an effective setting and surrounding for a common jumping scare. d
Actors: Just like costumes, the actors in horror films helps the audience remember the name of movie by the face of that specific character.
Make-Up: In some cases, the make-up of horror characters help to make them look more scary/intimidating.
Props: These can range in horror films, based on its style. Common props are weapons (like knives, machetes, etc) and spiritual artifacts.
Setting: The setting of a horror film is usually made to be isolated to make for its tense, fearful, and suspenseful atmosphere.
Common editing found in horror films:
Cutaway: shows character’s reactions to the situations they are facing.
Jump cut: allowing the passage of time to show whilst also sometimes using it to scare the audience.
Fade to black: gives off a mysterious and intense feeling.
Elliptical editing: cuts out the unnecessary parts of journeys or actions to keep the audience gripped and on the edge of their seats.
Common sound found in horror films:
Sound effects are used to build tension. Common sound effects used in horror films are footsteps, doors and floorboards creaking, and wind.
Loud, slow building music can help to keep the audience on their seats.
Loud fast music can help to scare the audience.
Lack of sound/ music can help to create an uneasy feeling amongst the audience.

Genre Project: Action

This was a project we created in the first quarter to expose of to the different genres. The genre we were assigned was action. We researched the elements that make up this genre. For example the common lighting, sounds, camera angles, etc. We did this by exploring a variety of movies labeled under the action genre and found what they all had in common. The importance of this project was to be able to more clearly identify different genres and how we can create a film that fits into it. I found this project beneficial because before this class I had no idea all the components that are needed to create a movie and how different elements can create a different feeling or mood.

starting the final task

Hello! I’m Amelia. Long time no blog. Since arriving back at school for this semester we have starting our final task in AICE Media Studies. For our final task we will be making a movie pitch and a two minute piece of said movie. The group I have chosen to work with is Me, Maya, Gavin, and Thomas. I am our idea maker and mostly the lead of the creative team. I come up with our cool concepts and movie ideas. Maya is our brains. She helps make sure that we do everything professionally and is always making sure we follow the guidelines. Thomas is our camera man. He helps write the blogs and do behind the scenes stuff for filming. Gavin is our advisor. He watches and makes sure that we are on task.
Our teachers asked us to come up with three pitches for our project. Here are our three:
- My biggest regret is befriending my stalker.
- I faked my death and I’m ready for revenge.
- Finding my biological parents is harder than I thought.
A pitch is the main idea of a movie in less than 25 words. We chose these ideas because we think the audience will like them more. All of these movies are Thrillers/Mystery which will grab more people’s attention than a romance. Throughout this entire year we have been learning about camera angles, movements, technology, and how this all effects films. We will choose to use suspenseful angles and blunt jump cuts to intensify our film and convey meaning. We will also incorporate our learning of technology to edit our movie or use technology to get aerial shots.
Our first pitch was a starting point. We liked the idea of the suspense and mystery. But after careful review, we thought maybe that it was vague. The pitch could be interpreted into film through different ways. Considering we only have two minutes, we wanted to have an idea that we could capture the greatness and originality of in that amount of time. Our second pitch was another step in the right direction. It was thrilling and sort of a murder mystery. My group just talked about we are not sure if we can fit the background story in our two minute time lot. Our last pitch was our best yet. I think. It doesn’t really require any background because in the pitch it mentions that our main character was adopted. We don’t need to show her being adopted. I feel like we will choose the last one because it mixes thrill with mystery, suspense, and real situations. But we are not narrowing down our choices until the next class so...see you later blog!

Movie Pitch Blog

Our first pitch is “Finding my biological parents is harder than I thought.”  We chose this idea because it would supply our video with an element of suspense. It will leave the viewer wondering if the main character ever finds his parents and if he does what kinda of people they are. We had the idea of showing the parents and their decision to give up their kid. Then it would go forward in time to show the now grown up child and the challenges they went through to find their parents. The difficulty of choosing this as our final idea is making it clear to the audience the relationship that the characters have. We would need to find actors that would be able to portray this effectively. We lightly discussed using one of our parents but we haven’t planned any further. The positive effect of using our parents is we would not have to search for adults that resemble the actor we chose as the adopted child. However, if we were to use our parents there is the risk of them not taking in the character.
       The second pitch we considered was “I faked my death and I’m ready for revenge”. We decided not to film this pitch for multiple reasons. One of them being that it would be very difficult. The pitch statement, while suspenseful does leave a lot of room for explanation. In order to make a good movie we would need more than a 2 minute opening scene. The storyline would be too full. We would need to explain why they faked their death, why they want revenge, and who they want revenge on. Although this pitch would be a better thriller than the one we chose. While the other one is just part of the mystery genre. This pitch would be thriller/horror/mystery and the audience would enjoy it. But our two minute time limit wouldn’t do the movie justice.
      So, after debate we narrowed it down to the pitch that we wanted to do. We decided on filming about the child looking for their parents. My group and I chose that pitch because it is unique. We speculate that a lot of people will try doing horror. And my group and I want to add a unique aspect to our film. On top of that, we feel that a mystery theme will add suspense. And we feel that it will be easier to grasp the audience because it is an easy concept to get. With horror we feel that it wouldn’t be that realistic because of the limited resources that we have. We also feel most comfortable acting with a mysterious theme. Another reason we chose this pitch it that we think we will have the most fun doing this type of theme. So, for those reasons we chose that pitch.