Wednesday 16 October 2013

Trainers Advert

This is the advert that I created for the task. In this advert, the shoe has a smiley face that has been edited on to look like it has been drawn on. This communicates that the shoes can be designed by the buyer of the shoe so that they can design the shoes in different ways. The background of the image is a wall with graffiti art sprayed on. This also says to the audience that the shoes can be designed in different ways by the person who has bought the shoe, like the people designed the graffiti art on the wall. In the main image, which is the shoes and the persons legs, I decided to leave the legs in the image with the shoes to make it look like a person walking. I left the legs on so that the audience could feel a bit more connected to shoe as another person is using the shoes. It also shows to the audience that the shoes work fine and gives them an idea on what the shoes would look like if they were being worn.
For the text, i used words that looked like handwriting. This was also to follow the idea that the audience can draw on the shoes to design them however they want. It also was to fit the background, which featured a lot of graffiti, so I thought using a font that looked handwritten brought everything together. For the text 'streets' I originally wanted the colour to be purple, however it didn't stand out well enough against the background, so i added the same text, but white, behind it to make the text stand out more to catch the audiences eye. I used purple for this font because purple is a unisex colour, so it shows to the audience that anyone can wear these shoes. For the text 'creative' I again used a font which looked like hand writing so it fitted in with the rest of the advert. I used a bubble font with plain white in the middle, i then coloured different dots in the text using a paintbrush tool which was shaped like the spray of a spray can which made the text stand out whilst also fitting in with the creative and drawing theme, this also shows to the audience that you can use different materials to design the shoes.
For the slogan, i used 'Be creative, always' which makes it clear to the audience that you can do whatever you want on the shoes. It also uses the name of the shoe, which is 'creative' which helps it fit with the advert so it isn't out of place. The slogan that I made is a simple and short slogan, but it conveys the idea of the shoe well. I created my slogan like this so that it was memorable but also easy to understand. I placed it under the image if the shoes so that it was the next thing that the audience saw after looking at the main image. This helps keep the audiences attention on the advert which encourages them to buy the shoe as they will probably remember the advert for longer. I again used a font for the slogan that looked handwritten so that it kept with the theme of being able to write on the shoe. Behind the text, I added effects, such as drop shadows that made the text stand out. This also helps catch the audiences attention.

Sunday 6 October 2013

Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene (placing on stage) is a French term. It means the use of setting and location, decor, body language and movement, props and objects and costume and makeup in a scene. All of these things can communicate different things to an audience, from the genre of the film to character information.


In this clip, which is from ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, the scene is set in a western America setting. We can see this because of the rural looking sandy terrain, with a few patches of grass and wooden buildings. This tells the audience that the film is set in around the 1800’s as the buildings are wooden and aren’t modern, which is what you expect in a western type of film.
The décor in this clip is plain, simple and wooden. This suggest to the audience that the genre of the film is a western as this is décor that is expected to be seen in a western film because it was what was used to build buildings in the time period of when the film was set. It also suggests that the atmosphere of the film is quite quiet and simple like the buildings, however it can also change quickly when there is some action in the film.
Body language in this clip suggests how characters feel towards one another. In this case, all of the characters body language is quite distant from one another. The two characters walking together suggest that they might be on the same side, however they are walking with space in between them which suggests that they aren’t really friends. The other character walking towards these characters suggests that he either could be enemies with them, as in typical western films before a fight scene the two characters which are about to fight walk towards each other at a slow pace which is demonstrated in this clip. This character however could also be on the two characters side as he is wearing similar costume to them which is typical of a team who are about to fight against another team.
The prop in this clip is the gun. This suggests to the audience that the film is a western/action film, as guns suggest shootings. The guns also suggest to the audience that the characters are brave, powerful and intimidating as they are carrying guns around on their belts. The guns also suggest that the narrative of the film will involve death and fighting as guns are used to fight and to kill.
Objects in this scene are waggons and horses outside of the saloon. This also adds to the genre suggestion, which is that the film is a western film as stereotypical western films include all of these objects. There is also a wanted poster on the wall which expected in a western film. These objects also suggest that the genre of the film is action/western as the mode of transport in all western films is horse, as cars weren’t invented then. The horses also suggest that the characters are strong and talented, as it is suggested that they will be able to ride the horses with ease as they appear to be comfortable around the horses.
The clip also shows the audience the characters costume and makeup. The costume of the characters is old fashioned brown outfits with cowboy hats. These are all typical features of a stereotypical western film. These costumes show to the audience that the film is set in around the time of the civil war in America, which was in the 1800’s as this was a typical time era for western films to be set. It also tells the audience that the characters are cowboys which suggest that the characters are brave as most cowboys would fight each other. The character at the end however, is wearing a pale blue outfit without a hat, which is the opposite of what the other characters are wearing. This suggests that this character is a lot different to the other characters and is enemies with them, as he is different to them.
The makeup which is used in this clip is used to make the characters faces look more dirty. This suggests to the audience that the characters have travelled a long way, as it must of taken a bit of time to get that much dirt on the characters faces if this was a real life situation. The characters also having dirty faces suggests to the audience that the film is set in the 1800’s as it is clear that the characters don’t have frequent baths as showers hadn’t been invented.
 

