1a) Media texts

My AS media production group produced a film opening entitled 'Scarlett'. This opening focused on the idea of a protagonist doll possessing a group of teenagers who thinks she's a myth. This opening is located in a park surrounded by a woods to expose vulnerability of children. Where as in my A2 coursework media production focused on two adverts advertising sportswear with the company I created 'Adics sport' along with a sponsorship and online pop up. In this project I wanted to be more creative with my construction linking this to influences I had gained. In both years 'media texts' was a key process in learning new skills and developing.

The importance of media texts from both my coursework projects was that the media texts that already exist follow a set of conventions that conform to particular genres. These conventions are very important as it builds a relationship with the audience and allows them to consume a film with ease as they know what to expect. For example a convention for the genre horror is gory scenes therefore when a person is paying to watch a horror they know this will be included.

To complete this successfully in my own work I had to identify the convention for my first year AS horror film openings. These were the narrative, props, locations, sound and characters. Firstly from completing the research task of creating a presentation from the software Microsoft powerpoint establishing the conventions of genre I came to a conclusion in my planning what ones I will use. However prior to this I had created a main influences presentation on the software Microsoft powerpoint where I researched a variety of film openings on Youtube. This allowed me to get a better understanding of what the most popular conventions are used and how affective each one is.

Firstly the convention of the narrative theorist Todorov was used in the films 'Cabin in the woods', 'Woman in black' and 'Sinister'. I incorporated this theory into my film opening conforming to this convention. This is because the narrative is very straight forward and has been proven to be very affective as its used in even more examples than I looked at. I used this convention in the following way as I began with the teenagers hanging around in a park having a conversation about the horror stories they have heard. The atmosphere was very chilled and this was shown with the straight cuts and longer lengthen shots to create an equilibrium through the ease in the mood. Furthermore I then chose to construct and edit a flash back this was shot at night time using the technical button 'night vision' this gave the dis-equilibrium a haunting and frightening atmosphere. I also directed the character 'Riley' to act as if she is trapped and isolated from her friends by screaming for help and crying for panic. Behind her was 'Scarlett' the doll singing in her ear 'Ring a roses' the nursery rhyme and giggling. The shots were very fast paced and jumped from each character through close up shots and camera movements of zooming. The last stage forming a new equilibrium was bringing the opening back to normal time where the teenagers were again hanging around in the park and laughing off that they don't believe the rumours that they have all said previously. I feel that by using the theorist todorov made my planning for shots much easier as it gave me a standard layout of how the film opening was going to be shot and edited.

Another convention that I conformed to was the location that I shot the horror film opening. From previously researching into main influences the locations that I found were in 'Cabin in the woods' the woods was the main location, in 'Chucky' a haunted mansion with woodlands surrounding it was the main location and in 'Woman in black' a victorian mansion was the main location. Therefore to make a successful film opening I decided to shoot with woods surrounding in the location as this showed my influences that I had researched I followed as it created a creepy affect. However to challenge this convention I chose to mainly film in a park. The reason I decided to challenge this is because it exposed vulnerbaility of the nature of a children's park and created it to be a very scary and frightening place to go play at. I showed this location through the shot types of a pan shot as this established the location before the action had began to happen. This was a main convention that was shown in all my influences I looked at and the basic establishing shot was one the of the first shots that I learnt in AS therefore the framing for this shot was very familiar to me.

In addition another convention that I was influenced by from media texts that already exist was the characters. The media texts that I looked at was in 'Sinister' the victim of the opening was a child and his mother who was a female and in 'Woman in black' the victim were children. Therefore the teenagers that I used in my horror film opening conformed to this as they were seen a victimised in the horror film. This was highlighted mostly in the flash back with the teenager 'Riley' and all of her friends missing. This identifies the enigma code of where are they? have they been killed? or are they isolated from Riley?. This shows a code that I have used in my horror film opening that was influenced from media texts that I have looked at. Furthermore in the horror film opening 'Woman in black' the 'bad character' was a female and I found this very affective. Therefore by making 'Scarlett' the doll a female shows my influence from this media text and how the conventions of my characters were followed.

