So, the first "golden" rule is the "Rule of Thirds" or "Golden Ratio". It affects the ratio (1:1.618) of a picture size, as well as the placement of the main subjects in the photo. This ratio is close to the 35mm ratio, so you don't need to change the size of the photo in most cases. But you need to consider the composition: main subject should lie on one of the four lines or four intersections (subject's eye for example). Truthfully speaking, these rules are not always the same. Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Mean.
Another rule is the "Golden Triangles". It's more convenient for photos with diagonal lines. There are three triangles with corresponding shapes. Just roughly place three subjects with approximate equal sizes in these triangles and this rule will be kept.
And one more rule is a "Golden Spiral" or "Golden Rectangle" (you'll see why it's a rectangle in the tools section). There should be something, leading the eye to the center of the composition. It could be a line or several subjects. This "something" could just be there without leading the eyes, but it will fulfill its purpose anyway.
Rule of Thirds
Editing Example
Parallel editing is used to show that the boy and girl are related and have a strong relationship. We can see through the parallel editing that they lead very different teenage lives, showing binary opposite characters. She is coming home; rebelling against house rules and he has been in his own bed. This conforms to Levi Strauss' idea that all narratives have opposites. The two narrative threads come together as she reaches the window and the cut aways show that she relies on him to cover up for her.
Sound Example
The dialogue between the father and the son shows a reversal in audeince expectations. We see the father shouting and swearing at the teenager, which is normally something we would expect to hear from the teenager. The father's aggressive reaction to the diegetic rock music plays to the stereotype that teenagers play loud music and are inconsiderate to older people. His reaction also plays to the stereotype that teenagers frustrate their parents.
Camera example
The idea that teenagers are curious about sex is reinforced through the over the sholder shot used when he is looking at the older woman getting dressed through the window over the road. The shot is hand held so that the audience can have the same experience as the teenage main character. The following close up shot shows a lack of expression suggesting that this is routine and he has become disaffected by the image. This conforms to the stereotype that teenagers' lives are surrounded by sex and it plays a big part of their life.
Mise En Scene Example
The mise en scene of the protagonists bedroom challenges and conforms to stereotypical views about youth culture. The establishing shot suggests that the series targets a teenage audience and it will follow the life and experiences of a teenager. The duvet cover shown is of a double bed with a naked man and woman, suggesting that this age group is sexually charged. The protagonist is positioned in the middle of the two bodies suggesting that he is sexually inexperienced. It could also be suggesting that he is alone and confused about his sexuality, which conforms to teenage sterotypes.In this shot natural lighting is used to give a sense of realism so the teenage audience identifies with the life of the protagonist.
Task
Using the documents below, present your findings on the following:
Encoding and decoding texts
Social Demographics
Audience Pleasures
Escapism
Uses and gratifications
Is your blog up to date?
For TV drama you should have:
1. Analysis of mise en scene - still image
2. Camera angles grid
3. Camera movement - tube chop
4. Stereotypes - Tessa Perkins
5. Sound - prezi
6. Sound analysis - Apocalypse Now
7. Editing - embedded youtube clips on powerpoint/slideshare
8. Narrative theory notes - animation storyboard
9. Narrative Time - genre patterns
Representation through mise en scene
Theory
Tessa Perkins
Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be
challenged. Tessa Perkins (1979) identifies 5 such assumptions;
• Stereotypes are not always negative (e.g. 'The French are good cooks').
• They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful ( e.g. 'upper class twits').
• They can be held about one's own group.
• They are not rigid or unchanging ( e.g. the "cloth cap worker of the 1950's became the
1980's 'consumerist home-owner who holidays in Spain').
• They are not always false.
Stereotyping has tended to suggest that it is wrong to see people in catagories. Yet in the field
of social pyschology it has long been recognised that catagorisation is a fundamental process
necessary for humans to make sense of the world. Humans need to impose structure on events
,experiences and people.
Camera movements – what they’re called
Track (or Dolly)
Moving the camera itself towards or away from the subject, or to follow a moving subject. The shot is called a ‘track’ or ‘tracking’ shot because the camera is often run along a small track (very like a small railway track) to follow the action. The use of the word ‘Dolly’ comes from a tripod which is on wheels called a ‘dolly’. Both these techniques are used to stabilize the camera. This places all the focus on the objects/action in the frame – it allows for focus to remain still whilst the background rushes past. This is often used when we stay with the occupants of a car, listening to their dialogue and watching their actions when the background is largely unimportant. It should not to be confused with a zoom, where the camera’s lens is varied to give the impression of moving closer to, or away from the subject.
Pan
Pivoting the camera to the side to scan a scene or to follow a moving subject. The camera stays STILL – the action rushes past. This highlights the SPEED of what is happening in form of the camera OR it gives clear evidence of scope – often used to show the surroundings or to establish the ‘background’.
Whip pan
A sudden, fast pan.
Tilt
Pivoting the camera vertically up or down. This produces a low or high angle shot.
Rolling
This is when the camera moves diagonally, making the image askew. This is usually used to show that the character is ill or drugged and is often used in as point of view. This is also called a ‘dutch angle’.
Arc
Moving the camera in an arc around the subject.
Crane shot
This is used when the camera itself moves up or down and is usually placed higher above the ground/action. The crane shot is the primary means of moving the camera above ground. During crane shots, the camera rises and lowers on a platform connected to a mechanical arm, much like utility company cherry-pickers. A crane enables the camera to traverse great distances up and down, as well as forward and backward and from side to side.
Overhead
This is where the camera looks over the action or scene directly from above – it’s like a kind of shot from the ceiling.
Aerial shot
Aerial shots are taken from a plane or helicopter are a variation of crane shots. A camera mounted on an aerial support can move into space in all directions while achieving much greater heights than can a crane. Filmmakers began exploring ways to mount a camera on a plane during the 1910s, and in the 1950s helicopter mounts created additional shooting possibilities. An aerial shot may frame another flying object or it may provide a "bird's eye view" of the landscape, as in the swooping helicopter shot of Julie Andrews in the Alps at the opening of The Sound of Music (1965).
Hand-held shot
This is used to convey a sense of immediacy OR it can be used to suggest realism. Thus this shot if often used in more gritty films. However, it is often used these days as it allows for more freedom and with the use of a steadicam the shots have less of the hand-held, shaky feel that one associates with amateur film.
Zoom (Crash Zoom, Reverse Zoom, Reverse Crash Zoom)
This is not really a movement of the camera but it appears to be so. It is when the focus is pulled making either the object/scene slowly appear closer or further away. When this is done very fast, it’s called a crash zoom. When the focus reverses to make the object/scene seem further away, then it’s called a reverse zoom or, when done very quickly, a reverse crash zoom.
Welcome to Year 12
Hello Year 12. Welcome to AS Media. This blog will contain up to date information and resources that you will need to be successful on the course. The following posts are the resources and instructions you need for this week's induction.