Media Camera Movement




Tracking Shot

A tracking shot is when the camera moves backwards and forwards and is usually shot using dolly. A tracking shot is usually used to draw the audience into the action and to follow a character. In this video, which is from Kill Bill: Part 1, a tracking shot is used throughout the whole clip. However, the simplest  tracking shot in this clip is from 1.15. The camera follows the last woman from the stairs through the hallway and into the bathroom. This signals to the audience that the action will be in this room, as the camera also followed other characters into this room, such as the character in yellow. This also suggests to the audience that something will happen between these two characters as they have both been followed by the camera into the same room. The character in yellow and the last character to be followed by the camera in black are a contrast to each other as their outfits and their looks are completely different. This also suggests to the audience that something will happen between the two characters, which is most likely going to be bad.


Tilt

A tilt shot is when the camera either tilts up or down. This can create a sense of power, height. It can also follow a characters movement or where they are looking. This makes the audience follow where the character is going/ looking. In this clip, which is from Toy Story a tilt is used at 1.36, where the camera tilts downwards, when the character slides down the pipe against the side of the house. This makes the audience follow where the character is going. It also suggests to the audience that the action is going to happen where the character is going, which makes the audience follow the character.

Zoom

Zoom shots is when there is movement either into or away from a character or an object. In this video, there are several zooms from 0.52 onwards. The first zoom is when the first wolf stops running to howl. The camera then slowly zooms inwards to the wolf. The next few zooms are when more wolves start to howl. The camera then starts to zoom outwards from each of the wolves slowly. This is used to emphasise how many wolves there are. It also emphasises where the wolves are and how derelict and empty the setting is.


Arc Shot

An arc shot is when either a full circle or a semi circle is created around a character or object. This allows the audience to see other characters reactions in the scene. It also increases the intensity of the scene, as the camera is travelling around in a circle which makes the length of the scene seem longer. In this clip, the arc shot starts at 3.35, when the hat is placed on the main characters head. The camera then circles the character in a semi circle whilst the hat talks before it jump cuts to when the character starts to whisper. An arc shot is used here to create intensity and suspense, as we don't know what the hat is going to pick, and if the hat will pick the one we don't want him to pick. Using an arc shot here also allows the audience to see the other characters faces, which we wouldn't get it see if the arc shot wasn't used. This also adds suspense as the audience sees how many people are there and it makes the audience want the hat to pick the right house to avoid the main character being embarrassed and upset in front of all of the people.


Crane Shot

A crane shot is usually used so that the director of the film can follow the action in a vertical direction. The crane shot is used at 1.00 when the car is flying in the air and the camera follows it until the hook catches the bomb and it explodes. A crane shot was used here so that the audience could follow the action close up whilst it was in the air, instead of watching from the distance. This makes the audience feel more involved in the action and creates more suspense as to whether the character driving the car has survived, as the audience saw the bomb explode up close. It also creates more suspense when the hook hits the bomb, as the audience see it happen.