In year 13 for my A2 coursework I had constructed and edited two adverts advertising sportswear, a sponsorship and online pop up. To do this I had to identify a number of key conventions that the genre of sports adverts contained. These were semiotics, narrative, location, shot types. Firstly the extent in which I conformed the narrative of sportswear adverts was a lot. This is because from researching on youtube media texts the narrative that was used in the Nike, Adidas and Asics all have an irregular structures that don't conform to a particular theorist as the shots were very random and appeared in a fast and explosive pace to grab the attention of their target audiences. Therefore in both my adverts I followed this irregular structure and focused on the framing of the shots to advertise the sportswear in the best possible way. This was done by a variety of close ups, medium shots, repetition of shots, zooming and slow motion. These shots were all placed in the order in which it flowed best and showed a more striking view on the sportswear.

I also decided to conform to the locations of sportswear adverts and this is because the media texts that influenced my extent of conforming to this

1a) Post production

1a) Research and planning

1a) Creativity

Introduction- Creativity is the ' making of the new and the rearranging of the old' (Bentley) this means that creativity in media products challenge the conventions however replicate conventions that already exist to further the knowledge of them. The products that I created was in AS as a production group I created a horror film opening and in A2 I created an online pop up, sponsorship and two adverts advertising sportswear. I feel that my response to being creative began through being influenced by social and cultural backgrounds as well as media products that already exists. This aloud me to expand from the boundaries of the social norm as well as conforming to the norm in my media products.

Paragraph , 2,3,4,5- pick up a skill area that was used in AS and explain how I illustrated this skill. Then develop this and state how I improved this skill or developed it in A2. For example did I use a more advanced software in the second year or more advanced skills and link this back to my creative product being constructed.

My AS brief was to create a film opening of the genre of my choice. The first creative decision that I made was choosing the genre horror. I chose this because I feel that this genre would encourage my creativity skills more as the conventions attached to this genre were already in my knowledge from the use of screaming, blood, haunting woods, the narrative of todorov and the vulnerability of women and children especially.

Firstly I feel that the narrative was a creative decision that was expanded through the use of the digital video camera and the digital software premiere pro. This is because I chose to follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium's this is because this narrative was shown in every horror filming opening that I watched for example Cabin in the woods. Therefore the narrative was seen to be very effective in the genre horror and by a lot of horror film openings showing this allowed my knowledge of the how to present and structure this much simpler. The technology used to film this was the digital video camera and I feel that this technology did enhance my creativity because it allowed me to use a variety of different camera shots and angles to establish the narrative better. For example at the beginning of the opening where there is an established equilibrium shown I used establishing shots, master shots and medium long shots to show the settled and calm vibe between the teenagers showing clearly them socialising and drinking in a park. Furthermore to show the transition between the equilibrium and the disruption of the equilibrium the camera shots were shown at a faster pace and the shots were close up, medium shots and medium close ups that showed a variety of angles to express a panic in the situation and no escape for the main protagonist trapped. In addition the stylistic techniques that I used to show more creativity was applied from the digital software premiere pro this was because I used the techniques of the razor tool, dip and fade to black. The razor tool enhanced my creativity as it allowed an individual shot to have parts removed to speed up the action as well as dip to black transitions to be made to create an haunting feel to the shots. Furthermore premiere pro also allowed me to organise my shots in the order that I specifically wanted it. This then allowed me to demonstrate the flash back that I had shot and to adjust the levels of the shots to show the contrast between the flash back and real life.  I feel that these skills used with the digital camera and premiere pro software related to the vision of identity because it allowed the identity of the character 'Riley' to be seen as the vulnerable female who is scared and weak through out the film opening which shows me conforming to the original stereotype which is shown in horror film openings that already exist in the media.

Another skill area that I feel enhanced my creativity shown was the sound. This is because the sound was produced through the technology of the digital mike which allowed the sound being said to not have any distractions in the background and to make the voice sound very clear and projective as possible. The sound that I chose to incorporate in my film opening is the sound of screaming, the nursery rhyme 'Ring a roses', 'ready or not hear I come' and general conversation between the teenagers about the horror rumour they had heard. The sound was upload through the digital software iTunes and then dragged onto the software premiere pro where my film opening was being constructed. I feel that the technology premiere pro enhanced my creativity as it allowed the nursery rhyme of 'ring a rose' to be voiced over while action was being presented on screen to create a haunting feel and to also show the vulnerability of a childrens song being exposed to evil. During this creative construction I feel that an obstacle was highlighted this is because the sounds were recorded separate to the filming therefore I found it a struggle to fit the sound to the voice movements in the horror film opening. Therefore I had to adjust the speed and pace of the sound to attempt to make them work.

