Roland Barthes - 5 Narrative Codes

Hello,


Here is a video based on Roland Barthes a French critic and the narrative codes, the credit for this video should be referred back to GeorgiaJonesASMedia. Enjoy!

Textual analysis on 'The Last of Us'

Here is another textual analysis based on 'Art of the title' opening sequence of 'The Last of Us'.

Information about distribution and marketing of my film

Distribution and marketing of my film

To do this I would promote the film by contacting specific promoting companies who will help advertise my film on billboards, television and on the internet where people can notice the film and be aware of the background to it.

If none of the parent division companies such as Warner Bros Entertainment or Fox Entertainment Group will help fund my film then I will look towards lower companies such as Warp Films where the budget will be lower but they may have more interest in my film rather than one of the bigger companies because the actors aren't as well known as much the bigger companies would have wanted them to be.

I could get funding from BFL Film Fund because if I end up going with the company Warp Films they have connections such as BFL Film Fund therefore this gives my film a better advantage because I can gain funding from a company which are familiar with Warp Films and makes the whole situation more comfortable.


I could market my film by putting up posters on billboards and on trailers so that people passing by can see the film name and image therefore noticing and recognising the film. I could also set up a social network site which allows the audience to gain inside knowledge about the film and also to interact with us too. I could also contact YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and maybe Facebook to help advertise my film across different platforms and would reach out to different audience types and make the film more talked about between people.

Risk assessment sheet

Here is the risk assessment

100 word summary of the opening scene

100 word summary of the opening scene

In our opening scene for the film "Shortcut" the protagonist called Max is a teenager who suffers from schizophrenia and hallucinations. The protagonist walks through to get a shorter route home and comes across the villain in our opening, with the voices in his head increasing pressure he sees a figure staring at him, he flees from the scene after writing in his notebook. However he then trips and gets caught by his imagination.. Or is it his imagination? That's the question that keeps the audience guessing, to reveal the answer they will have to see the full film. At the end we see what Max wrote in his notebook which reveals what he said earlier in the film.

Initial Group Ideas for "Shortcut"

Narrative Codes

Hello, here is the definitions and examples of different narrative codes. Some examples are from my groups own production to let a few hints out about the opening which is soon to be out.

Binary Oppositions

 Here is my Binary oppositions, it contains multiple examples as well as the theory of Claude Levi-Strauss. Hope you enjoy!

Criteria

Understanding the criteria
Good or bad video
Techniques you liked


Recently our group as well as all of the other groups watched a few selected thriller openings previously made by AS media students. We was given a mark scheme which would be similar to what the examiners would have when assessing our thriller openings. We would watch a thriller opening and give it a mark out of 60 and a grade also giving reasons.


The first thriller we watched in my opinion was good because you could tell there was a lot of thought into the pre-production, the voiceover was kept louder than the rest of the audio so that made you focus more on what was being said. There was a variety of camera shots used, the editing was smooth and the opening as a whole made sense. Personally I gave this piece of work 44 marks out of 60 which is a grade B, however this thriller opening got around 52 marks and received an A.


The next thriller opening we watched was good but had a few issues which were raised numerous times, this issue was that during this opening as the protagonist character was walking to his garage there would be a jump cut of what I was led to believe was a doll or parts of a doll. This was an issue because you couldn't actually see what was on the screen and irritated me because it seemed just like a flicker on the screen. The sound I felt was a little misleading because it is supposed to be a thriller the music made it seem distant from that. Although apart from that there was different camera shots and the mise-en-scene was unique in the way of how the character was dressed in his lounge clothes/pyjamas. This piece of work I gave 36 marks out of 60 which is a grade C, however this thriller opening gained a grade A and 54 marks.


After that the rest of the thriller openings that were shown to us was to a lower standard than the previous two openings, there was poor editing so the opening wouldn't make any sense and the lighting would be poorly lit making it look unprofessional. Yet these got good grades such as C's and B's.


In the end I feel as though me and my group can do well for our thriller opening if we do not make small mistakes and ensure that our opening goes smoothly. I look forward to making our thriller opening and succeeding well at the same time.

Audience Theories

Audience Theories

The Cultivation/Culmination – Any one media text that does not have too much effect, years and years of watching more violence will make you less sensitive to violence. This is a process called desensitisation.

Mass vs Niche – Mass targets larger audience and have a higher budget to prove a film that will accommodate all audiences, niche targets are more specific audiences with a lower budget.

Two step flow – Says that most people form their opinions under the influence of opinion leaders who in turn are influenced by the mass media. Ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders and from them to a wider population.