Pan

A pan shot is when the camera is moved left to right or vice versa. Pan shots are often combined with point of view shots, as the camera doesn't move along like it does in a tracking shot. In this clip, from 3.11 a pan shot is used. This is just after the character has put on the glasses and we are seeing from his point of view. The camera is then panning across the setting whilst an overlay of what the characters mission is. A pan shot is used here combined with a point of view shot to make the audience feel included and that because they have seen the character receive his mission, they must join him because they also know about his mission. It also makes the audience want to join him on the mission to find out whether his succeeds or not.

Media Camera Positions

High Angle

This GIF shows examples of stills using high angle shots. The stills are taken from the films, Shrek 2, James Bond and Titanic. High angle shots are when the camera is positioned above the camera in shot. Its used  to make the character appear small, weak, timid and more vulnerable than the audience and other characters. In the shot from Shrek 2, the cat has wide eyes and is looking up at the audience. This makes him look like he is begging another character for something. This makes him vulnerable because he wants something but only the other character can decide whether he gets it. In the shot from James Bond, the character is on the floor pointing his gun upwards. This makes him weaker and he has obviously been pushed to the floor by the other character and now the other character has the upper hand on him. The characters only defence now he is on the floor is his gun, which also makes him weaker as the other character will have other weapons like his hands and feet. The shot taken from Titanic makes the character in the still look vulnerable and weaker as he is smaller than the other characters and that is emphasised with the high angle shot.




Eye Level



Eye level shots are used so that some normality is there for the audience in the film. This GIF which features examples of eye level shots are stills taken from the films, Twilight and Alice in Wonderland. In the shot from the film Twilight, the character is looking at something confused. As the camera position is eye level, this makes the audience feel like they should also be confused, as the camera position is normality for the audience. It also makes us feel confused as the audience and the character have something in common, which is that they are both seeing from eye level. In the shot from the Alice in Wonderland film, the character is looking at something with an intrigued look on his face. This makes the audience want to know what the character is looking at as the audience and the character have something in common, which is that they are both seeing from eye level.


Low Angle 

Low angle shots are when the camera is placed below the character and is looking up at the character. This makes the character feel taller, more intimidating, more powerful and superior to the audience and other characters. These are some still shots using a low angle shot. These examples are taken from the films, Titanic, Shrek and Spiderman. In the shot from Titanic, all of the characters are higher than the audience. This makes the audience feel vulnerable and the characters look more powerful. The characters feel more powerful in this shot because they are talking about what they have to do. This makes the audience want to get involved in the conversation so they also know what to do, as they aren't involved in the conversation, they feel vulnerable. In the shot from the film Shrek, the character has opened his mouth to scare another one of the characters. This makes the character in the shot more powerful and intimidating as he is scaring somebody. In the shot from spiderman, the character is looking down at his suit deciding what to do. This makes him look more powerful because the audience may want to join in and help him make the decision, however they cant. This makes the character more powerful as he is the only one who will be able to make the decision and no one else can help him.


Point of view 

Point of view shots are when the camera is placed as though the audience is looking through a character in the films eyes. This makes the audience feel like they are involved in the scene which makes them relate to the film more. In the first shot, all of the characters are staring at the audience whilst they are sitting around a dinner table. This makes the audience feel involved in the scene which makes them more interested in the film. This can also make the audience feel slightly uncomfortable as all of the characters are staring at the audience like they have done something wrong, when actually the audience has done nothing. In the second shot, the two characters are involved in a conversation. The character behind the camera is sticking out his hand which makes it look like he wants to be involved in the conversation. As the audience and this character are both seeing the same thing, this also makes the audience want to be involved in the conversation, which also makes them want to be more involved int he film as well.


