Evaluation of Continuity exercise.

Continuity Video Exercise

As the last practical part of my induction, we were tasked with making a continuity film. This meant that there could be no continuity errors and we could practice each part of using the camera on manual mode. I say we, as I was put into a group of three, with Matt, Jack and Luca. These were people I had not worked with before, to simulate how the real media industry works, when you must work with people you have not met before.

To begin the process, we were given a brief. The exchange of something. We had a little argument on this as Matt wanted to do a box in a box in a box, a sort of play on words as our teacher encouraged us to think outside of the box. I however wanted to think metaphorically, with the idiom of "having something handed to you" can be a euphemism for getting beaten up. Eventually we came to a compromise, someone would get a box, and in that box would be a fist which would shoot out and punch them! This idea was both creative and would be fun to film. We knew we could include alot of the camera techniques, but it would also be difficult.

When we began filming, it was clear we would have a couple issues, many of the team wanted to be on their phones. I think it was because that it was last thing on a Friday, not the best time to be doing a challenging practical exercise.Choosing locotion of film was also strange and trying, we spent around 15 minutes trying to choose which place in the college would be best to film a birthday party. The cantine, our original choice had too many people. The weather was too overcast to go outside. No one would have a birthday party in a corridor. Eventually we decided to go to the hive, when we stumbled upon a table in the reception. IT had colourful papers and balloons, it was almost perfect. Unfortunately there was a lot of people, and there wasn't much we could do in terms of lighting since our movie hardly required a change of scene as well as there being some random figures in the film.

The filming itself went rather well, and I am of the mind that we don't have any major continuity errors. The shot taken where we had to get a 'fist' inside the box was done by angling the camera to capture what  we needed and leave what we didn't out of the shot. This didn't go to well however, and we managed to get Lucas head in the film, but this was fixed by a slight bit of editing. Some of the shots are also blurry but this isn't too prominent and may just be a trick of the light or perhaps even something fixed by experience with the camera. The latter will certainly fix the final piece, in the higher shot we needed to move the camera upwards and the tripod was unable to perform this with out being unsteady and so I just had to hold the camera and raise my arms upwards. This naturally resulted in a rather unsteady rise, but is a skill that will come with practice rather than with a simple fix. Some of the acting is also perhaps a little awkward but that had to do with confidence rather than any camera faults.  We are also lacking a contra zoom shot, but that is because the one taken was of poor quality and hardly necessary for the final draft. I shall make plans to include one in the next project.

Editing was done on Adobe, using the macs which none of us had really used before. To me therefore it is surprising that it went so well, I don't see any major errors where the editing is concerned. There is the issue that the title both before and after is 'Birthday Surprise' rather than 'Punch in the Box' but this was decided upon by the other members of the group as they didn't want to reveal the plot before the audience watched the movie. To improve this next time, I should probably try coming up with a vaguer title, one that does not link to the plot so heavily but is still creative. The credits time is also slightly irregular - some last longer than others -  but for the fact they are there and many of the other groups didn't have them makes up in my eyes for this fact. This irregularity was caused by the lack of time spent on the credits, we rushed them towards the end of the project and can be fixed by taking a little more care. The music, I believe, is well chosen and thoughtful and does appear to fit the themes of the piece, creating humour and gaiety where needed.

Overall my thoughts on this piece are that it was fun to make and a brilliant induction to the course. I now have a greater understanding of what to expect for the next project and do indeed look forward to it. While this piece has it's errors, they are easily fixed with a little patience and a lot more experience which I hope to gain over the course. I am indeed very proud of 'Punch In The Box'.

Megan Mathieson.

Connotations photo excercise

Connotations photo excersise.

To begin our media course, we learnt, as apart of induction, about different shots and angles. Through this we learnt about connotations of lights, angles, shot distance. In order to do this, we begun by taking 6 different pictures, experimenting with these features to create in essence the perfect image.

For Wealth, the subject appears large, to show perhaps how large their presence is and how they can afford to be so intimidating. Lighting is mostly bright, to show how they can have most of the room light, despite it appearing to be quite large, yet shadows are cast on oneside to show the darker parts of wealth and how all is not what it seems. Indeed, this subject is rather small, but from the close up angle and lack of background detail make the subject seem larger and perhaps more wealthy.  

For friendship, a point of view shot is used to try and have the viewer integrated into the friendship. They too feel as though they are friends with the subject and the photographer. Lighting is used to make a contrast between the dark world and the light friendship around it, it creates almost a sense of unity and purpose, as the two friends face the darkness together, another reason for the point of view shot, it makes the two subjects seem as if they are in the world together and must travel as such.

