Q1 Weeks 5 and 6 - Master Edits

 Due 10/09

After spending some time learning about camera angles, different shots, and the emotions they invoke, it's now time for us to move on to editing and transitions.

1)  First you will view the two following online articles and one video which will introduce you to the effects and importance of editing and transitions in the films you view as well as future films you will make.  After viewing each please take the corresponding quizzes.

Types of Video Transitions
Week 5 Quiz 1

A Beginners Guide to Film Editing Vocabulary
Week 5 Quiz 2

Watch: 5 Master Editing Techniques That Appear in Everything From ‘Psycho’ to ‘Hugo’
Week 5 Quiz 3

2)  Now you will create your own version of each of the five master edits mentioned in the video above

 Contrast - Parallelism - Symbolism - Simultaneity - Leitmotiff

a.  You can shoot the videos needed for this assignment on your phone or a video camera if you have one.
b.  Keep in mind that each edit requires more than one shot--some may require many.
b.  You can create these shots with a partner, but each partner must upload the final product to their individual blogs and have an individual interpretation of the shots.
c.  You will edit these videos into one film using Adobe Premiere Pro, to include an opening title (Our/My Five Master Edits by Your Name(s)) and a title for each of the five shots.
d.  Do not focus on the sounds in these clips because sound will be addressed in a later lesson.
e.  The type of transitions you choose to demonstrate each of the five edits is up to you.

Watch these video once you have all your shots ready to edit.  They will help you get started in Premiere Pro and help you export your final product.

"How To" Video for Premier Pro
"How To" Render & Export Your Video

3)  Post to Your Blog:   Upload your finished film containing your five edited shots to youtube and post a link into your blog,  then discuss each of your shots and how they demonstrate the 5 Mater Edits, just below your video.  Remember, everyone has to do this in your own blog, in your own words, even if you worked with a partner.  Below is my sample "Five Master Edits".

Sample "Five Master Edits" made by me

4) Comment that you are finished at the bottom of this blog post once your film is posted to your blog.

Q1 Weeks 3 & 4 - Camera Angles in Major Motion Pictures

Due 09/25

This week you will continue to explore different camera angles and shots; however now you will learn more about how these different angles and shots make the viewer feel or add emotion to the film.

1)  Begin by reading these 2 online articles and taking the quizzes that correspond with each.

Article 1:  Different Camera Angles Create Different Emotions

Quiz:  Week 3 - Quiz 1

Article 2:  Use of Long Shots in Film

Quiz: Week 3 - Quiz 2

2)  Now you will spend time looking at your classmates camera shots from last week.  Do this by going to the link on the top of this blog "20-21 Student Blogs".  Choose two classmates and leave them a comment about their storyboard camera shots from week two.  Explain which of their shots you enjoyed and what type of emotions could be felt from them. Comment on at least 3 shots for each person.

3)  Make a post on your blog stating which two of your classmates camera shots you commented on, and describe again what the shots were and what emotions they were able to evoke.  Use the information you read in the articles to support how the different angles created various feelings.

4)  Watch a movie of your choice, note the camera angles used and how they help tell the story or add affect to the scene or story.  Note how they make you feel about the characters.

5)  Make another post on your blog first giving the name of the movie you chose to watch, then giving a few specific scenes that you noticed how camera angles added to the feelings that were meant to be expressed by the scene.  Once again, use the information you read in the articles to support how the different angles created various feelings. (min 500 words)

6)  Make a comment to this post when you have finished stating "Finished".

Here is my example of examining some camera shots in a favorite movie.

Review of a few Camera Angles in the Movie

Alien Covenant (2017)

From Producer Ridley Scott

                I chose to comment on a few of the camera angles in the 2017 movie “Alien Covenant” because I am a huge Science Fiction and Horror fan.  This movie fits into both of these genres and I have seen it along with all of its Alien predecessors many times.  Of course, as in most major motion pictures, probably every camera angle imaginable is used at some point during the film.  And although much of the action is CGI, the typical camera angles are still used in this aspect of the film as well. 

                 The movie opened with a close-up on the eye of the character David.  This close-up just as mentioned in the article we read this week, Different Camera Angles Create Different Emotions, gives you a sense of closeness to the character as well as displaying how human David appears although he is known from previous films to be an android.