Over the shoulder 

Over the shoulder shots are when the camera is placed behind one of the characters and is filming the scene from over the shoulder of that character. This involves the audience in the scene more. However, this shot could potentially be slightly threatening and it may feel as though somebody is watching. Some of the examples in this GIF are from the films Mean Girls and Titanic. In the shot from Mean Girls, the camera is placed behind one of the characters shoulders and is facing the main character in the shot. This makes it obvious to the audience that these two characters are involved in a conversation. As the camera is placed behind one of the characters shoulders, it makes the audience feel like they are part of the conversation, however not all of the characters know. This could make the audience feel uncomfortable, like as though someone is watching. This applies to all of the examples used in this GIF. In the shot from Mean Girls the main character in the shot looks as though she is explaining something to the other character. This makes the audience feel like they want to be involved in the conversation also to find out what the character is explaining to the other character. In the shot from Titanic, the main character in the shot looks surprised at something that the other character is saying. This makes the audience want to be involved properly in the conversation to hear what the character is saying to the main character in the shot.



Monday 30 September 2013

Media Shot Types

Medium Shot

This medium shot is taken from the film Titanic. 
It shows the two characters clearly from the waist upwards. This makes the body language between the two characters easy to see. The medium shot usually features two characters, which is demonstrated in this shot. In this shot, you can easily see that the body language between the two characters is affectionate and friendly. You can see this because one of the characters is holding the other characters waist and looking at her, whilst the other character is stood close to the other character with her arms stretched out and is smiling. 
You can also see that in this shot, the male character is holding her waist, and is supporting her and almost could be controlling her as he is holding her. Whereas the female character has open arms and isn't touching or looking at the other character. This could suggest that she is more open and free than the other character and also could even be less interested in the male character, than the male character is interested in her. 
You can also clearly see the clothing in the medium shot. The clothing is quite old fashioned which suggests that the film isn't set in a modern era, more Edwardian era. This suggests that the relationship of the characters is more serious and formal than a relationship would be if this medium shot was set in a modern era.
 From the background in this shot, you also get a more romantic feel from the shot. This is created by the used of blues and a sunset. Romantic scenes are usually set when the sun is setting near the sea, so this shot is conventional of a romantic scene. 
The lighting in this shot is on the characters faces. This draws the audiences attention to the characters face so the audience can easily see the relationship between the characters and the feelings that the characters are experiencing in the shot.


Long Shot

This shot is a long shot. This is because you can see all of the characters in the shot full body length. 
This allows the audience to see all of the characters body positions which makes it clearer to the audience as to what the characters are doing. In this shot, the characters are all children and have their arms stretched out wide. This signals to the audience that the characters are playing a game by pretending to be aeroplanes. 
This also tells the audience that all of the children are friends, as they are playing together and look happy. 
Also, a long shot allows the audience to see a good section of the background, however not so much so that it would be considered an extreme long shot. in this shot, you can see that the children are playing in a street, as there is a building in the background and a car is on the road, as well as a tree is off to the side of the shot. 
As you can see the whole body length of a character in long shots, this allows the audience to see all of the characters costumes. You can also see that on the road, there is lots of puddles of rain. This lets the audience have an idea of what has happened before this scene. The puddles of rain on the floor would suggest that it has just been raining, and it has stopped so the children have been allowed out to play.
 The costumes can indicate to the audience about the time era of the film and also what type of person the character is. In this shot, the children are all wearing old fashioned outfits that children would wear around the time of WW2, so this suggests to the audience that this film is set around the time of World War 2. The characters are all wearing shorts and shirts with jumpers over the top, or with braces. All of the characters costumes are quite bland and not very colourful. This was also typical of outfits that children wore during the war, which makes it even easier for the audience to guess the time era of the film. These costumes also make it even easier for the audience to see that the characters are all children. 
The lighting in this still is quite natural, as the scene is set outside on a street, so the lighting isn't used in this shot to draw the audiences attention to anything.