For Fear, which normally involves two people, we chose to have two people, one higher in the frame than the other. This connotes intimidation and how one is inferior to the other. The lights aren't quite dark or light, showing how the fear is bad for one party and perhaps good for the other. The camera is slightly knocked to again try and achieve the leveled affect, and the two look at the camera to show some look of defiance. Though these are for different meanings, the one who looks straight on is in defiance of the fear, and the one who smirks at a sort of angle is in defiance of any accusations of the fear she seems to create.

For strength, we chose to have the subject in the middle of the frame, to connote dominance and power, two prominent symptoms of strength. The person looks down, at the camera positoned in a low angle, to show the photographers inferiority. The lighting is a crude representation of chiaroscuro, with the shadows representing perhaps the darker sides to strength, such as corruption and cruelty. The walls either side are blank to show the woman's, lone status, she is the strongest and no ones power seems to match her.

For Love, we chose a straight on shot, to show how one is supposed to be 'straight(honest)' with the one one loves. The shot isn't too close, to show to show how the photographer respects the peoples privacy. Lighting is used to connote both the light sides, as it is most of the photo, and the darker sides of love, such as adultry and domestic abuse. Relationships have both good sides and bad sides, and photo represents that.

For Desire, a close up shot was chose to try and connote perhaps some of the more intimate feelings surrounding desire. The shot is however low angle to connote an emotion that often accompanies desire, disappointment, when one desires something only to find it is not quite what it seemed or even inferior (hence the low angle shot). Lighting is used to connote the darker sides of desire, how it can lead to disappointment, how people can get carried away, which is done through the spotlighting created around the facial features. 

For Danger, we decided to use a low angle shot, to connote and maybe even manifest fear in the view through the intimation created by the feeling of inferiority, at being lower than the subject. The light is dim, to convey the darkness and create a sense of mystery, a fact that will create an image of the danger of the unknown. The subject is only partly visible, constructed by the use of the medium profile shot, again creating a perhaps danger of the unknown presence surrounding this photograph.

For weakness, a long shot was used to convey how the photographer is unable to help the subject, how they are caged and unable to do anything. The subject also appears quite small, seemingly helpless. Lighting is used to create shadows, to show hopelessness, but a little sliver of light is present in order to try and convey that even though there is weakness and hopelessness, there is still a chance.

For poverty, a relatively small high angle is used to show how the photographer is above the subject, yet the subject still aspires to be more, and prevail out of their poverty. The shot is taken from far away to perhaps convey the photographers unwillingness to go near this poor subject, representing much of the arrogance shown around modern day poverty. There is barely any darkness, showing how the subject is not allowed to be private, that their whole world is broadcasted to the rest of the world. The subject appears small in the photograph, small and alone, to show how they are insignificant to the rest of the world, neglected and discarded from society

For loneliness, a long shot was used, making the subject seem small and helpless, as well as highlighting the fact no one wants to go near hence the reason for her loneliness. Lighting seems to highlight her situation, as well as creating shadows around her to highlight her dark present. Light floods from where the photographer is, to show perhaps that gives her hope. Focus also rest on the bowl, to show her lack of human contact.

For Purity, a close angle was used to creat an interrogative feeling, as if the photographer was interrogating the subject so they could be sure of the purity. Spotlighting is used, where only part of the photo is well lit, to create the idea the subject is pure and bright in a world full of shadows and darkness. The low angle is used to create the idea of how the subject is trapped and needs to be freed, from this world of darkness, perhaps connoting that they are the only good thing there.

For greed, a long shot was used to create the idea the subject is so arrogant that they don't want the photographer near them, but instead below them, where they cannot touch the subjects wealth, hence the reason for the low angle. All the light appears to be on the subjects side rather than the photographers, seeming as if the subject has taken all the light due to excessive greed. Looking closer though, will reveal a slight venetian blind effect, as if the subject is metaphorically caged by the greed.

Enrolment task

Enrolment Task.

One piece of media that I believe deeply affected me, was a TV show, Merlin which finished airing in 2012. It was this piece of media which led me to my love of fantasy and then on to my love of adventure programs. I watched it from a very young age, and it is to this day, deeply rooted in my love of fantasy video games.

Another piece of media, that I believe deeply affected me was YouTube, but more specifically videos on a Japanese visual novel, Doki Doki Literature Club. This greatly impacted me, since I had clicked on it in hopes of watching a nice innocent game, but instead found horror. I loathe horror after my 8 year old self experienced fear watching doctor who, and this game deeply affected me. One positive outcome perhaps, was that I believe I lost the arrogance I had once held, that I knew everything about the internet, as so many hold at my age. I became much more cautious when exposed to the internet and all of its knowledge, and looking at things I did not quite understand.

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