The finished opening sequences are HERE on Vimeo
Friday, 6 November 2009
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
EVALUATION QUESTIONS
For the final 20 marks of the project, you must complete seven tasks on your blog, posting them in this order, with the question heading at the top of each task. You may do them as a pair, but must post individual copies on each blog. Make sure you answer each question as well as producing the visual elements.
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)
Remember when we looked at 9 frames from Art of the title sequence? Well now it's your turn to do the same with nine of your frames.
You should go through the final version of the project and select nine distinct frames which you screengrab and drop into a photoshop in the same style as the website. You will be using these to write about how typical or not of opening sequences your particular design is, so choose them carefully.
Once you have the nine frames neatly in Photoshop, screengrab the whole thing and post to your blog, then write an analysis of how you have used such conventions.
The aspects we would like you to consider across your nine frames are:
The title of the film
Setting/location
Costumes and props
Camerawork and editing
Title font and style
Story and how the opening sets it up
Genre and how the opening suggests it
How characters are introduced
Special effects
Remember when we looked at 9 frames from Art of the title sequence? Well now it's your turn to do the same with nine of your frames.
You should go through the final version of the project and select nine distinct frames which you screengrab and drop into a photoshop in the same style as the website. You will be using these to write about how typical or not of opening sequences your particular design is, so choose them carefully.
Once you have the nine frames neatly in Photoshop, screengrab the whole thing and post to your blog, then write an analysis of how you have used such conventions.
The aspects we would like you to consider across your nine frames are:
The title of the film
Setting/location
Costumes and props
Camerawork and editing
Title font and style
Story and how the opening sets it up
Genre and how the opening suggests it
How characters are introduced
Special effects
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Pick a key character from your opening. Take a screengrab of a reasonable sized image of them. Think of one or more characters from other films with some similarity to them (but maybe some differences too!), find an image on the web of that/those characters and grab it as well. Drop the two into photoshop, as a split screen. Export this splitscreen image as a jpeg then drop onto your blog and write about the similarities and differences in terms of appearance, costume, role in film etc.
So for example if you have a lone cop type character, look for other lone cops to compare him with...
Pick a key character from your opening. Take a screengrab of a reasonable sized image of them. Think of one or more characters from other films with some similarity to them (but maybe some differences too!), find an image on the web of that/those characters and grab it as well. Drop the two into photoshop, as a split screen. Export this splitscreen image as a jpeg then drop onto your blog and write about the similarities and differences in terms of appearance, costume, role in film etc.
So for example if you have a lone cop type character, look for other lone cops to compare him with...
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
For this question, you are going to do a 'director's commentary' style voiceover explaining some of the key features of your opening
You will need to script the voiceover which deals with institutional issues to include:
discussion of your production company name and logo and the role of such companies
What does a production company do? start here
the idea of a distributor and who that might be and why. start here
where the money might have come from for a film such as yours here
why the various people are named in the titles- which jobs appear in titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?
what your film is similar to 'institutionally' (name some films which would be released in a similar way)
You need to refer to actual company names and processes so you will need to go back to the early posts on film companies and maybe do a bit more research
When you have scripted, record the voiceover using Final Cut on a new audio timeline, then export to quicktime and embed on blog.
For this question, you are going to do a 'director's commentary' style voiceover explaining some of the key features of your opening
You will need to script the voiceover which deals with institutional issues to include:
discussion of your production company name and logo and the role of such companies
What does a production company do? start here
the idea of a distributor and who that might be and why. start here
where the money might have come from for a film such as yours here
why the various people are named in the titles- which jobs appear in titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?
what your film is similar to 'institutionally' (name some films which would be released in a similar way)
You need to refer to actual company names and processes so you will need to go back to the early posts on film companies and maybe do a bit more research
When you have scripted, record the voiceover using Final Cut on a new audio timeline, then export to quicktime and embed on blog.
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
You should have a drawing of your target audience member and an explanation of what kinds of taste they might have- where they would shop, what music they would listen to, what their favourite Tv programme would be, etc.
make sure you have taken a phot of it, post it on the blog and write a few notes on why they would watch your film.