1a) Digital Technology

Digital technologies that I have used for both my film opening and adverts:

• Adobe photoshop
• microsoft word/ powerpoint
• You tube
• Slide share
• Digital video camera
• studio camera
• web 2.0 (internet)
• premiere pro
• prezi
• blogger

What were the technical pro's and cons of the hardware/software?

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop was a very important software that I needed for both AS and A2. The pro's of photoshop was that it allowed me to edit professionaly a film opening name for my as and a company logo for my a2. The resources that I used were to begin with the editing resource 'T' this was to apply text which was then styled with a font type, variety of colours and sizing. This aloud me to manipulate my company logo to be specifically aimed at a female audience as well as the film opening name 'Scarlett' to conform to the genre of horror and fit in well with this theme. 

I also used photoshop for my online pop up in my a2 coursework. The benefit of using photoshop was that I could create a pop up that was very similar to the inspiration of real pop ups that already exist in the media. To begin with I created a new canvas and used the custom shapes tool using a square to directly show where the text and image will be shown. I then experimented with different fonts, colours and sizes to aim for a bold and eye catching outcome to attract my target audience of females. The photograph that I took on the hardware of a digital studio camera was carefully cut out using the lasso tool and dragged into the popup allowing the background to be removed. I used the curves and levels to brighten the photograph and allow the vibrant colours in the sportswear to be enhanced. I feel that due to my advantage of already using this technology in photography the tools I used I was already familiar with therefore the aim of making my online pop up very striking was easier than expected. In this pop up I also incorporated my company logo that I had already made previously to this task this was re sized to fit in the space I had required for it using the custom shapes and made very large so that the audience instantly become aware of my company to build its popularity. 

Microsoft word/ powerpoint 

The digital softwares Microsoft word and powerpoint were used both in my as and a2 coursework. These softwares were used to present my research, planning and evaluations in a professional lay out. Both these softwares allowed me to insert images to my work to show evidence of what I have written and to illustrate my points. For example in as I created a powerpoint of the main influences of our horror film opening and by inserting images of sections of the films that were most influential for example title's, camera angles, locations allowed myself to reflect on visual inspiration if me and my production group needed ideas to develop. I also could insert youtube horror film openings from the digital site You tube and apply them using the digital software slide share which was a very simple and fast process. Furthermore in A2 I used both these digital softwares more frequently as it was a successful way to present my work in the first year. I used both word and powerpoint in the majority of my work and one in particular I used both these softwares for my two of my evaluations this is because of there was enough space to allow me to write all I needed and to show my creativity in both my including a running background theme through out as well as different fonts and images to make my answers appear more interesting to look at and read.

Youtube

This was one of the main digital sites that I used and to access this was through the web 2.0. I used You tube for both my as and a2 projects. I accessed film openings, sponsorships and sports adverts that already existed in the media industry to research what conventions were used and how I could use them in my own work to conform or challenge them. In my as coursework I looked at 3 main horror film openings Chucky, Sinister and Cabin in the woods which gave me an insight into the structure of the narrative to allow myself to gain a starting point for the storyline of my horror film opening. The skill of researching on You tube was developed in my a2 and this digital site I relied on a lot more when researching ideas this is because in every circumstance I always referred back to You tube. For example          when creating my story board I had referred back to youtube to recap on the popular camera shots that were used in sports adverts to make sure my story board was correctly showing this. 

You tube was also where I had uploaded both my horror film opening, sponsorship and two adverts to this then allowed me to upload it to my blog. This indicates how important this digital software was as it  was included in the process of uploading my main tasks.

Digital video camera

This digital hardware was the most important aspect of both my projects as this was the resource that allowed me to get the resultant footage that I needed to then edit my tasks. In as was the first time that I had created my own film opening therefore the use of the digital video camera was very important. Before I could film my horror film opening a lot of practise was needed to make sure each individual shot was as sleek and accurately composed as possible. Therefore by establishing the camera shots I needed to use from looking at horror film openings that already exist on the digital software You tube I had then gone out several times and practised these shots. Where as in A2 the filming was already in my knowledge of how to use the camera and how to compose the shots therefore even though I had still used the digital camera to practise the shots the idea behind this was more to see if it works well in the fast paced adverts that I was constructing.

