UNIT 22- Assignment 1- single camera formats

Formats within single camera productions



With a single camera format there are many types of formats which give productions more of a narrative. These different formats can interest the audience in many ways. the Three different types of formats are Series, Serial and a One off series. These have been used in many successful productions such as Breaking Bad being a serial and other programs such as Gotham being a series and finally the program See-no-evil being a one off series. These programs are very popular when it comes to audience numbers, they lead audiences to watch them in different ways.

A serial is a format in which the program which links each episode to the other making a one whole story in effect as a continuation it basically where each episode picks up the narrative from where the last episode ended. The ending of each episode is usually a cliff-hanger where the audience are left to find out what will happen next.

For example the program Gotham is a serial, Gotham is a very known single camera production which racks thousands and thousands of views. The reason to this in my opinion is that the production being a series will make audiences want to find out what will happen next? or how their heroin will get out of danger this time?, will he survive or not?.

It leads audiences to ask questions and want to find out more about it. The characters within Gotham are lead through various events in which they try and overcome facing many problems, this intrigues audiences and makes them want to find out what will happen next, therefore engages them into watching it next time. Another serial which is very well known is Prison Break. The famous serial had up to about 4 million viewers world wide and racks up many positive reviews on Netflix. Each episode is a continuation from where the last one ended which in a way is very effective as audiences and viewers would be eager to find out what happened next. this can provide some escapism for audiences to get away from their own problems at home. Because the serial always ends the episode on a "cliff-hanger" the audience are practically being drawn in to find out what happens next. This is very clever and a very effective way to get audiences to watch and enjoy their show.

A series is a format in which the narrative has a different story plot each episode. This format of narrative is as effective as Serials when it comes to getting views and support form the audience In the program Doctor Who the Doctor faces different enemies to save the world from every episode. This in effect makes the audience want to find out what problem will their heroin have to face next. This gives the audience an advantage as the storyline does not pre-long the whole way through. An advantage for the audience is that by knowing each episode is going to be different then they can have a form of escapism to see what it's like In the life inside the production. This enables the audience to enjoy it more which will get the product ok views, therefore getting the producers more money and fame. By going with this producers can make more episodes with the money made.

UNIT 22 - Technical features

Unit 22 - Assignment 1

Technical Features - Camera shots/angles

In the single camera production Eastenders there are many camera shots/movement angles used within the soap. This has an effect on the audience in the following ways.

One camera shot used in this production is a close-up. An example of this shot was when one character (Phil) was talking to another (Shirley). The camera had cut to a closer shot on the characters face. this showed the emotion and expression coming from Phil in reaction to what Shirley had said. This shows to the audience the severity of the current situation which creates a dramatic effect on the audience. The audience would feel worried because of this which creates an engagement in the production which then leads to an interest in what would happen next. The audience would be able get some escapism in a way as they are focused on this current dilemma therefore distracting them form any stress they might have in their own personal life.

Another shot which was used in Eastenders was a Mid-shot. A Mid-shot is when we can see the character from the waist upwards and most of their surroundings. This gives us (the audience) a better insight of the characters body language for example a movement in arms when talking or an action they might be doing. In Eastenders one of the characters (Jay) had received bad news, the camera cut to a Mid-Shot which then showed him throwing a letter and putting his hands on his head. This shows the emotion coming from the character and the audience will see that he is angry form the body language he has presented. Audiences would feel some sympathy for the character or even empathy from this one scene this enables the uses and gratification theory to come into place as some people may feel some Personal Identification. 

A type of camera movement used within this production was a Crane-Shot. This shot is a lifted camera view which allows the audience to see a higher view of the characters surroundings. A crane shot would usually focus not only on the character but on a the scenery around the character. This makes the audience see the world that this character is in. This could lead to the audience feeling some escapism as they see the world that this character is living in. An example of this within Eastenders was when the character Peggy was leaving Albert Square and the camera was a Crane-Shot showing the entire surroundings that she was seeing when she was leaving. This shows what she isn leaving behind and makes it more emotional as it then focused on the Queen Vic which was the pub she owned. This makes the audience feel sad as she was a very known character.