You should have a drawing of your target audience member and an explanation of what kinds of taste they might have- where they would shop, what music they would listen to, what their favourite Tv programme would be, etc.
make sure you have taken a phot of it, post it on the blog and write a few notes on why they would watch your film.
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 5
How did you attract/address your audience?
You will use YOUTUBE's annotation tools to add NOTES, SPEECHBUBBLES, and LINKS to your video:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92710
These annotations will highlight the ways in which your Film Opening links to other similiar films in order to attract the particular Audience you have previously identified.
Your annotations will refer to genre conventions, use of music, similiarities with other movies and what you have identified as the Unique Selling Point of your imaginary film.
You will use YOUTUBE's annotation tools to add NOTES, SPEECHBUBBLES, and LINKS to your video:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92710
These annotations will highlight the ways in which your Film Opening links to other similiar films in order to attract the particular Audience you have previously identified.
Your annotations will refer to genre conventions, use of music, similiarities with other movies and what you have identified as the Unique Selling Point of your imaginary film.
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In pairs, take a picture of each other holding the kit you have used. This might just be the camera and tripod, and your Macbook but there may be other things you want in the shot.
Drop the image onto your blog and annotate it, adding all the programs and other technology you have used as screengrabs and what you learnt about it/from using it. Your written text need only be minimal. You could include reference to all the online and computer programs you have used such as youtube, flickr, blogger, final cut,photoshop,vimeo garageband, etc.
In pairs, take a picture of each other holding the kit you have used. This might just be the camera and tripod, and your Macbook but there may be other things you want in the shot.
Drop the image onto your blog and annotate it, adding all the programs and other technology you have used as screengrabs and what you learnt about it/from using it. Your written text need only be minimal. You could include reference to all the online and computer programs you have used such as youtube, flickr, blogger, final cut,photoshop,vimeo garageband, etc.
EVALUATION ACTIVITY 7
Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
Concentrate on editing and camerawork.
Grab some frames from both tasks and put them on the blog and show what you know about shot types, edit terms and techniques.
Make sure you mention the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot
Concentrate on editing and camerawork.
Grab some frames from both tasks and put them on the blog and show what you know about shot types, edit terms and techniques.
Make sure you mention the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot
Monday, 19 October 2009
Homework for half term
the rough cuts are HERE on Vimeo
Your rough cuts will be uploaded by the end of the week. Please paste your rough cut into your blog and write about the feedback you had and the actions you intend to take when you get back. YOU SHOULD REFER BOTH TO THE FEEDBACK YOU HAD IN CLASS AND THE FEEDBACK FROM ANOTHER GROUP (SEE THEIR BLOGS)
1. What did people rate as strengths of the work?
2. What did people rate as weaknesses?
3. What do you intend to change?
4. what is still to be done? e.g. titles, sound, visuals
We would also like you to paste in the work of one other group and to answer the same questions about that work. THERE WILL BE A LIST HERE OF WHO IS TO COMMENT ON WHICH OTHER GROUP'S WORK. PLEASE DO THIS FEEDBACK BY SUNDAY 25th SO OTHERS HAVE TIME TO BENEFIT FROM IT.
1. What did you rate as strengths of the work?
2. What did you rate as weaknesses?
3. What do you think the group should change?
4. what has the other group still got to do? e.g. titles, sound, visuals
COMMENTING PAIRS: Please paste the video from the other pair onto your blog and write your comments on it. Check the other two people's blogs for their comments on your video!
Christina/Angelica v Matt/Elliott/Rob
TomH/Louis v Tilly/Yasmin
Alison v Alex
Tom B/Liam v Hannah/Emma
Charna/Sophie v Sven/Jahmal
You should also use half term as an opportunity to go through your blog and make sure all posts are up to date to set yourself up for the best possible mark!
there will not be much time for finishing the project when you get back, so you need to make sure you have a clear plan!
L3 DIGI-SKILLS SESSION: SOUNDTRACK ON SOUNDCLOUD
1. Create a soundtrack roughcut in Garageband.
2. Upload AIFF (Garageband > share > CD Quality) to SoundCloud
(N.B. The log in & password is the same used for the blogs)
3. Embed the soundtrack on your blog
(SoundCloud > Share > Copy the code > paste to the blog post)
4. Write up what you did in the session and what you are trying to achieve with your soundtrack.
Here's my demo:
SAT TEST SOUNDTRACK by CMDiploma
Monday, 12 October 2009
Homework for Sunday 18 October
Task 1: Write up your shooting and editing so far- include photos/screengrabs where possible.