Premiere pro

This digital software was used in both my as and a2 coursework and was introduced to me in as therefore in my as coursework the skills that I had learnt was developed in a2 when I discovered I could do a lot more. For example in as to edit my horror film opening I used the razor tool to separate the clips  of the teenagers walking towards the park to speed up the pace of their walk. I also used the transitions of dip to black and fade to black to create a dark and haunting feel to the shots. Where as in a2 I used these techniques as well as using speed and pace to create a range of speed in the actions shots, as well as creating a layer to adjust the curves and levels of all the shots and creating one individual shot two and three times to see the same shot repeated to show more creativity in my work using premiere pro. 

  What were the technical pros and cons of the hardware/software?

In what ways was technology used to create the production?

In what ways did the technology constrain or enable the production?

Discuss how one or more groups are represented in the media

In the media everything has to be mediated to meet the time requirements that they have been given. This means that anything that has passed through mediation has been carefully selected, organised and then has a focus to them. By mediation taking place shows that anything that is shown in the media is not normal or natural it has been coined to gain a large audience's attention. The first stage of mediation is the selection this is where the gate keeper selects the parts that he or she feels will shock, entertain, scare or interest the audience the most. For example a news report that I recently watched about the London riots had been carefully selected where the camera was from the police officers perspective representing the youths as very violent and intimidating this then creates a moral panic that all youths are overpowering in dominance. Furthermore the organisation stage is where the individual shots are organised to get your attention better and by the third stage of focus simply putting the media source in front of you by gaining screen time will allow you to actively participate.

The idea of hegemony is shown where one class has more authority than another therefore by the middle class producing the media shows how they are in control of what representations are shown. This means that the youth are the weaker class as they have no control how the media portray them. This representation is known as intentional as the middle class are forming their own opinion on youths through films, documentaries and news reports. Examples of this are firstly the historical film 'This is England' produced in 2006. The representation of youths is shown through out this is because the producer has represented them as prioritising their appearance this is shown through the group 'Skin heads' where the boys all have their hair shaven and they wear ben Sherman shirts with thick laced boots. The idea of the youths all dressed the same way gives them a sense of belonging. This is one of the reasons why Shaun the younger youth wanted to dress exactly like them so badly this is because this gave him a uniform and sense of belonging.

Comparison between 'This is England' and 'Young Apprentice series 3'

The representations of youths in 'This is England' and 'The young apprentice' was very different this is because:

• In This is England the race of the youth in woody's gang was very isolated and the adults especially had a very negative opinion on him and his background where as in the youth apprentice the ethnicity of the boy and girl was admired and they were treated as equal as the others in the program.
• In the young apprentice the youth was represented as very high class and the location in London that the program was filmed, the cars they travelled in, the well dressed outfits and the board room gave an overall view for youths that money is the goal in life. Where as in This is England the location up north was typical working class streets the location wasn't wealthy looking, corner shops were shown. A similarity between the youth represented in This is England and The London riots on sky news is 'gangs' are seen as stealing and being represented as intimidating when being violent. This could be because a representation of youth not seeing a future for themselves makes them feel that anything they do they have nothing to lose. This is a recurring theme in all the sources I have looked at for example Ill manors with the drug dealing as well.
• In This is England the leader at the time 'Margaret Fatcher' had classed the soldiers as 'Our boys'. One of the main characters Combo had tried to form a gang being influenced by this of the youths and called them his 'troops' this shows that youths are reliant on having a sense of belonging and needing each other. Where as in the Young apprentice the groups that are formed are very aware that they are doing everything for themselves and are very strong minded especially in the board room selling themselves. This shows a representation of youths in two different ways. This also exaggerates the idea of an in group and out group where Combo's 'troops' are the 'in group' and the ethnicity are the 'out group'. This is also shown in the young apprentice where the 'ungroup' are the successful group and the individual that is fired is classed as the 'out group' this is a common theme that the sense of belonging is very important to youths. 
• The representation of youths prioritising their appearance and their fashion of what they wear. This shows youths as very self conscious and the idea of all having the same style allows them to fit in. Examples of this is quadraphenia 'mods and rockers' This is England 'Skin heads' The young apprentice 'Smartly dressed'.
• In the Sky News report of the rioting the male youths who did not want to be seen on camera when expressing their voice the camera men made them cover themselves up. This made their appearance look more intimidating where as the rioting report that was shown as very unprofessional with the use of the shaky hand camera and mistakes that had not been taken out did not show the youth. This shows a representation of the youths voice being heard not there looks being judged before they speak.
• The idea of a recurring theme of the representation of youths wanting a voice shows the idea of self representation as the opinions they express says a lot about them. For example in the London riots when the youths said