Extreme Long shot (ELS)

In extreme long shots, characters are tiny in comparison to the rest of the shot, and most of the still is taken up by the background.
 In this still, you can see that the characters are on horses, which suggests to the audience that they are on a long journey, as they aren't walking. Also in this shot, the background takes up most of the shot, which emphasises the length of the journey that they have to take, this might make the audience feel sorry for the characters as they have a long journey.
 The background also says to the audience that the setting of the film is in winter, as there is snow on the ground and no leaves of the trees which are further away in the shot. This also makes the audience feel more sorry for the characters as they have to do this journey in the cold. In the background, you can see trees further away in the distance, this could be foreshadowing for the audience as it suggests to the audience that the characters could be heading towards the trees, and that possibly a part of this film could be set in a forest.
 In this shot, you cant see the characters costumes as they are too small. This makes the audience curious and interested in the film and makes them want to keep watching to find out when the film is set and what type of characters they are. 
Also in this shot, the lighting is natural light, as the scene is set outside.
 The characters are placed in the middle of the shot, and there is a strip of light in the middle of the shot on the floor. This would catch the audiences attention and draw it to the characters in the shot. This prevents the audience from looking at the background too much and possibly guessing too much of whats going to happen in the film.


Close Up

This close up is from the film Batman.
 A close up is usually used to draw the audiences attention to something significant in the scene that is about to happen, whether it be an object or a character. A close up can also be used to show the characters facial expressions which makes it easier for the audience to recognise what the characters emotions could be. In this still, the close up is being used to draw the audiences attention onto this character, which is the Joker. The Joker is a famous batman character, who is known for being Batman's enemy. 
In this still, the character is looking to this side with an evil looking smirk on his face. This suggests that he has done something evil before this still and is happy with what he has done.
 In close up shots, you can't see much of the background, this makes the audience slightly uncomfortable as they are unaware of what is in the background, and they can only see a close up of the characters face and a small bit of the background. In this still, you can see that in the background, there is a plain cream wall. This suggests to the audience that they are in an empty place, like a warehouse as there is nothing on the walls, unlike if they were in a house there would be pictures on the wall. 
Also in the background you can see part of another character. However you can't see anything that would make the audience recognise him, apart from his suit. This leaves the audience feeling curious but also maybe slightly uncomfortable as they do not know what is behind him, they can only guess what the character is.  
The lighting in this scene is brighter in the foreground than it is in the background. This draws the audiences attention to the character in the front of the shot, and makes them less likely to focus of the background.


Extreme Close Up (ECU)

This still is from the film series Twilight. 
An extreme close up is used to show a section of the face, in this case, the characters eyes. An extreme close up can also be used to show a part of an object, which would make the audience curious as to what the object is.
 In this shot, the characters eyes look quite angry, as he is staring straight into the camera and his eyebrows aren't raised. This makes the audience feel very uncomfortable as it seems that the character is staring angrily at them. 
In an extreme close up, none of the background is visible to the audience. This also adds to the discomfort that the audience is feeling as they have no where else to look on the screen to avoid the character staring at them.
 This characters eye colour is also a very eye catching colour, that is most likely edited or fake. This also makes the audience feel uncomfortable as the characters eye colour  helps draw their attention to the characters eyes. 
The characters skin is very pale and white against his blue eyes. This then causes the audience to look at the characters eyes as they are a contrast to the rest of his face which is in shot.

Canted Angle

This still is a canted angle.
 This is because the angle of the still is wonky. Canted angles are used in films to give the audience a sense of abnormal. It also warns the audience that something is going to go wrong, or something abnormal is going to happen, as canted angles are not the normal straight shot, like other angles. In this still, the background is quite plain and the main colour is cream. This draws all of the attention onto the two characters in the middle of the shot, as that is where the action will be happening. 
The two characters that are in the still aren't stood next to each other, this suggests that maybe these two characters are enemies, as there isn't any friendly gestures being used by each of them. The character that is closest to the audience is wearing all cream. This causes him to blend more into the background which means that the other character, who is wearing white and black stands out the most in this still. This suggests to the audience that the characters furthest away from them is the most important character in this scene.
 The character which is closest to the audience is also on the floor, whilst the other character is stood up. This creates him to be taller than the character closest to us and makes this character to appear vulnerable to the other character. 
The main lighting in the shot, is on the floor. The bright light on the floor catches the audiences attention as it is a large, very bright area which is a contrast to the background. This then causes the audience to look to the two characters which are next to the lights on the floor.