Homeland Continuity Task

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwLc0tJU9

1.       What was your role in the task and what did you actually do?

My main role in the task was to write the script. For this I watched some clips from homeland episodes of interrogation scenes, after we had decided this was the kind what wanted to create. We then came up with a brief storyline of how the scene would go and what it needed to include. I then wrote a script, tying to include familiar styles of speech we hear in the show and that would be appropriate for the story line. I used the usual kinds of question “where were you?” “Who are you working for?” etc. to closely follow the conventions of this type of scene. During the shoot I also acted in the scene. My role was that of a CIA Mole who was being interviewed after being discovered. I tried to copy the style of acting I saw and create a character that would fit in around this.

2.       What factors did you have to take into account when planning, filming and editing?

The main thing we had to work around was logistics. Time constraints and budget meant we had to use things that would be easily accessible to us in terms of location props and costumes. When planning we had to communicate often to check each idea, script, storyboard, direction etc. all fit in with the same vision and were all on the same page. When filming, we had to make sure we were getting enough footage to edit with and that we were sticking to the plan. When editing, it was important to make sure the scene flowed and there were no continuity errors.

3.       How successful was your sequence? Did you manage to demonstrate match-on-action, shot reverse-shot and 180-degree rule? Did you achieve continuity overall?

Although it took me a long time to make sure each shot matched up, I think I achieved smooth continuity overall. I included all the shots listed, as evidenced in the video below. I think the sequence is reminiscent of a scene from homeland in terms of camera work. The idea of an interrogation scene proved a successful one also as it meant there was lots of different shots needed for example the shot-reverse-shot between the two characters in the interrogation. We took care in filming to stick to the 180-degree rule which meant I didn’t have any problems with it in the editing room.

4. What have you learnt from completing this task?

I have learnt that there is a lot more work going into filming a scene than I thought, for example having to repeat it over and over from lots of different camera angles. However, I really enjoyed this task, particularly the editing and it has solidified the idea I had of choosing the video task for my coursework.

Billboard Cover Shoot

Summarise the music celebrity you have created. Include name, music genre, personality and how they are being used to comment on contemporary celebrity.

The music celebrity I have created is called Pilly Talm
er, she is a new rising star who is taking the charts by storm. Her music genre is pop/rock and her music takes inspiration from 70’s stars like Madonna and Blondie, this is also reflected in her image, style and personality. In her Billboard cover, she is used to comment on the traditional styles of music and how the idea of celebrity has been reimagined for a modern audience and held in esteem similar to a queen or aristocrat history.

Evaluate how you have constructed the representation of your celebrity through your cover image and cover headline/text (denotation/connotation of text and image).

I have used a representation of old and new through the clothing and accessories. I used a headpiece similar to Victoriana headdresses that gives an idea of formality and solemnity. I further emphasised this by keeping the exposure high on the camera to give my skin the pale and bright quality often seen in Renaissance/Victorian paintings. For my pose I kept my face neutral and my back stiff to give the impression of regality. I wore costume jewellery, (earrings, bracelets etc.). I then contrasted this with the new by wearing a branded Adidas top, giving the idea of current, sporty casual style in contrast to the rest of the image.

Analyse how far you have used and/or challenged stereotypes of gender/race/age/sexuality in your cover.

I think I’ve challenged stereotypes surrounding age a lot in my cover. Most people would expect a new and young star to appear full of energy or sexualised on a cover. I tried to use the concept of old and new to say something about how maturity and elegance shouldn’t just be reserved for older musicians. Rather than the usual stereotypes of rebelliousness or naivety, I really wanted to emphasise the fact that age has no bearing on talent.

Reflect on the production/editing process. Are you pleased with the end result?

I think the editing process went smoothly as I took precautions in the actual shoot, (such as making sure there were no wisps of hair). Overall, I’m pleased with the end result as I think it conveyed my theme and music artist clearly and looks realistic as an overall magazine cover. I think the use of colour and slogan would certainly grab attention on a magazine stand.

Identify what is successful about your shot? What would you have done differently in hindsight?

In hindsight, I think I rushed the planning process, thinking too much about the kind of star and image I wanted to portray rather than how I was actually going to o it. Instead of trying to show a contrast between old and new, I think I should’ve gone the whole way with the Victoriana style theme, adding my outfit and other props to it. The “new” could have come really from the fact I am clearly a young star and it is obviously  a modern cover – maybe by trying to be more subtle I would’ve made a larger impact. I also would have like to play around with colour schemes as overall mine didn’t all match up. I would have preferred a red/gold/black scheme that would fit with the theme better than the pinks/whites/purples I ended up with.