Furthermore, another camera type of camera shot is an 'Over The Shoulder' shot. This shot is basically what is sounds like, when the camera is focused on something from a over the characters shoulder. This gives a perspective on what the character is seeing and some escapism to the audience as they can imagine what the character is seeing and going through in that moment in time. This will bring the audience closer to the production as they could imagine what the feelings would've been for the characters instead of worrying about what problems they might have or just to escape from the world that they are living in reality. An example of this in Eastenders was when the character Patrick was in the kitchen with another character called Pat. They were talking on the table and patrick had heard some bad news form Pat in a conversation the were just having. Whilst this conversation was going on the camera was switching to both characters in the over the shoulder angle. This might make the audience feel what Patrick might be feeling as the character has enabled us to see things from his position, again mentioning the uses and gratification theory this will probably introduce some escapism.

Technical Features - Sound Features

In the trailer 'Creed' it consisted of many sound features. This film is based on an aspiring boxer who comes from a ghetto neighbourhood and a sad childhood full of stress and hard times.

The trailer starts off on a small room where the audience and character can hear a muffled echoing noise of the crowd cheering. When the audience and characters can hear the sound going on this is known as diegetic sound. This has the effect that the audience and character are hearing the same thing therefore making the audience feel as if they are with the character at that point in time. This introduces the uses and gratifications theory of Escapism. The audience can get away from their stress if they have any or they can just imagine themselves within the film and get away from reality. This sound technique enables that audiences enjoy and feel as if they are sharing the same feelings as the charcater within  the production.

Furthermore, another sound feature which was in this trailer was dialogue. This is the most common type of sound feature as it is just the characters within a production talking to one and other or just a narrators voice. This dialogue can differ from the way the characters talk with tone and pitch. It can set a mood or just contradict a scene. There are many types of dialogue as mentioned all of which cover the talking of specific people within a scene. In the specific trailer of creed there was dialogue explaining the back story of the character and what he has gone through to get to the point he is at now. This is said in a serious tone to show the emotion it took to get to his position. These emotions consist of anger, annoyance and pride (in my opinion).  

Production log

In this weeks weekly update we our group had got to the editing the scenes taken individually.

Here are my edits to the production:

The start of our film introduces the "group production" name which is 'HPS productions' and then proceeds to cut the title of our film which is 'Park Panic'. Whilst this cut away is going on the scary music/sound kicks in to set the mood of the whole film as a little insight of what the audience should expect. The sound is "Ambient effect 1" this was right for us as it represents fear in the tone of it (in my opinion)

We had made sure that the quality of camera space was took into consideration so that there was no dead space within our film and keeping the centre of attention the main focus. By doing this audiences won't get distracted by other events going on in the background and it would look nice in effect.

In my individual edits I had added some colour to the scene did where I was stabbed. This relates as the colour of blood is red and the screen being red would represent that effectively and add some variety in scenes shown. This is also an advantage as not all scenes are the same and boring which makes the production even more interesting. I had also made one of the scenes blurry as that was how the bars tee felt at the time being as he was struck by pain and shock within a short period of time which made him feel dizzy and confused. The blurry screen represents that very well.

UNIT 22- Narratives

Shihab Malik                                            

In productions more specifically movies there is a narrative in which the film follows, a narrative is simply a storyline or plot the film uses as a basis of its story line which has an effect on its audience. There are two main types of narratives which are Linear and Non-Linear. Both are commonly known and are very effective.

Linear

A linear narrative is basically when a film or production follows a chronological order, there is a rough basic beginning, middle and end. The liner narrative is very common and very predictable. The effect linear narrative has on the audience varies. Some people say when a film or production is based on a linear the excitement levels of the piece isn't very entertaining compared to that of non-linear as he audience can pretty much guess and know what'll happen within the next couple of scenes. A few examples of linear productions are:

• Cars
• Cinderella
• Shrek

Uses and gratification Theory 

This is the theory  that most productions (mainly film) have a set of 5 stages. These five stages consist of the beginning, middle ad end but in further detail. The five stages are as followed:

1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition
4. Repair
5. NEW equilibrium

NUMBER 1:The starting of most films start with everything within the film going as normally as it should, characters are doing their day to day things with no problem and everything is just normal. This is called the Equilibrium as it is the first stage and life within the film is normal at this point in time. For example in Cars it starts off with this race car named Lighting McQueen who is a nas-car, this character is known for his speed and winning mentality. This is how things and life is before any changing in events.