Task 2: read the blog feedback from your peer assessor and make changes to earlier posts/add in extra posts accordingly to improve your blog
Task 3: find a film which you think has things in common with your film opening and using images, video and writing, explain what those things in common actually are
All posts must be complete by next Sunday evening (18th, 9pm) and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
Task 2: read the blog feedback from your peer assessor and make changes to earlier posts/add in extra posts accordingly to improve your blog
Task 3: find a film which you think has things in common with your film opening and using images, video and writing, explain what those things in common actually are
All posts must be complete by next Sunday evening (18th, 9pm) and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
Saturday, 10 October 2009
L3 Opening Sequence Animatics
Here is the link to the animatic videos from yesterday's session for you to post on your blogs:
cmdiploma @ vimeo
ANIMATIC SESSION
Animatics are moving storyboards
Using Final Cut you will be adding titles, music, sound effects and transitions to your storyboard frames.
(Preparation: if your storyboard frame photos are too dark, open them in Photoshop and apply Auto Levels on them. MAIN MENU > IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > AUTO LEVELS > SAVE)
It will help to give you an idea of how the three main elements (editing of the action, graphics & sound) will combine in your opening sequence.
It should be the KEY FRAMES of your sequence.
You should aim for 18-24 frames (3/4 storyboard sheets)
Rian Johnson’s opening childhood sequence ANIMATIC
for Brothers Bloom (2008)
This animatic was created in the early pre-production process by Rian Johnson, the director of Brothers Bloom (2008).
The artwork consists of storyboards by the storyboard artist Daniele Auber.
It was all put together on his laptop in Final Cut Pro.
He did all the voices himself!
It was invaluable tool in showing business and the creative teams how the whole thing would come together.
The finished opening childhood sequence - Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson 2008)
Using Final Cut you will be adding titles, music, sound effects and transitions to your storyboard frames.
(Preparation: if your storyboard frame photos are too dark, open them in Photoshop and apply Auto Levels on them. MAIN MENU > IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > AUTO LEVELS > SAVE)
It will help to give you an idea of how the three main elements (editing of the action, graphics & sound) will combine in your opening sequence.
It should be the KEY FRAMES of your sequence.
You should aim for 18-24 frames (3/4 storyboard sheets)
Rian Johnson’s opening childhood sequence ANIMATIC
for Brothers Bloom (2008)
Brothers Bloom Childhood Sequence Animatic from rcjohnso on Vimeo.
This animatic was created in the early pre-production process by Rian Johnson, the director of Brothers Bloom (2008).
The artwork consists of storyboards by the storyboard artist Daniele Auber.
It was all put together on his laptop in Final Cut Pro.
He did all the voices himself!
It was invaluable tool in showing business and the creative teams how the whole thing would come together.
The finished opening childhood sequence - Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson 2008)
Thursday, 8 October 2009
L3 Opening Sequence Storyboard Session
Here is the link to the photos of the timelines and post-it note storyboards from today's session for you to post on your blogs: cmdiploma @ flickr
Monday, 5 October 2009
Homework for 6-11 October
getting close to making your opening sequence now !
Homework due sunday 11th 9 pm on your blog:
Pick an opening (film) from 'art of the title' and paste on your blog the nine frames.
Watch the sequence, download it to your computer to enable you to look at the timeline.
Get a big sheet of plain paper and mark out a timeline, then go through and write on it where each title comes in. See steve's Juno example as a model (above). Then take a photo of it and upload to Flickr and paste to your blog. Write a few lines explaining what it is about. This should give you a really good model for your own layout of a title sequence, including timings and jobs.
Secondly, paste your nine frames activity from Flickr onto the blog and write about how you made it.
Thirdly, paste your ident video from Vimeo and write about how you created it.
Finally go back through this blog and check that you have completed every task on your blog. Anything missing, catch it up!
