MS2: Let’s get started!

Research: 40% of marks

• Read the example report. What are the success criteria?

• F:\Media Studies\MS2 + MS3 Exemplar.pdf

Step 1: Analyse your style models

Gettit?!

Print

•Technical codes•Semiotic analysis•Representation•Target audience•Audience theory

Moving image

• Watch 1 minute.• Count number of transitions.• Note types of shots and what’s in the shot (shot, angle, framing,

movement).• Note types of transitions (cut, fade, wipe, dissolve).• Note sounds (diegetic & non-diegetic).• Note lighting/character movement/gesture/facial expression/ mise-

en-scene.• Note effect on audience.• Use screen shots to create storyboard (or sketch this if you prefer).• PS – If you are going to CREATE a storyboard for your pre-production

work you might like to check out www.thestoryboardartist.com

Shot duration: Extreme long shot: 7 seconds.Panning: 10 seconds.Total: 17 seconds.

Camera movement: Extreme long shot of foggy isolated landscape, showing fields and the edge of a deserted wooded area. The shot establishes setting.

Panning across the landscape from left to right it continues to show the wooded area and emphasises exactly how deserted and isolated it is.

Sounds: Diegetic – natural noises from deserted places: wind blowing; trees rustling.

Non-diegetic – layered harmanesque music begins to play, creating an eerie and tense atmosphere full of suspense.

Transition to next shot: Jump cut into next shot – jerky and rapid, creating dramatic tension for the audience. A brightening effect is used.

Comments: The panning and shot duration allow the audience to establish the mise-en-scene. Sounds help to create a tense atmosphere full of suspense; drawing the audience in.

For example:Shot 1

Shot duration:Wide shot: 6 seconds.Total: 6 seconds.

Shot 2:Camera:Wide shot of a deserted shack, surrounded by trees. Leaves litter the floor. There are no animals or people around. The shack looks like it is falling apart: no one has visited for years.

Sound:No diegetic sounds are heard: this creates an eerie silence. The non-diegetic soundtrack continues, increasing in volume.

Transition:Jump cut to next shot: jerky and rapid, creating dramatic tension for the audience.

Comments:The shot, duration and its transition are designed to shock the audience and make them want to know more about what is happening and why the shack is shown.

Screenplay (script)

• If you are planning a screenplay as pre-production work you need to watch sequences similar to ones you are going to script, and examples of screenplays.

• Try www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom - this has advice for writing film, radio and TV scripts

• Try www.screenwriting.info – for advice for developing ideas, and how to present scripts.

Watch the opening 2 minutes of ‘Waterloo Road’: series 1 episode 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD9KEnWUeko

Look at the actual script (next slides). •How does the script create an impression of setting?•What do we learn about the characters?•How important is dialogue?•What do we learn about the possible storyline of the episode and series?

Waterloo RoadEpisode 1By Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick

PrequelExt. Waterloo Road playground – day

JACK, TOM, BRIAN VAISEY, ESTELLE, ANDREW, Ns PUPILS.It’s break time and the pupils are hanging out in the playground – a rowdy bunch of mixed races, wearing market copies or knocked off items of the latest gear, with only a few concessions to school uniform, supervised by disillusioned and somewhat shabbily dressed deputy head, JACK RIMMER & English department ‘Mr Fit’: TOM CLARKSON.

JACK surveys his charges with a look of despairing frustration – a gang of teenage girls sport tight t-shirts with slogans like ‘FCUK like bunnies’ and ‘too hot to handle’, including a heavily pregnant 16 year old; a bunch of bad boys covertly swapping cash for a stash; some younger boys kicking a ball against a graffiti covered school wall.

As the ball strays TOM’s way he kicks it back to them with flair, to admiring giggles from a couple of his 12 year old girl fan club. TOM takes a bow.

Then there’s ‘whoosh’ – as a stack of box files comes crashing down from on high into their midst – crrumpp! – just missing braining one of the football players...Girl pupils scream, the kids scatter, papers fly loose – it’s like a dirt bomb’s just been dropped. And all heads reel upwards – to see their elderly headmaster, BRIAN VAISEY chucking out more files from his upper storey office window, his face twisted with panic as he yells down at them.

BRIANWho keeps soiling all this paper? I haven’t got a dirty bum, I’m the head! This is my school, not a toilet! I’ve got to get rid of all this rubbish...

He ducks back inside and another load of files is hurled out of the window and Jack Rimmer Pales – oh fcuk, the pupils run for cover, but screams and gasps turn to sniggering.

PUPILSSir’s gone muppet/he’s a nutter/trying to kills us/call the pigs etc.

JACK nudges TOM.JACK

Get the hell up there and gag him.

TOM gulps and dashes into the building as Jack barks at the kids.JACK

Right, back inside! Now! Move it!

Are you happy?

• With your pre-production and production ideas?

• Talk them through with someone before you spend a lot of time analysing your style models.

Analyse your style models

• Analyse two models for your production work and two for your pre-production.

• Then swap with someone who has a completely different product to you.

• Peer assess – have they missed anything out? Is there anything to add?

Audience research• Remind yourself of demographics and psychographics

(check out the ‘audience’ ppt on the wiki). Note down strengths and weaknesses of each method.

• Primary research: focus group/questionnaire– Draft some questions. See Creating questionnaires.docx– Collate a series of products similar to yours for them to

evaluate• Secondary research:

– www.imdb.com has useful information about audience ratings of films.

– Some magazine publishers place profiles online (eg www.bauermedia.co.uk/brands/FHM

• Check out Internet research tips.docx

Ethnographic research: read and make notes for your research file

1. http://www.cielomr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=90

• A brief resume of the advantages & disadvantages of ethnographic research by independent market research agency, Cielo

2. http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/• An online article with supporting video about students helping

other students

3.http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/hyper/ht99/digital_ethnography.html• A brief explanation of how the technology of digital ethnography

affects ethnography (the University of Cardiff)