NUMBER 2: As the film goes on further into the story there is a problem which occurs in the film which changes life how it was in the first place like a disturbance to the Equilibrium. This changes everything within the film until further change takes place. In the film Cars the problem occurs when Lighting McQueen accidentally slides off his trailer whilst they were traveling to another racing event. McQueen is then left and oblivious to the fact that his truck has left him and then as he wakes up he is now aware and tries to find his way back to his truck. He then gets lost in an attempt to find his way back but instead finds himself in a small town arrested for destruction of property.

NUMBER 3: The lives of the characters and events are then interweaved which leads to tension being built throughout the section causing a lot of suspense and worry for the plot. This is called recognition. McQueen is then forced to stay in the small town (Radiator Springs) and is then forced to work and repair the road as he was the one who destroyed it. He is then getting wary of how he can get back.

NUMBER 4: Is similar to recognition as suspense is still being  built up which brings tension but in repair this is the highest point of suspense and tension within the film and this may be the most action packed part of a production as most events start to reach their full potential of suspense. McQueen then gets rescued by the News as his disappearance was very serious as he is well known in the city but his bond with the cars that kept him has grown and he has grown a loving towards them however he is still forced to leave in a rush. He then reaches his race and everything is going well but he seems to be distracted as he misses it back in Radiator Springs, this then leads him to continue the race however one of the other characters have a crash which causes McQueen to choose from helping or going on to win the race for himself. He then chooses to help the other character by pushing him over the finish line.

NUMBER 5: This is the new equilibrium where everything has  gone back to the way it was before or the suspense and tension has ended leaving the characters we started off with back to original form. This theory linking to the audience brings suspense and a bit of excitement to us as the viewers, the normal start from the equilibrium moving towards the disruption and then further on to the suspense and tension build up all entertain the audience as it keeps them interested and wanting to find out more, this is a great theory in terms of getting people and the audience watching to find the production quality at a higher standard. Finally at the end of the film Lightning McQueen is offered a contract to sign with a new team but declines this offer as he'd rather be with his new friends and as per usual the story ends happily.



Non-Linear

A non-linear narrative is when the storyline doesn't follow a specific plot or order, the story plot may contain flashbacks or move back and forth between time/scene to create an effect which will link together in the end. This method of narrative is highly enjoyable to the audience as the viewer cannot tell what will happen next, this to me adds the excitement and 'edge of seat' factor an good production needs. A few examples of Non-linear films are:

• The Grudge
• Memento
• Kill Bill

The effect these two types of narrative have on the audience differ from each other, as said before some believe even though a Linear film may be very predictable it still has a very entertaining ora about it. And with Non linear the unexpected is inevitable which also builds up a lot of tension and excitement.

An example of a film that has a non linear structure is the film Focus. Focus is basically a film with a bunch of con artists who scam the society around them earning as much money as possible. within the film there are loads of scenes where the scenes intertwine with others to show how everything links up with the other. This enables the audience to get a better understanding of the film to see as a better picture. An example of this within the film is when they were at the Football game and the main character Nicki (will smith) and his accomplice Jess Barrot (Margot Robbie) are both betting against a wealthy Asian man. As this is going on the two scam stars somehow successfully win over the 4.1 million dollars they lost in the first place, they then explain how this was done by flashing back to clues and evidence showing how the final outcome of the bet was initially made. This was very clever as the audience hadn't seen it before.  