Alex, Angelica, Max- your video is here
Don't forget...any problems e-mail me: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
CLICK HERE to view the opening sequence timelines on flickr.
CLICK HERE to view the opening sequence cotact sheets on flickr.
Production Company Ident Videos
Here is the link for the finished ident videos so you can put them on your blogs:
IDENT VIDEOS HERE
Pete now has the finished QuickTimes and will import them into your projects tomorrow (Tuesday).
*** if the video is not the finished version or there is something not quite right email me at:
steventhorne@gmail.com
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Homework 2: Pitches for Sunday 4 October
SCROLL DOWN FOR HOMEWORK 1
1. Look at the briefs for the project and brainstorm some ideas for possible pitches for your imagined film. Don't just stick at one idea- have at least one pitch for each brief.
1. Look at the briefs for the project and brainstorm some ideas for possible pitches for your imagined film. Don't just stick at one idea- have at least one pitch for each brief.
How can you sum up your idea in a couple of lines for each brief?
Here are some examples of 25 word pitches
You might like to paste in on your blog other examples of films which you think meet the criteria for the briefs
Homework 1 and 2 must be complete by next Sunday evening (27th, 9pm) and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
Project Briefs for Film opening
Film Brief 1
A mainstream action film that will appeal to 15-25yr old males
Your film should appear to be based on a "fictional" comic book
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)
Film Brief 2
A supernatural thriller that will appeal to female audiences
Your film should appear to be an international co-production
The Others (Alejandro Amenabar, 2001)
Film Brief 3
An independent movie featuring a young protagonist
Your film should appear to be financed through regional funding
This is England (Shane Meadows, 2006)
Film Brief 4
An animated feature to appeal to adult audiences
Your film should appear to be based on a "fictional" novel
A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006)
A mainstream action film that will appeal to 15-25yr old males
Your film should appear to be based on a "fictional" comic book
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)
Film Brief 2
A supernatural thriller that will appeal to female audiences
Your film should appear to be an international co-production
The Others (Alejandro Amenabar, 2001)
Film Brief 3
An independent movie featuring a young protagonist
Your film should appear to be financed through regional funding
This is England (Shane Meadows, 2006)
Film Brief 4
An animated feature to appeal to adult audiences
Your film should appear to be based on a "fictional" novel
A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006)
Monday, 28 September 2009
Homework 1: Preliminary exercise for Sun 4 Oct
What is continuity editing?
The three rules you tried to use were: the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot. Explain the three terms.
Paste your preliminary task onto your blog and write about how far you think your group succeeded in demonstrating these basic rules. Refer to examples to show where you did and did not succeed.
The prelim tasks will be uploaded and linked for you here.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
work for Sep23-27; due by 9 pm sunday!
1. Go to youtube and find your JUNO video from tuesday at Coleridge. If you were absent, you can do all the tasks EXCEPT the bit about how you edited it.
2. Paste the video you shot and/or edited onto your blog.
3. Write a post about what the whole exercise was about; you should cover the planning, shooting and editing. What are you most pleased about? what proved difficult to do? I am expecting at least 300 words on this.
4. Do a link to the original/ to other stuff online about Juno and paste in an image from the sequence and do a screengrab of the same image from YOUR sequence. Comment on the effectiveness of what you achieved.
5. Create another post- call it CASE STUDY OF A FILM OPENING. Look at the list below, which is a composite of the points you collated yesterday:
TITLE- with carefully chosen font to create a BRAND
INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION- Studio, Production company, Distributor
JOB TITLES- Producer, director, editor, composer/music director, stars, director of photography, screenwriter...maybe more
MUSIC and OTHER SOUND- to help create atmosphere
MAIN CHARACTER INTRODUCED
MOOD SET UP THROUGH SETTING/LIGHTING
INTRODUCTION TO ACTION/STORY
SOMETHING TO CAPTURE AUDIENCE INTEREST
Now take a film that you have on DVD or one for which you can find the opening online and analyse how the elements above are present in the opening two minutes. If features are NOT present, explain why you think this is (e.g. why is there no need for action in the first two minutes?) You will need to find a sequence which includes titles.
If you find the sequence online, paste it onto your blog. List which job titles are present and who the named person is in each case (e.g. 'directed by Martin Scorsese') and explain how things like atmosphere are set up.