Reflections on shots

We chose the genre of mystery for our TV drama still. This genre lends itself fairly easily to stills as, being about mystery, the point is not to signify too much. The use of light mainly gives the idea of the genre. Oliver’s face is only half in direct light, half in shadow. He stands in the dark part of the shot which contrasts with the lighter, white pillar next to him. He is looking out of shot at something the audience can’t see, which leads us to ask questions. The positioning of his hands and the way he’s standing behind the pillar and looking round shows he’s hiding and looking at something/someone without wanting to be seen.

To achieve the affect we placed our camera low down on the tripod and tilted it upwards. We used the paglight to illuminate from the bottom right hand corner to create a shadow around his hand and to enable the left half of his face to be shielded from view. This also illuminated the white pillar more. We positioned him in the 3^rd fraction of the shot in order to further show he is hiding and trying to remain unseen, as oppose to placing him in plain view in the centre. We made his facial expression serious to show it was a solemn drama rather than smiling if it had been comedic or happy.

With the shot, we were attempting to communicate the idea of watching/ someone being watched. The subject of our mystery TV show could be detective based as he seems to be snooping around or even about a stalker/murderer. We wanted to make our shot daunting without becoming a horror-type genre.

I think our shot is successful as it clearly communicates the genre were we attempting using only subtle hints like shadow, positioning and facial expression to do so. Other myster y tv dramas like Twin Peaks and Midsomer murders feature similar stills like characters looking into the distant from the edges of the frame, so an audience would be able to relate our still to these.

In hindsight, we could have included another character in the foreground who is the person being watched as I think this would have been clearer in communicating the mystery genre. I would also like to have included some more costume as I think it is a clear indicator of the kind of TV drama you are making.

Music Video Analysis

Dua Lipa - New Rules

Beauty Shot 

the conventional technique found in generally female music videos opens "New Rules" with Dua Lipa sporting a full face of makeup and pouting as the camera zooms in and out.

Combination of Audio/Visual

The lyrics here are "Don't pick up the phone", the visual illustrates this point obviously. This is done a few times in the video, featuring the same movement sequence but in different outfits for each chorus, presumably to reinforce the idea of new rules via repetition.

Varied and Fast changing mise en scene

Here, Dua Lipa opens curtains and is transported from an apartment to a poolside, changing outfits in record time. The suspension of disbelief at the immediate and impossible changes are a key feature of music videos.

Extreme Contrasts in camera shots/ angles

The interesting camera pan from upside down to the right way up seems to imply three layers to the pool and ground and is another unusual way of rapidly changing the setting to allow outfit change.

Cutting to the beat

Here, each girl turns her head to a beat of the song.The use of different coloured dressing gowns also adds to the aesthetic appeal and order created in the shot.

Trailer Analysis : Hostiles

Hostiles

Came out on the 5^th of Sept 2017

Analyse Audience Appeal

·         No one is visible in the first couple of shots and we only hear a voiceover, builds anticipation

·         Voiceover is low, husky and with a serious tone, you can barely make out what they’re saying which adds mystery and drama

·         Use of little dialogue grabs attention as audience is made to analyse what they’re being shown themselves

·         Talk of God “being blind to what’s been going on” suggest terrible things happening without saying explicitly what

·         Very little plot is given away which leaves plenty of enigmas and makes you want to find out

·         Use of fade in and out of black to separate scenes creates drama and allows smooth transition

·         There is a period of 10 seconds over which quick snapshots of knives, guns, fire, fighting and a hanging body are seen –the use of timing means not much I given away but the audience wants to know how, why and who is doing these things

Genre signifiers

·         First couple of shots are silent and establish setting

·         Saloons, American flag, Wagons and porches – leads us to assume we are in the Wild West

·         Female period dress signifies it’s not a modern film

·         When we first see a character they’re wearing a cowboy hat and later men on horseback, Native Americans and use of western style action shots (reaching into holster)

·         A Native American chief is seen in traditional dress which alludes to the classic “Cowboys and Indians” theme of the genre

Character & Representation

·         We see the first two characters from behind so gives enigma codes

·         Mostly male characters

·         Main character is Christian Bale as he is given the most screen time in the trailer, seconded by Rosamund Pike

·         His character is represented as masculine and slightly moral due to his “belief in god” in a lawless place which adds depth and makes his character interesting

·         Christian Bale wears a blue velvet uniform so could be a military man

·         Rosamund Pike seemingly plays damsel as we see two close ups of her looking terrified

Branding

·         “From the director of Black Mass, Out of the furnace and Crazy heart – if you’ve seen any of these films it adds incentive to see this one

·         Use of 3 credits emphasise this directors success as they’ve made many films

·         Rosamund Pike and Christian Bale are both award winning famous actors so giving them screen time gives fans an incentive to see them – these are also not roles they typically play ·         Coming Soon flashes at end to add expectation