Within this same first scene the camera moves from the extreme close-up to a wide angle shot which shows the massive expanse of the room in which the two characters are holding their conservation.  This widening of the scene lets you know that the setting is elaborate, expensive and set in the future.

The next camera angle I chose is an extreme wide shot of the city on the alien planet where our characters have landed.  In this view of the city, the very small specs you see on the ground are the dead bodies of the alien population.  The characters of the story are currently running through the open gate in this scene and are also among the specs on the ground.  The scene allows you to experience the enormity of the alien city and the huge loss of life that has taken place on this planet.  The Use of Long Shots in Film, article taught us that many motion pictures have gone down in history for their amazing and memorable extreme wide shots. 

Once in our alien city as with most alien movies, many of the characters meet their doom.  This is often accomplished through point-of-view camera shots which help you experience the terror that the character is also feeling.  I chose three different shots as examples; a view from a character just as she turns to see an alien, the alien’s view of her as he is looking down to eat her, and finally the captains view of the infamous egg pod which contains the facehugger that will soon jump out and attach to his head.  I hope these pictures don’t scare you too much!

As the movie neared its end, I chose to make a short video of the final action scene with our two remaining characters fighting to save the sleeping colonist on board the ship. In this brief scene you see many different angle shots; a wide shot of the alien falling from the ship on board an exiting vehicle, a head-on shot of the alien flying towards its intended victim, and a great flash shot of the alien trying to devour her.  Did he get her?  If you don’t know, you’ll have to watch the movie yourself to find out.  All these great shots help the viewer experience the excitement and terror that every Ridley Scott Alien movie is supposed to inflict on you.

Finally, I had to show the ending point-of-view shot from the main character Daniels' perspective, which shows the moment she realizes that David is on board the ship rather than Walter and there's nothing she can do about it from her hypersleep chamber.  The shot leaves the viewer with the realization and horror that this is definitely not the end.

Q1 Week 2 - Storyboard Assignments

 Due 09/11

1)  Read the Lely High School AICE Media Studies Syllabus located at the link below:
     https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GItqFrKIsEHNQl_PQRvjvjfTBl2PB1rv

2)  Take the Scavenger Hunt Quiz based on the AICE Media Studies Syllabus at the link below:
     https://goo.gl/forms/ctXdVSPOUIDO0XRv2

3)  Now you will begin working on your camera skills.  View and download into your google drive
     the storyboard document found at the link below:
     Story Boarding Document

4)  Choose at least 10 of the various shots described on the storyboard document and make 10
      sample films (videos not still shots) using the camera on your phone.  Make sure that you
      take all videos in landscape format!!!

5)  Create a post on your blog uploading each of  your 10 shots followed by a description of your
     experience trying to create these shots. Although the example shot below does
     include 2 different shots, you still must create 10 different videos.
                   (embed the videos using this tool.  See the sample below)

6)  Please post the word "Finished" as a comment to this blog post when you have finished with 

      all your Week 2 Assignments.

EXAMPLE 

This is an example of a pan shot which I took while on spring break last year.  I noticed after viewing the film that is is pretty difficult to keep the camera level and stable when making one of these types of shots without a tripod.  The pan shot in this video is followed by a dolly shot.  Again, the dolly shot is a bit unstable without using an actual dolly.  If you plan to make a dolly shot you might want to use a stabilizer or possibly a rolling chair.

Q1 Week 1 - Welcome and Blog Creation

 AICE Media Students,

This is the beginning of our Lely High School AICE Media Studies Class.  You will use this blog to view assignments and examples of the work you will take on this year.  You will also use Blogger.com to create a blog of your own.  There you will record and share your journey through learning about the film industry, learning techniques of shooting great video footage, then finally producing and editing your own film opening.  More than anything, I hope that you will enjoy the task you complete, post and discuss in your own blog, and they will heighten your love of film.

Due 09/04

1)  Create your own blog on Blogger (Blogger is a part of google, so you need to have a google
      account and a google drive for this class.)
2)  Play around with the program and learn how to customize the blog so that it reflects your
      personality. (Don't worry, this can all be adjusted at any time)
3)  View the blog, copy the link, then paste it, along with your full name, below as a comment to
      this assignment.
4)  Make a first post on your blog which tells why you are taking this class and what you hope to
     get out of it.