This task will take you a couple of hours to do properly, as you need to look at all the elements carefully and spend time thinking about them.
All three posts must be complete by next Sunday evening (27th, 9pm) and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Work for this week 16-21 Sept
1. Go to youtube and find your video from tuesday at Coleridge
2. Paste it onto your blog. (Nick will demonstrate in tutorial both this and how to access your e-mail account from home)
3. Write a post about the techniques you learnt in Final cut, such as cutting, fading, titling and anything else you tried out. What do you think of what you produced as a first go?
4. Create another post- note down username and password today if you can't remember them!For this post i'd like you to go to the link for film openings on youtube and watch THREE of the openings, one of which at least should be from a film you have never seen. Note which three film openings you looked at and then choose ONE of the three and say what you find interesting about it as an opening- such as camerawork or setting or character or whatever- and why. Paste that opening onto your blog as well.
5. create a THIRD post. Now try some searches on youtube for student film openings- you may have to try a range of searches, such as 'AS media projects' or 'student films'. There are loads on longroadmedia but you may find other schools and colleges. Again choose one, paste it onto your blog and write about what you think the STRENGTHS and the WEAKNESSES are of the sequence.
All three posts must be complete by next Sunday evening and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
2. Paste it onto your blog. (Nick will demonstrate in tutorial both this and how to access your e-mail account from home)
3. Write a post about the techniques you learnt in Final cut, such as cutting, fading, titling and anything else you tried out. What do you think of what you produced as a first go?
4. Create another post- note down username and password today if you can't remember them!For this post i'd like you to go to the link for film openings on youtube and watch THREE of the openings, one of which at least should be from a film you have never seen. Note which three film openings you looked at and then choose ONE of the three and say what you find interesting about it as an opening- such as camerawork or setting or character or whatever- and why. Paste that opening onto your blog as well.
5. create a THIRD post. Now try some searches on youtube for student film openings- you may have to try a range of searches, such as 'AS media projects' or 'student films'. There are loads on longroadmedia but you may find other schools and colleges. Again choose one, paste it onto your blog and write about what you think the STRENGTHS and the WEAKNESSES are of the sequence.
All three posts must be complete by next Sunday evening and I shall look at them all on monday and give you feedback. Do e-mail me if there are any problems: petefraser@me.com or via the long road e-mail pfraser@longroad.ac.uk.
Pete
Monday, 7 September 2009
Film Opening project
Useful links:
Longroadmedia thriller blog
Longroadmedia film opening blog
Film openings on youtube
Saul Bass title sequences
Title sequence compilations
Touch of Evil
The Player
Hurtwood House Video Channel
Juno title sequence
Juno Flickr pictures
Shifty film set
Shifty: Wikipedia
Art of the Title site
Longroadmedia thriller blog
Longroadmedia film opening blog
Film openings on youtube
Saul Bass title sequences
Title sequence compilations
Touch of Evil
The Player
Hurtwood House Video Channel
Juno title sequence
Juno Flickr pictures
Shifty film set
Shifty: Wikipedia
Art of the Title site
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Film Opening project
This is the first assessed project for the course. It counts for 50% of the AS in Media Studies.
The project will be undertaken in a pair, shooting on HD cameras and editing in Final cut at coleridge.
20 marks are for research and planning, which you will undertake individually on a blog throughout the process. You will be set regular homework tasks for this.
60 marks are for the opening of a film, including soundtrack and titles; all material must be original, created by yourselves. Guidance re length, genre and contents will follow.
20 marks are for evaluation, for which you will undertake a series of tasks, also displayed on your blog.
deadlines: rough cut 16 October final video: 22 October
The project will be undertaken in a pair, shooting on HD cameras and editing in Final cut at coleridge.
20 marks are for research and planning, which you will undertake individually on a blog throughout the process. You will be set regular homework tasks for this.
60 marks are for the opening of a film, including soundtrack and titles; all material must be original, created by yourselves. Guidance re length, genre and contents will follow.
20 marks are for evaluation, for which you will undertake a series of tasks, also displayed on your blog.
deadlines: rough cut 16 October final video: 22 October
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