Hypodermic Needle theory – Theory that media messages are injected directly into the brain of the passive audience and that everyone responds to media messages in the same way.

Screenwriters

Screenwriters

Screenwriters collect and join scripts required for aspects of media worldwide such as TV shows, films and many more working alongside directors and producers with the intention of selling them and having them produced. Scripts can be developed by either the screenwriters own ideas or even any existing material. The screenwriter is responsible for explaining the story to the target audience in much detail.

The Film Industry:

 In the film industry it is normal for scripts to be based on existing material. This is then adapted by the screenwriter’s interpretation. A film project gets initiated by a screenwriter and as they initiated it, the writing assignment becomes there exclusive assignments. A production company wants done these are known as 'open' assignments, competition is increased and creates a business rivalry. The more established writers will win these assignments.

Development Process:

Once a screenwriter finishes their project they team up with an industry-based representative in order to pitch and sell their script. These representatives can be producers, directors, literacy agents and entertainment lawyers. The screenwriter is given the rights that were agreed with the purchaser but are credited once their work is recognised by the public. This gives the screenwriter an opportunity to earn higher income and more reputation.

Production Involvement:

Screenwriters are rarely involved in the development of a film. They can be established as producers, advisors or even direct the project. Many scripts do not make it into production because the amount of scripts purchased each year outnumber the amount of professional directors that work in film and the TV industry. When a screenwriter sells their finished project, he or she often has to continue networking and push to have their projects chosen and turned into films or TV shows. If interest in a script fades that project could die out.

One Page Pitch

One Page Pitch

Working title: Shortcut

Film genre: Horror thriller

Length: 120 minutes

Target audience: 15 – 24 year olds

Tag line: ...and remember, the next scream you hear may be your own!

What if premise:  Max is a mentally unstable teenage boy (16) who suffers from schizophrenia.

What if he were to be all by himself in a perilous situation, with no one to call on but the voices in his head? 

In an environment he is completely unfamiliar with?

What would you do in his situation?

The story synopsis: This is about the happenings and occurrences when a schizophrenic 16 year old teenager called Max is left to fend all for himself. Max thinks he is taking a short cut home but it turns into one of the worst mistakes he ever makes.

Statement of Intent: The moral of this is to show the vulnerability of people like Max in this kind of situation.

Visual realisation: The look of the film is quite dark and gloomy, this brings negative connotations to the audience and makes them feel uncomfortable. The pace of the film starts off slow to build tension and then the tempo gradually increases throughout the film. It eventually leads to a climax. An example of this is in a film called Wrong Turn 6.

Audience appeal: We believe that our target audience will enjoy this piece as it has extremely scary values and this is ultimately what they are looking for.

Horror Thriller - First ideas

Horror Thriller – First ideas

·        Setting/Location

o   Woods – evening, not too dark

o   Abandoned house

o   Field

·        Plot

o   Someone being followed

o   Murder

o   Hiding from something

·        Narrative

o   Screenplay/screenwriting

·        Characters/representations

o   The protagonist – represented  as weak/vulnerable/nervous/scared

o   The antagonist – represented as shady/suspicious

·        Sound

o   Diegetic – trees blowing in the wind/potentially birds

o   Sound effect – snapping of twig on ground when someone stands on it – close up shot

o   Discordant – uncomfortable music in the background – makes the viewer feel tension/helps build tension and suspense

·        Camera shots/types

o   Close up – on twig on ground, someone walks over and snaps it – shallow focus

o   Establishing shot – show setting

o   Mid-shot – Show expression of the character that is targeted

o   Low angle – low angle on the antagonist to show the power of the character

o   Tilt shot – looking at a footpath, protagonist walks past camera looking behind as he does so – shows the nervousness of the character

o    Ellipsis – antagonist walks towards camera from long distance, cuts to not far away from the camera, then cuts to the character walking past the character – shortens time

·        Iconography

o   Low lighting

o   Tension building music

Conventions of a thriller

 This is my PowerPoint on conventions of thrillers, it includes the themes, feelings, iconography and thrillers themselves.

Lighting practice

 This is my PowerPoint on the lighting practice task, there is 5 shots which are explained by saying the type of light used and the effect what it gives to the viewer.

Textual analysis on Se7en

 Here is my Se7en textual analysis, it contains information on the opening title, the typography, why the opening title is effective and also the order of the titles.

Textual analysis on opening titles and end credits

This is my textual analysis of the opening titles and credits for the short clip/film called CAMP Festival 2015.