Other task to complete this week

5) Submit the student contact information if you haven't already
    https://goo.gl/forms/4w4cAYrcxiqx7Hro1

6) Read, fill out, and submit the student contract
    https://goo.gl/forms/xZKhWL7K6R192sP23

 Hi AICE Students,

A new and exciting school year is coming soon.  I can't wait to meet all of you!

Q4 - Week 7 Institutions and Audiences

Due 05/08

Your AICE Media Studies Exam would have consisted of two parts:

Section A:  Textual analysis and representation (50 marks) A moving image extract will be provided by Cambridge in DVD format. Candidates will analyze how technical aspects of the language and conventions of the moving image medium are used to create meaning for an audience. Candidates should study a range of texts so that they can discuss, in response to the question, how the following technical elements create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places and help to articulate specific messages and values that have social significance:

Camera shots, angle, movement and composition:
• shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point-of-view shot, over-the-shoulder shot, and variations of these
• angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle
• movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom
• composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls

Editing: This includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.
• cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway, insert
• other transitions: dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.

Sound:
• diegetic and non-diegetic sound, synchronous/asynchronous sound, sound effects, sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective
• soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-scène:
• production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties
• lighting, color design  

We spent the last three quarters preparing for this part of the exam and you completed a mock exam for this Section when you submitted your Agent Carter Essay.


Section B: Institutions and audiences (50 marks) One question is to be answered from a choice of two. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the processes of production, distribution and marketing as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

• the issues raised by media ownership and funding in contemporary media practice
• the importance of cross-media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and at the point of consumption
• the significance of the spread of such technologies for institutions and audiences
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences by international or global institutions
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends in audience behavior.

Assignment 1:  You will demonstrate that you would have been prepared for this part of the exam by reading the following article "Audiences & Institutions".    You will then write a paper of at least 300 words, on what you learned about audiences and institutions and how this information relates to the genre or genres you have focused on this year.  You will upload this paper to the Canvas Assignment Posted this week.

Q4 - Weeks 4, 5, & 6 Creative Critical Reflection

Due 05/01

Over the next 3 weeks you have 5 assignments

Assignment 1 - Watch the video in Canvas which goes over these assignments and answer the questions asked during the video

Assignment 2 - At the end of week one (04/17) Fill out the form "What I did to work on my CCR this week" and submit it for a grade

Assignment 3 - Watch the video in Canvas which shows you how you can use the studio in Canvas to complete your CCR and answer the questions asked during the video.

Assignment 4 - At the end of week two (04/24) Fill out the form "What I did to work on my CCR this week" and submit it for a grade

Assignment 5

BLOG POST - This is your final blog post to your personal blog.   Your Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) should be at the top of your blog with the final cut of your movie opening just below it.  After this week we will work on test preparation exercises which will be submitted to Cambridge for scoring in lieu of the actual exam.

Here are the instructions for your CCR as they are written in the Cambridge AICE Media Studies Syllabus:

Creative critical reflection
This work can be presented in a number of formats such as: a director commentary, slideshows with voiceover, podcast, Prezi or screencast presentation and must answer the following questions:

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

Learners should be reassured that admissions of ineffective choices (as long as they have explained how these were rectified, or what was learned from them) made in the production process are seen as highly reflective qualities and would not, in its own right, impact on the marks awarded.

Here are the links to the blogs of the movie openings you viewed in Q3 Week 2.   You can view the CCR's of these students as examples.

Levene, J. - https://jamielevene.blogspot.com/

​

Delgado, M. - https://mpdxmedia.blogspot.com/

Araiza, A. - https://anaaraizamedia.blogspot.com/

Garzon, D. - https://danigarzon2000.blogspot.com/

Miranda, I. - https://isabelmirandafilmopening.blogspot.com/

Ribnick, A. - http://amandamelissamedia.blogspot.com/

Cabrera, J. - https://jcabreramedia.blogspot.com/

Gosselin, K. - https://gosselinfilms.blogspot.com/

Aguilar, C. - https://celinamediastudiesblog.blogspot.com/

Rapp, C. - https://thatisarapp.blogspot.com/