Planning- Case Study Presentation

Case study presentation from hipstertitch

Planning- Lighting

Low Key Lighting

These are two examples of low key lighting, there are lots of shadows, the room is not fully lit which gives this effect across the face. This lighting is usually used in horror films for suspense and mystery. 

Direct Light Source

This is an example of a direct light source, direct light sources should not be used as they make the subject appear as a silhouette. Thats why artificial lights are used, it avoids any bad lighting in any scene.

High Key Lighting

This is an example of high key lighting, the subject is fully lit with no shadows, this is usually used in comedy films and happy scenes.

Planning Binary Structures

Age

Age is represented in the media institutions as younger people seen as being trouble making and violent. Whilst clever, they are seen as powerless against the middle aged man or woman. Where as elderly people are seen as very old fashioned, and out of touch with reality. Even though they are older, they are powerless  against the middle aged man or woman who are seen as the professionals, the ones who hold the power.

Class

 Throughout media companies, class is shown as upper class and lower class. The upper class are depicted as highly educated and keep to themselves socially, they are also seen as being very ignorant to the lower class, usually only interacting with the lower class on an employee level.
 However the upper class is shown in power but this is most likely false power, the lower/middle class usually hold the power.

Gender

In media the dominant gender is male, women are shown as weak and vulnerable but are also seen as a sexual objects.

If a woman does have power she would usually portray for example a corporate executive dominating over men at the workplace. At home she is expected to be the passive person, allowing men to walk all over her - therefore showing again how men are the more dominant gender.

Sexuality

In media homosexuality is often portrayed as ultra feminine or masculine depending on the gender. The work roles that are given usually for them are in either in the hospitality or industry based business, for example a designer or club owner.
The lifestyle that they usually hold is a party life style, sex drugs and drink.

Region

 Regional representations are often important to the ideals of mainstream culture. It is often very heavily stereotyped, for example Dagenham is a run down area full of crime and youths, which can give this place a bad name.

If regions are shown in this stereotypical often biased way, people will begin to believe what they are shown/told, and their opinions distorted. 

Race

Media companies portray ethnic minority groups as subservient in work roles. They are also shown as drug takers who are  involved in violence, and are anti social. They are often shown being aware of their inability to climb the social ladder.

Planning- Different camera shots and angles

Camera shots and and angles are used to create a variety of moods in film scenes or even television. These 5 shots show some of the various shots and angles in the film industry:


High angle shot

This is an example of a high-angle shot, this is used to make the object/person appear vulnerable, insignificant and innocent. also to make them less powerful.







Medium shot

This camera shot is a medium shot, taken from the waist upwards. It is better well known as the 'Hollywood shot' as it will almost appear in every single film.

Medium-close up

Also, there is the medium-close up. This gives a chest up view of individuals, this is used when two characters covert with each other on screen.

Full shot
This is an example of a full shot, the height of the frame is filled with the human figure.











Low-angle shot

This is a low-angle shot, it used to make the subject look powerful, and appear bigger/taller. It also hints whom the main character may be.

Planning- Mise en scene

Mise en scene is the French word for ‘setting the scene’. Setting the scene is key in any genre of film because if you do not have the correct atmosphere for that specific scene, it will not be successful. There are many items/objects that help to set the scene. First of all, they is décor. 

 Décor is the sets and props (left) the set is the important parts of any film as this is were the filming takes place. Props are any objects used in a film and this also helps to set the scene. There are also costumes, costumes is what the persons wearing, also, make-up is part of costumes. Costumes are important, for example, if you were making a film set in the 19^th century, it would be more successful if you wore the clothes that people did in the 19^th century, rather than wearing modern day clothes.  That’s why costumes are an important role mise en scene. Acting is also another aspect in mise en scene. Anything from your body language, to your facial expressions and hand gestures help to set the atmosphere. It will show the emotions of the character being played. The acting is what brings us into watching as we get drawn into the film and for the duration of the film, we believe that it is actually happening and we are involved in it.


There is also lighting, lighting also helps to set the atmosphere as it plays as a team with acting as it can show whether the room/set is tens, or happy or sad. Finally, there is spacing. Spacing is the distance from the camera and the position of the actors. If the actor was closer to the camera, you would imagine the scene was going to be them letting out their emotions or something similar to that. Rather than if the actor was a further distance, it would show that we are following them/following their progress.

Planning- Psychology of media

Psychology of media is the study of behaviour and the mind.
  Psychic Apparatus
   - Sigmund Freud (below) came up with the idea of psychology.
   - He says that there are 3 parts of the mind which control our behaviour.
   - ID: part of the brain that only cares about having fun.
   - Ego: part of the brain that is concerned about what others think (want to be judged).
   - Superego: negotiator of the two parts of the brain (makes decisions).
The protagonist (hero) and antagonist (villain) are usually hyper exaggerated, this is examples of good and evil.

Jacques Lacan: came up with the Mirror Stage and the Ideal I

Mirror Stage

- Infants do not recognise themselves as being an individual.
- At around 18 months, a child recognises that they are human, thus being an individual, and establish their interpretation of themselves. This is known as the mirror stage.

Ideal I

- We are not capable of thinking negatively about ourselves meaning that our way of thinking is correct, because we have nothing to compare it to.
- We have always thought of our thoughts as being perfect. 
- We picture ourselves as characters of the media world as it makes us feel good about ourselves.
- This is known as the Ideal I.

Laura Mulvey (left)

Her ideas were that everything relates to sex e.g. the gaze, scopophilia, gender and objectification.

Scopophilia and Gender

- The representation of gender is formed through how we look at characters and how they look at us in return.

Sexual Objectification

- Sexual objectification is through our gaze, females are portrayed as sexual objects. They are represented as being weak in many different ways.
- Males are seen as powerful.

The Gaze

- This idea of looking is what fulfils our sexual desires.
- How the gaze is constructed is also what helps to create a binary structure of gender.

Why do we watch?

We associate and disassociate ourselves with characters in the film. We basically see ourselves through the character on screen, or disassociate ourself with the character on screen because of the things that the character provides us.

Scopophilia and Voyeurism

Scopophilia is pleasure in watching and Voyeurism is sexual pleasure in watching when people are unaware of you watching.

Voyeurism 
- The idea of spying has become a staple in a film. This can be seen in a variety of ways literally and metaphorically.
- Voyeurism on set is where actors /actresses take part in voyeurism as they are meant to pretend that they are not being watched by film crews.
- Cameras in voyeurism act as a pair of eyes which capture images.
- Audiences and cinema- Audiences in cinemas act as voyeurs due to the nature of how we watch films.

Planning- SPB Productions introduction

Planning- SPB Productions introduction

For AS media, we are creating  a two minute opening of a thriller film. We are going to track our process throughout the year using Blogger, youtube and also Facebook.