CLAREMONT 9: February 2021

Tuesday, 23 February 2021

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA & THE LANGUAGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Welcome to the year 9 Media Studies course.

Media industries contribute a huge amount to the UK. What is the mass media? Film, tv, advertising, games industry, music, news and the Press, magazines, design, software and much more. It's good to understand a bit about it and even better to start making media ourselves.

We start by sharing this showreel

Thank you, British Film Commission!

In our weeks together, we will cover some of these activities and topics:

the language of photography
film language - how to identify camerawork, mise-en-scène, sound and editing
genre - using action adventure film
Photoshop - uploading a photo and simple editing
making a poster in Photoshop
making an advert
making a magazine cover
making a comic
branding - design, logos
presentation platforms - infographics
filming and editing - making your own film trailer

Today, it's a very nice day so we are getting away from our desks!

FIRST SESSION Read through this and then leave your laptops behind. With your phone camera, go around the house / garden to take photos that show your understanding of these camera angles. (Please let your family know if you are going into the garden! I don't want them worried that you aren't working!)

TAKE PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS - not fifteen of the same subject!

Upload to classroom after you have finished filming. Here is the class code:

Targets:

extreme log shot XLS
long shot LS
medium close up MCU
close up CU
extreme close up ECU
canted angle
low angle shot
high angle shot
worm's eye shot
wide angle shot (shows a big expanse)
point of view shot (as if you are making the audience look at what you are looking at, perhaps over the shoulder)

For moving image shots, attempt these:

tilt up (start at the base of the person or object and travel up to reveal the top / head). Your hands stays in the same place and doesn't travel but the camera itself tilts. This works really well as a 'reveal' shot.
pan (left to right, or right to left shot). This lets the audience see a lot of the frame. Hold your wrist steady: pivot it keeping your feet in the same place.

Aim for originality / beauty / humour / surprise

Tuesday, 9 February 2021

FILM TRAILERS & POSTERS

First, here is some news about a half-term online film-making course that might interest you.

MAKING TRAILERS

We look at the trailer genre and discuss how its conventions (= what elements are usually in trailers).

editing is not continuity editing (as the narrative arc is long)
inter titles between clips (= writing) about the director, actors, awards, pull quotes
additional inter titles explain the narrative (THOSE WHO HAVE SURVIVED / LIVE BY ONE RULE / NEVER MAKE A SOUND
sound track build to the climax
release date
film title

We watch A Quiet Place as a possible model for us to copy (=make a swede)

HAVE A GO: you can team up with another person and share footage.
If you have iMovie, there is a great TRAILER TEMPLATE - choose the thriller one! EXAMPLE BELOW! "I'm Here, Find Me"
Keep it simple - creep around the house / garden, whisper about the creature that is stalking you... let the soundtrack do the work.
Add the film title and release date 12.02.2021
Perhaps add an inter-title like THE LAST ONES LEFT...

FILM POSTER - example below that I made yesterday
Either landscape or portrait, with a strong central image, release date 12.02.2021, FILM TITLE is the biggest text
Star talent at the top (names of actors) in capital letters - but keep them small or the whole poster will look out of proportion.
Tagline - like 'If they hear you, they hunt you'. ......Don't make a sound. ......Never leave the path.