Another example of where the film didn't follow the linear structure is when  Nicki is explaining how he cheated and faked his trust with Jess and there were flashbacks to earlier stages within the film when their friendship was quite intimate and he detailed on all the little things they done which in effect showed up as a big picture and made more sense. This effect on the audience to me was impressive as us the as the viewers were also shocked and wide eyed. However this was all a con to get out of the trap they were in. So the story changes up between good emotions to bad and depressing moments, so there wasn't just the simple one scene sad and the other happy and jolly. The film mixed it up to make the effect that we were being lied to this whole time too.

The effect a film like this has on me is way more interesting than that of a film which follows a plot and always ends in the same way that the audience would expect it to end. Non-Linear and Linear films both are very successful but in terms of entertainment I would say that a film that is Non-Linear has way more variety in terms of excitement. Although both types of narratives are entertaining to watch.

UNIT 1-Pre production

Actors/actresses:

The Role of an actor or actress within the film is one of the most known jobs in the production industry. An actor/actress has to get into a specific character which the Director has chosen and they will have to play the role of that individual. It takes an extremely talented actor to get into the most difficult characters that's why producers and companies look for someone who is unique and has that extra shine who stands out from the rest, an actor who can adapt themselves into any role is what most movie producers are looking for.

Casting:

The role of the casting or a casting call has the role of choosing who plays which character, for example  selecting a certain type of actor, singer or dancer for a particular role or part in a script involving a dramatic production meant for an audience. This role is vital in order for the film/piece to be at a really high standard. If the cast is not fit and does not match the requirements then there obviously would be a problem so the importance of a casting crew is highly relevant.

Music:

The music producer is in charge of either writing the material or if he didn't write it, he’s in charge of organizing it and making it sound like a cohesive song. He calls all the shots on what’s played, and when it’s played, and how it’s played, and the sounds that are used, or the vocals that are recorded if they’re correct or not. The producer is in charge of everything.

Costume designer:

The main job of costume design in a production is to provide physical and emotional support to every actor through the clothing he or she will wear to enhance characterization. The costume must work onstage. This means it must provide comfort, flexibility and durability. At the same time the design must provide strong visual support of the story, concept and context of the play as a whole.

visual effects:

The visual effects supervisor is hired as early as possible in the pre-production phase, and immediately meets with the director and producer. the visual effects supervisor turns to his or her crew of concept artists, modellers, and animators to design rough sketches, environment paintings, animatic, or 3-D models.

Film editor:

The film or videotape editor works in the post-production editing suite putting together, as a sequence, the final product, which consists of related shots from the raw camera footage. Working closely with the director to meet his or her requirements it is the skill of the editor that determines the quality and delivery of the final product

Production designer:

may be some overlap. In the theatre, production designers are also called stage or set design production designers are responsible for the visual concept of a film, television or theatre production. They identify a design style for sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting, camera angles and costumes, while working closely with the director and producer. Once the concept is decided, designers usually appoint and manage an art department, which includes a design and construction team. Designers tend to specialise in film, television or theatre.

Director of photography:

The Director of photography is a vital creative force in the Film making process. He or she is that one person who is responsible for translating the Director’s cinematic vision onto the screen. Not only does a Cinematographer need to be adept at creating engaging visual moods, but must also be able to both envision them and execute them.

Co-producer:

A Co-producer is typically a Line Producer who has also performed a substantial portion of the creative producing function. Alternatively, they may be the lead Producer from another production company that is co-producing the film, or a partner or corporate officer from the production entity producing the film. In rare cases, a Co-producer may also be the person who optioned, developed or packaged the project. In all instances, Co-producers are subordinate to the Producer.

Executive producers:

The role of the Executive Producer is to oversee the work of the producer on behalf of the studio, the financiers or the distributors. They will ensure the film is completed on time, within budget, and to agreed artistic and technical standards. An Executive Producer may be a producer who has raised a significant proportion of a film's finance, or who has secured the underlying rights to the project. In major productions, the Executive Producer may be a representative or CEO of the film studio. In smaller companies or independent projects they may be the creator or writer. Typically, Executive Producers are not involved in the    

technical aspects of the film making process, but have played a crucial financial or creative role in ensuring that the project goes into production.